Special thanks to Carolyn G. for providing this information...sorry it took so long to get it posted.
James McCambridge and his wife Mary came from Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland sometime before 1806 when their son James was
born in Burlington Co.
They probably came with other children. Another son John was born in 1808. In the 1830 Census for Gloucester Co., Galloway
Twp. there is a James McCambridge
family living beside the family of George McCambridge. I don't know their relationship. A George McCambridge married Harriet Ashcraft Apr. 9, 1825
(Gloucester Co. Clerk's Office) The immigrant James appears on an 1809 Tax list for Washington Twp. and in 1836 James and wife Mary of
Washington Twp. sold land in Chester Twp. This family is closely tied to the forges and furnaces of the Pinelands,
St. Mary's Catholic Church in Pleasant Mills
and later the cranberry business. A James McCambridge purchased the old "Barnhart Tavern" in 1826, operating it for many
years.
He renamed it "Eagle Tavern." [McCambridge printed an advertisement in 1826 noting that "He now dwells at the old and noted stand known by the name
of Barnhart's Tavern", according to an article in "Old Inns and Taverns of West Jersey" by Charles Boyer].
The Wharton ledgers mention the Barnhart Tavern in 1831,indicating that it was still called by the name of its original owner four years after McCambridge bought it.
Since it was the closest hotel to Speedwell Furnance, it was patronized by both the workmen at the furnance and by visitors to the area. By 1849, while it might have
ceased being a tavern, the McCambridge family still lived there.
Stephen V.Lee,Jr of Speedwell remembers that three McCambridge brothers were in residence when the old building caught fire and burned to the ground,but the
actual date of the conflagration escapes him. The first Stephen Lee married James McCambridge's sister,and McCambridge sold him the Speedwell Tract in 1868.
It's sometimes referred to as a tavern/hotel. He had a priest consecrate land for a cemetery near the tavern.
Henry Charleton Beck wrote that he was taken to this cemetery by a Fire Warden. The grave markers were of wood and most had
been burned by the forest fires that went through the area. One he saw said
"Charles Wells 1839". In 1850 a James McCambridge bought the Speedwell Furnace, previously owned by Samuel Richards who
died in 1839. [POSSIBLE CORRECTION: According to researcher Eugene Wills, this is not what the
marker actually said. It actually said, "Charles born April 1839, died July 1839. Son of George and Mary Wills. In all
likelihood, they were George Wills and Mary (Dillett) Wills.]
According to Charles Boyer:
"It took Stephen Colwell, Samuel's[Richards] executor,eight years to sell the abandoned ironworks. When he did so on June 30,1850,he got only $1,750 for it from
James McCambridge. McCambridge had been running the Eagle Tavern which stood to the northwest of Speedwell Furnance on one of the "three stage roads"
between Philadelphia and Tuckerton. The Tavern could not have been profitable after the demise of Speedwell
Furnance.
One of Richards' daughters had continued to live there even though the furnace had gone to decay. There was a large owner's house, which I think the McCambridges moved into. James also bought many other acres in the area. The tract on which the furnace stood eventually passed to Stephen Lee who had married James's sister. James, son of the immigrant James had married Ann Milley and together they had ten children. The James and Mary Milley buried in St. Mary's, Pleasant Mills are probably her parents. Ann died Dec. 12, 1855, "her 51st year." James and Ann's children were:
In the Burlington Co. Washington Twp. Census of 1860, most of the family is still at home with James as head of household. He's listed as a collier (still digging the bog iron?) His father James was living with them at age 97. Apparently he died shortly after the census was taken. Vandals destroyed his tombstone in St. Mary's cemetery. James McCambridge was listed as freeholder in Woodland Twp. 1873-1875, Collector (tax?) 1878-82. Also on townshp committee in 1866-78 along with William McCambridge 1774-75 and 1880. In the 1870 Woodland Twp. Census James was listed as a farmer and his sons as farm laborers. He died in Shamong Twp. 9-28-1886, age 80 and was buried in St. Mary's. George McCambridge who married Elizabeth (Bowers) Holloway had cranberry bogs in Jenkins. George and Elizabeths children were:
George McCambridge died in 1906, and his widow Elizabeth sold the bogs to the Haines family. George is the last person buried in St. Mary's. His wife couldn't be
buried there, as she was Protestant. She outlived him by 38 years. She's buried in Hillside Methodist Cemetery in New Gretna on one of her daughters plots,
Margaret Gerew. The Mary McCambridge in St. Mary's who died in 1835 was the immigrant James's wife. Her husband was buried beside her but vandals
destroyed his tombstone, and many others. A priest from St. Nicholas Church in Egg Harbor went there and copied down all the McC dates from the markers
According to Father Edward McCarthy's Latin Baptismal Record from St. Mary's of the Assumption, Pleasant Mills:
"September 11,1836 James born February 5,1836 from James McCambridge and Anna Miller."
This was James McCambridge 3rd, grandson of the Antrim immigrant James. This child died, unmarried on 12-30-1864. His death cert. lists 'unknown' as cause of
death.
These are the McCambridges listed in St. Mary's Cemetery: One tombstone inscription has been given the wrong name. It says Mary A. McCambridge wife of James, died 27 Dec. 1855 age 54. This should read: Ann, wife of James. The other data is correct. This was Ann (Milley) Mccambridge. Her parents, Mary & James Milley are also buried there. There is a stone for Mary A. McCambridge there. She was the daughter of the above James (d.28 Sept.1886 age 80) and Ann(Milly McC) Her stone reads : died May 16, 1880 age 47 yrs. The confusion is probably because The above James McCambridges mother is also buried there and she is Mary also and wife of James Sr.. and mother of the above James. She died Nov. 21, 1835. Easy to get confused unless you're related and know who's who.
The child John McCambridge, b.Mar. 30, 1894, d. 24 Oct. 1897 was the son of George and Elizabeth (Bowers) McCambridge. His stone says "Budded on Earth, to Bloom in Heaven" Elizabeth couldn't be buried with her husband as she was Protestant. She's buried with her dtr. Margaret Gerew and her husband Lewis in Hillside Cemetery, New Gretna. She was b. 15 July, 1857, d. 18 Dec. 1944.
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