Individual Details

James married 1673/4, 1m, 5d at Holden, Lancashire to Mary Rawsthorne, daughter of Robert Holden, widow of Edward Rawsthorne.

James was an early Quaker minister and suffered much persecution in Lancashire and was frequently thrown in prison. His father Richard, James, and sister Isabella were apprehended at a Quaker meeting at Haslingden, 1660, 12m, 6d when he was only 15 and all were put in prison overnight. At one point he was charged with preaching Quaker meetings in his home when he had not even attended; he was committed to prison, fined £20, and 12 head of cattle and 1 horse were taken from his barn.

17 Apr 1685, James deeded a small tract of ground called "Chapel Hill" to the Society of Friends - this was probably the same tract his father had given him but no legal title had been made. In 1988 this cemetery was still owned by the Society of Friends. The deed is in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Accrington.


The Marsden Monthly Meeting Minutes Book of Lancashire Record house has the following records:
James Ratcliff fined £40, 16 May 1675 for preaching
James Ratcliff was distrained as security for fine of a cow worth £4, but it sold for £2, 10s, he having little else. 16 Sep 1675
James Ratcliff distrained of his best oats, 6sh 6p for nonpayment of tithes, 11 Sep 1680
James Ratcliff fined £20 for preaching, 4 Nov 1683
James Ratcliff distrained of 12 cattle and one horse worth £39, 11 Nov 1683.
James Ratcliff distrained of his best oats, 16sh for non payment of tithe, 30 Aug 1684
James Ratcliff declares his intent of removing himself and family to America, 21 May 1685.

The ship "Rebecca of Liverpool" commanded by James Skinner, arrived at Philadelphia, 1685, 8m 31d. Passengers included James Ratcliff, Mary his wife, and their children Richard, Edward, Rebecca and Rachel. James Hayworth, probably his nephew, and two others came as servants of James and Mary.
http://www.tsdar.org/chapters/BrazosValley/ships.htm
Individual Ships of Penn's Fleet and their passengers
The Rebecca
8th month, 31, 1685, James Skinner, master
Thomas Bates
Richard and Margaret Cureton and children: William and Jane
Edmund and Isabel Cutler and children: Elizabeth, Thomas and William,
John Cutler
Ann Dugdale
Robert Hewit
James Heyworth
James Holgate
Mathew Holdgate and daughter Mary
John Jennings
John and Ann Lathum and children: John, Aron, Moses and Ann
Richard Mather
James Molenex
James Myriall
Cornelius Netherwood
James, Mary, Richard, Edward, Rebecca and Rachell Ratcliffe
Hester Rothwell
James Rothwell
James Scoles
John Scoles
William Wardle
Elizabeth Wingreene

http://files.usgwarchives.org/pa/chester/immig/ships1685.txt
Early Chester County Arrivals (1685): Chester County, PA Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Sandra Ferguson .
the "Rebecca" of Liverpool, James Skinner comander, Arived at Philadelphia the 13th of the 8 mo, 1685 passengers; John cutler, Edmond Cutler, Isabell Cutler, Elizabeth Cutler, Thomas Cutler, Wm Cuttler, freemen, from Bulland, in Yorkshire. Richard Mather, Cornelius Netherwood, James Myriall, Wm. Wardle, James Molenex, Eliz. Wingreene, servants to John Cutler. Thomas Bates, a freeman. James Ratclife, Rachell Ratclife, Richard Ratclife, Edward Ratclife, Rebecca Ratclife, Rachell Ratclife, free persons from Monesbury in Lancashire. James Heyworth, Robert Hewit, James Rothwell, servants to the said Ratclife. Richard Cureton and Margaret, his wife, William Cureton, his sone, Jane his daughter, free persons. James Holgate, Ann Dugdale, servants to the Curetons, Mathew Holgate and Mary his daughter, free persons. John Lathum, ann his wife, John Jennings, his wife's son, John Lathum his son, Arron his sone, Moses his sone, Ann his daughter, free persons. James Scoles, John Scoles,. Hester Rothwell, free persons.



James & Mary transferred their membership in the Society of Friends from Musbury MM in Lancashire to Middletown MM, Bucks Co PA. 1685, 4m 16d.

James and Mary purchased 200 acres of land at Wrightstown, Bucks Co PA 1689, 12m 10d from James Harrison and Phineas Pemberton, DB 1, p.334

Their children are recorded in the Middleton MM Register:
Richard Ratcliff, b. Musbury, Lancashire, Eng. 1675, 4m 8d. Married Martha Staple, 1709, 1m 31d
Edward Ratcliff, b. Musbury, 1678,8m,14d, died Bucks Co, 1714, 8m 27d. Married at Falls Meeting House, Bucks Co, 1703, 6m 18d, Phoebe Baker daughter of Henry and Margaret (Hardman) Baker.
Rachel Ratcliff, b. Musbury, 1682, 2m, 16d, died Bucks Co. 1715, 2m 4d. Married William Hayhurst, Middletown MM, 1702, 10m 17d.
Rebecca Ratcliff, b. Musbury, 1684/5, 11m, 11d, died 1714, 8m 11d. She married John Hall, Bristol PA on 1708, 4m 23d. He was a member of the Pennsylvania Assembly.

Mary married Henry Baker after the death of James Ratcliff
She died as Mary Baker, widow of Henry Baker. On page 15 of the Collections of Gen. Soc. of Pennsylvania, Bucks Cty Abstracts of Will 1685-1795 FHL 974.821 P2b :"Omitted, Will of Mary Baker-widow. Proven 1715 Recorded Book 1, p.19. See Henry Baker Genealogy p.10."

Will of Mary Holden Rosthorne Radcliff Baker: "The Proprietor having by Deeds dat. 20th and 21st Ap'l, 1682, Granted unto James Harrison 5,000 acres of Land in this Province, part whereof was laid out in Wrights Town, in the County of Bucks. Ph. Pemberton, by his Deed dat. 10, 12 mo., 1689 (as Husband to Phebe, Sole Daughter and heir to the Said James), 200 acres of the said Land Scituate between the other lands of James Harrison and that of Roger Long-worth, in Consid'n of £12 unto James Radcliff, of the Said County, his heirs, &c. The Said James Radcliff's relict and Children, viz't Mary Baker, of Bristoll, Widow, the Said Relict, Rich'd Radcliff and Edward Radcliff, sons, and (Wm. Hayhurst and) Rachell, his Wife, with Rebecca Radcliff, two dau rs of the Said James, by deed dated 15th 12th Month, 1704, for £46 Granted all the Said 200 acres to Jonathan Cowper, of the Said County, his heirs &c., and for a further Confirmation and to make Good the Deficiency of the Title, Lsrael Pemberton, as heir to the said Phebe Pemberton, true heir to the Said James Harrison, by his deed dated 7th 9ber, 1710, released all the Said Land to the Said Jonathan Cowper. But the Said 200 acres being resurveyed they are found to Contain 355 acres, of which 20 acres being allowed by Law, Jonathan Cowper desiring to purchase the overplus he agrees to give after the rate of £20 p. C't, provided the Board will agree to deductout ofit so much as Shall be found deficient in his ffather, Wm. Cowper's Tract, mentioned in the last minute aforegoing, which is Granted and a pattent ordered thereupon." from Early Pennsylvania Land Records

Birth	Abt 1645	Rossendale, Lancashire, England
Death	1690	Wrightstown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania

Father	RICHARD Ratcliff (1614 - 1675)
Mother	ALICE Rawsthorne (1618 - 1670)
Sibling	Agnes Ratcliff ( - )
Sibling	William Ratcliff (1643 - 1645)
Sibling	John Ratcliff (1646 - 1650)
Sibling	Isabella Ratcliff (1647 - 1687)
Sibling	Alice Ratcliff (1649 - 1692)
Sibling	John Ratcliff (1657 - 1735)
Sibling	Elizabeth Ratcliff (1659 - 1721)
Sibling	RICHARD Ratcliff (1661 - 1721)
Sibling	Susan Ratcliff (1663 - 1664)