Unknown Newspaper Clipping found in the Crist Bible, Courtesy of John Crist.

James Alexander, 8 September 1870, 99 years, 10 months, 6 days.

James Alexander, the veteran of almost a hundred years, died at the residence of his son-in-law [George Shaw] in this city last evening. Very rarely indeed is recorded of men in these times that they were born in 1769; the figures look strange and take one back to a primeval country, sloops, and news from Europe "three months later." What changes have occurred since that time; and he saw them all--was a living actor in them, an honest, God fearing, liberty loving man, who performed all his duties to society, himself, and to his country. Tomorrow his hundred years drop into the place prepared for all the living, and the places that so long have known him in this active, busy, progressing world will know him no more forever.
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James Alexander came to America circa 1798 because he disagreed with the policies of the King of England and said so. Legend has it that at one point the King put a bounty on James's head. James was a talented weaver. Examples of his work are routinely on display at the Smithsonian. James was a participant in the War of 1812, and his enlistment records are in picture form on this memorial, courtesy of Doug Alexander. James Alexander's weaving career is well documented. One link to an article about this is at https://issuu.com/american_folk_art_museum/docs/clarion_17_1_spr1992/54

James's marriage to Catherine Fenton Bullard produced thirteen children:

John (1800-1858), Thomas (1802-1895), Joseph (1804-1899), James (1806-1888), Franklin (1808-1898), Anna Eliza (1810-1898), Jane (1812-1895), Catherine (1813-1907), Harvey (1816-1911), Rebecca (1818-1857), Mary (1820-1913), Daniel (1822-1917), and Rhoda (1827-1913).

The following excerpt is from an article by Margaret V.S. Wallace entitled "James Alexander, The Little Britain Weaver," found in the Orange County Post, 21 July 1966, page 7.

"James Alexander was born in Ireland in 1770. He had seven years of training in weaving in Belfast. He came to America in 1798. Doubtless the industrial revolution was hurting the hand weavers, but James Alexander had another reason for leaving Ireland, and fast. The Irish people were plagued with unjust taxes just as the American colonies had been.

James Alexander took a strong stand against this oppression, and in language unusual for him, he said, "To hell with King George." This made it necessary for him to flee the country. His cousin, also names James Alexander, was arrested but released when the authorities discovered they had the wrong man.

This gave our James Alexander time to get on a boat just setting sail. He came to America where King George had recently been dealt with rather well, and he came as a stowaway, leaving looms and all behind.

He landed in Connecticut. There he found a good wife, Catherine Bullard. By 1800 he had arrived here. Why to this region? Who would not have heard of Little Britain! The Clintons were here, and many others from Ireland. In 1800 he took a 10 year lease of a farm on Belknap Ridge, three and a half miles west of the village of Newburgh. This must have been at the north end of Silver Stream Road near Cochecton Turnpike. It is under Stewart Field now.

He rented from Pat McCarty with the understanding that if Pat had not married by the end of the 10 years he could extend the lease. The small log house became crowded, for six children were born in those years, and the looms took up space. As Pat showed no signs of getting married, James Alexander built himself a frame house on the rented land.

This excited Pat to the point where he said he would marry anything that wore a cap. A weaving girl heard of his remark, came to him and offered herself, and they went right off to the minister. The Alexanders had to leave their nice new house.

Where did they go? Not even the Newburgh postmaster knew. From time to time he published in Political Index lists of people who had not called for their mail. James Alexander is on the lists for July 1, 1810, July 1, 1811, and Oct. 1, 1811. In 1816 they were living in the house on Jackson Avenue South now owned by Miss Martha Corwin. It could be that they lived there all six of those years.

In April 1816 they moved to the farm then owned by Isaac McDowell now by Robert Armstrong, in Little Britain, down a long lane off Little Britain Road. Samuel Armstrong, who grew up in that house, thinks it was built in three sections, first the northeast quarter with its huge fireplace, then the eastern half, and that the Alexanders must have had that much of it.

Here they lived for 12 years. They never owned a place, but always rented. There were 13 children to feed and clothe, and though they worked when real young, there was little money. The account book shows that he farmed and did all sorts of odd jobs to supplement his weaving.

That was a small farm. By 1828 there was such competition in weaving that he could not earn enough. He went to the 300 acre farm of General James Clinton, then owned by James G. Clinton and worked it on shares until 1838 when it was sold to John V. Weeks.

In 1838 James Alexander was only 68 years old, and he had over 30 years ahead of him. Where next? Maybe somewhere in Little Britain for Rhoda was baptized by the pastor of the Little Britain Church in 1840. His long life a few days less than 100 years, ended in Newburgh where he lived with his youngest daughter. He and his wife are buried in St. George’s Cemetery in Newburgh.

James Alexander did his best weaving the 12 years on the Isaac McDowell farm. Joseph Alexander wrote, 'We moved to Little Britain on a farm of about 60 acres where we carried on farming and weaving in all its branches, such as plain linen and woolen table linen and fancy coverlids. The first ingrain carpet ever woven in this country was woven in our shop for Gabriel N. Phillips. It was woven on a loom of Brother John’s invention. The carpet took first premium at the Agricultural Fair of Orange County in 1819. This, our new home, was owned by Isaac McDowell in 1816, but is now, in 1893, owned by Goldsmith Humphrey.'

James Alexander was a patriot in his new country. He belonged to the Republican Blues, often called the Irish Blues, and was a sergeant. Joseph wrote that on the very cold Christmas Day 1812 when General James Clinton was buried, there was a long procession of military men in Newburgh, and John, Thomas and Joseph, small sons of James Alexander stood on the side of the street for hours to see their father march by in his splendid uniform.

And best of all, he was a Christian. "Father and Mother were members of the Presbyterian Church, the Rev. John Johnston pastor. Father having a very musical voice was precenter or chorister for a number of years at the church, and walked every Sunday a distance of over four miles (from Belknap Ridge) to lead the singing, which duty he performed until April 1810." The mother and children could not walk so far, so she taught them the Westminister Catechism at home.

Shortly after they moved near the Little Britain meeting house, the Rev. James Scrimgeour and his son boarded with them. Joseph Alexander, aged 12, was his "waiter-boy," harnessing his horse and tying it at the church.

The Little Britain Church records are lost before 1825, but we know this was their church. In 1829 Eliza was baptized and Rhoda in 1840. Thomas, Franklin and James, Jr. were married by the Rev. Robert H. Wallace, and he listed the Alexanders among the families of the congregation.

Just as the Clintons are no longer in Little Britain, nor the Burnets, nor the McClaughrys, nor the McDowells, so the Alexanders too are here only in memory. Thomas stayed for a while. He lived for some years in Knox headquarters. Harvey stayed the longest. He was a carpenter of some skill, built the Methodist Church and many houses and barns. His name plate can still be seen on three buildings on the Fox farm.

But what a record James Alexander left – a diligent man, an artist, a patriot, a Christian. "A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches."