His naturalization papers say he was born in Stepney, England (near London) and had been living in Canarvan, Wales prior to coming to America. He and his wife arrived in Boston on 18 June 1855. They registered their daughter's birth on that date in Lynn, MA when they arrived, even though she was born in Wales, indicating they arrived soon after her birth or that she was born on the boat. He was listed as a cordwainer (a person doing cordovan leatherwork, usually shoes) born in North Wales, and she from Scotland.
He swore his allegiance to the U.S. on 21 March 1857 as part of his application for citizenship which he received 19 Oct 1860. When son James was born in 1857 they were living in Andover, Essex Co, Mass. On son Wm's birth certificate in 1859 his occupation is again a Cordwainer, and they were living in Marblehead. In the 1860 census he is listed as 36, an Engineer from England with his wife Katherine of Scotland and 3 children Katherine (5), James (3), and William (7mos). Also listed is Abbie Waldo (22) a shoebinder and apparently a boarder or domestic.
He obtained his naturalization on 19 Oct 1860, along with his wife who was automatically naturalized with him (women did not have to apply individually until 1922). The Marblehead Town Clerk has a record of an unnamed Samuel stillborn in 1861 - a child of James and Katherine. It is possible this is a mis-read of Elizabeth's birth record. The birth record (for Elizabeth) on 18 Dec 1861 says the birth was in Marblehead and that they moved to Lynn. Andover, Marblehead and Lynn are located relatively close together. All of them were very strong in the shoemaking industry and so its reasonable that he would move from town to town in search of the best place to work. He is not mentioned in the history of the shoemaking industry in the Marblehead library. He was a machinist, and living on Commercial St. in Lynn when Mary Jane was born in 1864. He sold 3 lots in Lynn to Richard Breed and Daniel Flagg for $240 on 6 Sept 1865. The note was written such that he could repay the money at 7.3% interest within a year and recover the property.
By 1870 he had moved to New Jersey and is listed as a farmer (age 48) with $1200 of land and $100 of property. He is listed as a U.S. citizen and had 5 children living at home. In 1880 he is listed as 61, a Shoemaker from England with his wife Kate (56) and 3 children Kate (25), James (23) a Shoemaker, and Mary (16) working in a shoe shop. His parents were both born in England and Kate's parents were both born in Scotland.
In 1882 he and his son William moved both their families to San Francisco - to open a shoe factory according to family stories. He is listed at 613 Linden Ave in the 1883/84 and at 427 Golden Gate Ave in the '84/85 San Francisco City Directories as a shoemaker at the same addresses as his son William.
By 1900 James and Catherine had returned to New Jersey and were living with their daughter Mary Schiner and her two children. James is listed as born Mar 1816, age 84 and married 50 yrs. It says he was a shoemaker and had immigrated in 1854, been in the US 46 yrs and was naturalized.
[Obituary] Vineland NJ - 13 July 1909
Mr. Samuels Dead
James Samuels, the aged shoemaker, passed from this life yesterday afternoon. He was 98 years, 3 months and 26 days old. His life was lived in a most remarkable age. He came here from London, England, when a small boy, and lived to see the great Amearican nation develop. He was a man of considerable mechanical ability and for that reason had a hand in the development of many of the inventions of the age. His memory was good, and it was quite interesting to hear him tell of the early days and the growth of the nation. Mr. Samuels was a hard worker up to only a few years ago. He did not rust out, but was active, and scarcely ever sick. At 96 years he worked at shoemaking, a business he followed here for forty years.
[Obituary]
The funeral of the late Mr. James Samuels took place yesterday. It was delayed somewhat in the hopes that his son William would come from California, but as noting was heard from him, the burial took place. Rev. Dr. King officiated, and the pall bearers were W.E. Bigelow, P.J. Leavens, H.J. Mason and Henry T. Craven.
Mr. Samuels leaves a daughter, Mrs. Joseph Schiner, and two sons, James and William.
[Obituary] The Penn's Grove Record, NJ - Friday, 23 July 1909, pg 1
Saw the First Steamboat -
James Samuels died in Vineland at the age of ninety-eight years and twenty-six days.
He saw the first steamboat, helped build the first railway carriage and saw the first railroad track of any note laid. He was a native of London, England, and came to America as a boy. He was scarcely ever sick a day and death came as a peaceful sleep. At ninety six years of age he was working on an invention of his own. For the last forty years he followed the manufacture of shoes and was the oldest man in the vicinity.