Here's the one mysterious reference I can find to a James Graham in New Castle in 1682, as a witness to Penn's arrival and claim to the land of New Castle. It's not clear from context of he was a existing resident in the area or a member of Penn's party. Graham doesn't sign the 2nd document so it doesn't appear he is a resident of New Castle. Can anyone shed any further light on who this may be? I know there are a number of wills of James Grahams who died in Chester or PA as early as 1730's, but I am looking for any other references especially ships passage. So, I am wondering if there are records of this James Graham on the Welcome or related ships, or where he came from and went to after this. Was he an early Quaker? Is he related to the Grahams of Chester? It's the earliest reference I can find to Grahams in the greater PA area but I think I had seen some evidence of other Grahams in VA prior to this. The citation is found here and it is the only reference to James Graham in the entire book: Annals of Pennsylvania, from the discovery of the Delaware ... 1609-1682. Hazard, Samuel, 1784-1870. < http://www.hti.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=moa;cc=moa;rgn=main;view=text ;idno=AAV8575.0001.001 > The text conversion leaves some problems with some names and words, particularly when there are notes in the margin summarizing content of a page. I corrected some of the typos when I copied the text below but left quite a few. You can click on the page number and see the original page. The citation is: Signed, Thomas Holme, William Markham, Arnoldus de la Grange, George Forman, JAMES GRAHAM, Samuel Land, Richard Tugels, Josephl Curles, John Smith." (2) The context is in this text: 96 WILLIAM PENN, PROPRIETARY AND GOVERNOR. 1682. Thomas Dungan was commissioned, by the Duke of York, to be governor of New York.1 About this time, the ship in which, as before stated, President Moore, sixty or seventy servants, and numerous other Arrival of passengers left England, arrived in Pennsylvania, having had Poore, &c. only twenty-nine days' passage. Another ship arrived about the same time, having been equally fortunate. 2 After a prosperous passage of about two months, as Penn November 3. himself informs the "s lords of plantations," he arrived on the Wm. Penn 24th of October, which was for many years observed as the arrivesat anniversary. But as a record of it at New Castle places it the capes. on the 27th there, the only way to reconcile the two appears to be, to suppose that he intended to speak of his arrival at Deaths by the capes. On the passage, several were attacked with smallsmall-pox on pox, and many died. Richard Townsend, who was a fellow passenger, thus speaks of Penn's services: "This good conversation was very advantageous to all the company. Iis singular care was manifested in contributing to the necessities of many who were sick with the small-pox then on board, out of which company about thirty died." ", We had many good meetings on board." The arrival of William Penn at New Castle is thus recorded: ", October 28-On the 27th day of October, arrived before Record of the town of New Castle, in Delaware, from England, WILLIA-M Penn's arriv- PENN, Esq., proprietary of Pennsylvania, who produced two al. Taking o possession certain deeds of feoffment from the illustrious prince, James, of New Cas- duke of York, Albany, &c., for this town of New Castle, and tie. twelve miles about it, and also for the two lower counties, the WVhorekills and St. Jones's, which said deeds bore date the 24th August, 1682; and pursuant to the true intent, purpose, and meaning of his royal highness in the same deeds, he the said William Penn received possession of the town of New Castle, the 28th of October, 1682." 3 This proves that Penn, when he spoke of his arrival as on the 24th, must have intended his entrance into the bay or capes. The following memorandum and certificates show the fact of delivery, and the ceremony by which it was attended: 44 New Castle, the 28th October, 1682. -Memorandum, I London Doculmrnts, vol. iv. p. 133. 2 Claypoole's Letters. 3 New Castle " Old Records transcribed," p. 261. Page 597 1682. Certificate of witensses to the delivery of New Castle, and submission of the inhabitants (margin notes) that the day and year first above written, William Penn, Esq., by virtue of an instrument of indenture, signed and sealed by his royal highness, James, duke of York, &c., did then and there demand possession and seisin of John Moll, Esq., Certificate of and Ephraim Harman, gentleman, (attorneys constituted by witndesies to his royal highness,) of the town of New Castle, otherwise of New Cascalled Delaware, with twelve miles circle or compass of the tie, said town; that the possession and seisin was accordingly given by the said attorneys to the said William Penn, according to the usual form, by delivery of the fort of the said town, and leaving the said William Penn in quiet and peaceable possession thereof, and also by the delivery of turf and twig, and water and fowle (1) of the River Delaware, and that the said William Penn remained in the peaceable possession of the premises, as witness our hands and seals, the day abovesaid, and when the words and water and soyle of the River Delaware were interlined before us. Signed, Thomas Holme, William Markham, Arnoldus de la Grange, George Forman, JAMES GRAHAM, Samuel Land, Richard Tugels, Josephl Curles, John Smith." (2) The inhabitants of New Castle formally make the following pledge of obedience to Penn: "We, underwritten, being inhabitants of the town of New Castle, upon Delaware River, having heard the indenture made between his royal highness, James, duke of York and Albany, &c., and William Penn, Esq., governor and proprietor of the province of Pennsylvania, &c., wherein the said duke transferreth his right and title to New Castle, and twelve miles circle about the same, with all powers, and jurisdictions, and services thereunto belonging, unto the said William Penn, and having seen, by the said duke's appointed attorneys, John Moll and Ephraim Harman, both of New Castle, possession given, and by our governor, William Penn, Esq., possession taken, whereby we are made subjects, under the king, to the said William Penn, Esq., we do hereby, in the presence of God, solemnly promise to yield to him all just obedience, and to live quietly and peaceably under his government. Witness our hands, this 28th day of October, Annoque 1682. Signed, Arnoldus de la Grange, J. de Haes, H. V. D. Brieth, William Simpill, John Holmes, Hendrick Lemmons, Joseph Moore, James Parmes, Jonas Arskins, Giles ~'- t Barrotts, Pieter Classen, Samuel Land." (1) So in the record, but evidently intended for soyle. (2) New Castle Records. Pea Patch Case, p. 21.