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James Batham 1809 - 1899 James Batham was born on the 3 March 1809. His life story, written after his emigration to the USA says that this event took place in Kidderminster, Worcestershire. However, his baptism took place 9 days later in Brierley Hill, Staffordshire. Perhaps because of his long time association with Kidderminster his family thought he had been born there. |
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He and his wife, Mary, had 9 children all born between 1833 and 1857 in Kidderminster, although his wife's obituary states that they had 13 children.
James,a solicitor by profession, was for a time Mayor of Kidderminster, a town in Worcestershire famous for carpet manufacturing. There is still a portrait of him hanging in Kidderminster Town Hall.
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As a result of his prominence in the Town there is still to this day a 'Batham Road' in Kidderminster. The next street along from this is 'James Road' - leading to the presumption that this street too is named in James' honour. James appears in many surviving documents relating to the town's history, particularly road improvements, so it is perhaps fitting that this road exists. |
James and his family emigrated to the USA in about 1875, settling in Kansas. It is here that the obituary of his wife gives a few more details of the family;
Died-- At her home near New Chillicothe, Dickinson County Kansas, on the 27th day of February, 1886, Mrs. Mary Batham, nee MEACHAM, in the 75th year of her age. Mrs. Batham was born in Hartleburg in Worcestershire, England in 1812 and was married to James Batham, Solicitor of Kidderminster, England in the year 1830. She leaves an aged husband, 78 years, who has been her companion and counsel for 57 years, thirteen children and 50 grandchildren, as well as a host of friends and relatives to mourn her loss. When she left England 15 years ago, she had been a consistent member of the Congregational Church at Kidderminster for more than 30 years, and never ceased to hold her Christian faith up to the date of her death. Her funeral was preached at the Greenridge schoolhouse on Tues., March 1st, by Rev. Mr. Hardy, after which she was buried in Greenridge Cemetery.
Note: the reference to his wife's birthplace 'Hartleburg' is an 'American' mis-spelling, as this is, of course, Hartlebury, a town near Kidderminster.
James left numerous descendants in the USA, many of whom are now to be found in California. Some have migrated further and are now to be found in New Zealand. One, curiously, has returned to the British Isles and is now resident in Ireland.
Pearson/Rowley/Parrish/Batham/Gauden
Steve Pearson
PO Box 2483, Dudley, West Midlands, England, DY2 0YH
Tel: +44 (0)1384 571244 E-mail: Steve Pearson
©S Pearson 2002
