Samuel James (1817-1898) and Virginia Robertson (1821-1903)

Samuel James Parents

Born: 16 September 1817 in Florissant, St. Louis, Missouri.¹

Christening: 17 September 1817 in Florissant, St. Louis, Missouri.²

Married: 18 February 1838.¹

Died: 15 July 1898.³

Buried: 16 July 1898 in Florissant, St. Louis, Missouri.³

Virginia Robertson

Born: about 1821 in Missouri.⁴

Died: 26 April 1903.⁵

Buried: 28 April 1903 in Florissant, St. Louis, Missouri.⁶

Children

1. Julia James (born about 1839 in Missouri;⁴ christened 25 August 1839 in Florissant, St. Louis, Missouri;⁷ married Alexander Staburyon 11 February 1857).⁸

2. Mary E. James⁹ (born about 1841 in Missouri).⁴

3. William G. James (born 17 May 1843¹⁰ in Missouri;⁴ christened 6 August 1843 in Florissant, St. Louis, Missouri).¹⁰

4. Patrick James (christened 6 August 1843).¹⁰

5. Kate James (born about 1843 in Missouri).¹¹

6. Zarzan? James (born about May 1845;¹² buried 16 September 1846 in Florissant, St. Louis, Missouri).¹²

7. Edrina James¹² (born about 1848 in Missouri;⁴ buried 8 September 1850 in Florissant, St. Louis, Missouri).¹⁴

8. Sallie James (born about 1850 in Missouri).¹¹

9. Virginia James (born about 1852 in Missouri;¹¹ married John D. Tobin).¹⁵

10. Isabella James (born about 1855 in Missouri;¹¹ christened 11 September 1853 in Florissant, St. Louis Missouri).¹⁶

11. Clemens Alfons James (born about 1856 in Missouri;¹⁷ christened 25 December 1856 in Florissant, St. Louis, Missouri).¹⁸

12. Sara Laura James (born 16 January 1860;¹⁹ christened 26 February 1860 in Florissant, St. Louis, Missouri).¹⁹

13. Jesse May James⁹ (born about 1863 in Missouri;¹¹ married J. W. E. Belleville).¹⁵

Notes on Samuel James

Samuel was a judge and a very prominent person in Florissant, where he lived for most of his life. He gave an interview to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch for an article dated 10 April 1892 for Florissant's centennial celebrations. The article is available here. The article also includes a picture of Samuel and the story of Elizabeth Creely surviving an Indian attack when she was a young girl. He held a variety of civic offices, including trustee of the town, treasurer, and county judge.¹
In 1850 his occupation was Trader.⁴ Another source says that from 1840 to 1850 he shipped hogs and cattle to New Orleans.¹
He also briefly went to California to work as a miner.¹
In the 1880 census, he's listed as the "treasurer of the city and school."²⁰
You can download Samuel's obituary here. This was published on p. 6 of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on 18 July 1898.

Notes on Virginia Robertson

As explained in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch article, she was born into a Methodist family. She converted to the Catholic Church on 21 March 1851.²¹
In the 1900 she was widowed and living in Florissant with her grandsons Samuel and Thomas F. Burke and her (adopted?) daughter Lucy Hamilton.²²
The 1900 census also states that she was the mother of 13 children, 7 of whom were still alive.²²

Sources

1. Scharf, John Thomas. (1883). History of St. Louis City and County. Philadelphia, PA: Louis H. Everts & Co, volume II, p. 1888.

2. Register of St. Ferdinand parish, Florissant, St. Louis, Missouri (christening record 17 September 1817).

3. Register of St. Ferdinand parish, Florissant, St. Louis, Missouri (burial record 16 July 1898).

4. 1850 Federal Census of District 82, St. Louis, Missouri.

5. St. Louis Globe Democrat, 28 April 1903.

6. Register of St. Ferdinand parish, Florissant, St. Louis, Missouri (burial record 28 April 1903).

7. Register of St. Ferdinand parish, Florissant, St. Louis, Missouri (christening record 25 August 1839). On her christening record her name is listed as "Emilia Julia James."

8. Register of St. Ferdinand parish, Florissant, St. Louis, Missouri (marriage record 11 February 1857).

9. Her middle name/initial is from the 1880 census.

10. Register of St. Ferdinand parish, Florissant, St. Louis, Missouri (christening record 6 August 1843). Based on the 1850 census, it's possible that William and James are the same person.

11. 1870 Federal Census of St. Ferdinand, St. Louis, Missouri.

12. Register of St. Ferdinand parish, Florissant, St. Louis, Missouri (burial record 16 September 1846). The first name is hard to make out and this guess could easily be wrong.

13. In her burial record her name is listed as "Edwina James."

14. Register of St. Ferdinand parish, Florissant, St. Louis, Missouri (burial record 8 September 1850).

15. "Funeral of an Old Citizen," St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 18 July 1898, p. 6. You can download this article here.

16. Register of St. Ferdinand parish, Florissant, St. Louis, Missouri (christening record 11 September 1853).

17. 1860 Federal Census of St. Ferdinand, St. Louis, Missouri. This census lists Clemens's name as "Alphonso."

18. Register of St. Ferdinand parish, Florissant, St. Louis, Missouri (christening record 25 December 1856).

19. Register of St. Ferdinand parish, Florissant, St. Louis, Missouri (christening record 26 February 1860).

20. 1880 Federal Census of Saint Ferdinand, St. Louis, Missouri.

21. Register of St. Ferdinand parish, Florissant, St. Louis Missouri (christening record 21 March 1851).

22. 1900 Federal Census of District 129, St. Ferdinand, St. Louis, Missouri.