The James family were probably the most intellectual American family of the nineteenth century, starting with the arrival of William James from Cavan Ireland in 1789 until death of his grandson Henry James the novelist in 1916. The man who would be known as William James of Albany was born on a 25 acre tenant farm in Bailieborough Co Cavan Ireland in 1771. The James family produced oats, potatoes, and flax for the making of Irish linen. William James made the most of the slim educational possibilities available to him in Ireland at that time, William James prided himself on his elegant script, and was mildly interested in reading literature. William had an educational push for intellectual betterment.

The rebellion of the American colonies against England in the 1770's sent a tremble of excitement through the tenant farmers of Ireland. Astute Irishmen with ideas of political independence from England were to hasten matters after the decisive defeat of the English at Saratoga in 1777. The English however felt it strategically wise to prevent rebellion locally in Ireland by easing restrictions. The repressive laws in Ireland at that time were eased, rules were modified for the recruiting of Irish of all religions into the English army for the American war.

For young William James conditions in Co Cavan Ireland remained uncertain at best. Seeing no satisfactory future in Ireland, and inspired by the outcome in America. William James packed his few books and clothes, and pocketed his small amount of money and left Ireland for America. The first place

William James visited was Saratoga where General John Burgoyne surrendered to the colonists. That visit lead to William James settling in the nearby village of Albany. By the time of his death forty three years later, William James had turned the small amount of money he left Ireland with into one of the largest fortunes in the young United States of America.


In 1793 William James was working in a dry goods store in Albany as a clerk. In 1795 he opened his own store dealing in farm produce and dry goods, and two years later he opened a second store in the dock area for the procurement of goods. By 1805 William James was running five business establishments in Albany and one on John Street in New York City. He also had built himself a tobacco factory. These were noted events in Albany a settlement with less than 4000 people in the 1790's.

William James owned the land Columbia College was built on in Manhattan, he acquired buildings and land all across the state, in Troy, Utica, Rochester, Buffalo, and he was the virtual owner of Union College in Schenectady. But the most amazing deal came in 1824 when he bought the village of Syracuse. It was not much of a village, 250 acres of marshland and fever infested swamps, it was enough to make an owl weep to fly over it. But it contain salt and William James bought it for $30.000. The vast under taking of making Syracuse livable was carried out by the newly formed Syracuse Company of which William James was President. The Syracuse Company cleared, drained, graded, built buildings, and sold lots. The Syracuse Company loaned money to newcomers so they could establish themselves. By 1830 they had sold 320 lots at $620 each. It was a superb capitalistic project.

William James also bought the Saratoga Salt Company, which produced 400.000 bushels of salt a year. To get some idea as to the kind of money William James was making. It was said that by 1846 $3.500.000 had been paid to New York State in salt taxes alone, and William James was president of all these companies, and he was a persuasive tyrant, it was said when William James came to town things went as he wished.

His son Henry James Senior as he would be known as when he became father of the geniuses, was born to Catherine Barber, William James's third wife. Henry attended Albany Academy, where Joseph Henry the great scientist was at that time a young science teacher. Young Henry James had a habit of joining the young teacher in experiments. One of which was flying balloons made from muslin which was powered skyward by a fixed ball of hemp soaked in turpentine and ignited. The balloon rose skyward until the balloon caught fire and burned out. Then the hemp ball crashed to the ground, where it would be kicked around by the boys until it extinguished. One day the ball was kicked into the hay loft over the stable, Henry James climbed into the hay loft and began stamping out the fire, he had earlier got some turpentine splashed in his pants, and his right leg caught fire. He was rescued but received severe burns to his leg. During the months that followed he was confined to bed. He underwent two amputations without anesthetic. by the time this sixteen year old left the hospital he had lost his right leg to a point above the knee. It was his father William's reaction that stayed in Henry's memory all his life. His father's anguish at the sight of the surgeon's knife cutting into his son's leg was such, that Catherine James was hard put to stop her husband from attacking the surgeon. The display of his father's tenderness and compassion give young Henry an exalted sense of his affection, and at that moment obliterated the sense of paternal apathy. If we take a look at William James of Albany in 1827, we see a big well built man, clean shaven, with healthy Irish looks, cold black eyes not easily forgotten, black hair, self centered, entrepreneurial, organized, humorless, possessing an extraordinary power to attract.

In 1828 Henry entered Union College in Schenectady, twelve miles north of Albany on the Mohawk River. Union College offered at that time the finest education in New York State. However Henry spent most of his time partying with his fellow students who helped their crippled classmate around campus, until later in the year Henry was fitted with a wooden leg. and was then able to get around on his own. Henry got his zest for life back, and lived it in a style that angered his father. He ran up bills all over town, the taverns, bookstores, tailors, and he charged it all to his father. Henry received a letter from his father's financial accountant Archibald McIntyre, "I consider you on the very verge of ruin" and instructed Henry to spend no more money without his father's approval. Some of his family considered him already lost. Within a few weeks Henry fled from Union College, moved to Boston and got himself a job with a newspaper. Nonetheless after a few weeks Henry was persuaded to return to Union College. William James influence was not restricted to Albany, it was felt at Union College where young Henry was enrolled. William James was one of the two men that were the Board of Trustees, William James held the mortgage on Union College for its entire valuation.

In 1823 William James was a leading citizen of Albany and he was elected chairman of the Committee of Citizens of Albany, at the opening of the eastern section of the Erie Canal when the first boat sailed through. When William addressed the crowd at the opening ceremonies, William James said, "The canal was a work that sheds luster on the United States, bearing the stamp of the enterprising spirit and resolution which declared our Independence". This thought led the migrant from Kurish, Bailieborough, County Cavan., to make known the advantages of the New World Freedoms for all. He continued, "With the perpetual example of despotism of wretchedness in the Old World before our eyes, we may look forward with a well founded hope that neither tyrannical aristocracies nor intriguing demagogues can ever succeed in corrupting our citizens or blighting our liberties".

Then James lapsed into a typical Jamesian moment, he said that he had not originally grasped the enormity of the project. However he had signed a petition in 1816 with Archbald McIntyre, urging the legislature to vote for building the canal. "But now I feel an emotion, Something like been born again partaking in the opening festivities of this day". James's oration which took more than an hour to deliver, exemplified the gains the canal would bring, and the greatness of the country in which such an accomplishment was possible.

In his later years William James became as much respected for his charitable activities and participation in public life as for his financial exploits. He was on every civic committee and showed up at every important event. He died December 19th 1832 a few days short of his sixty first birthday.