James Agar, AGAR-3 was born of sturdy parents and he was reared on the farm of his father, and was accordingly strong and healthy. His mother <i>Mary Bailey Agar</i> died when he was six years old in 1822. He attended the nearby parish school (probably Episcopal), and when fourteen years old was bound out to the trade of nail maker until be became of age. In his long term of apprenticeship he became an expert in the aret of nail making, a purely hand process. At the end of his apprenticeship, a near relative, Henry Burgess seeing the ambition of the young man and his knowledge of the trade offered him space in his blacksmith shop. Here in one-half of the shop he set up his forge and anvil and for two years conducted a prosperous business and became a trusted associate of his cousin in many ways. Shortly after his marriage to Eliza Whittaker/Whitaker/Wittaker in 1839, he removed his shop to quarters of his own in the neighborhood of his home. he became very prosperous at his trade, employing apprentice and journeymen in the manufature of nails for henry and Watson Newton, prominent contractors of the town, shoemakers and other trades requiring his product. he took contracts for many thousand nails at a time, supplying the general trade. He became involved financially through misplaced confidence, hoving gone sedurity on several notes. Being a man of honor, he met these adversities with fortitude, but they greatly reduced his finances. This led him to turn to a new field of labor, and about the year 1852 he emigrated to America, settling newark, new Jersey where he remaind a short time. Afte two years of saving, he sent for his family, who embarked from Liverpool in 1854. While on the voyage his wife Eliza and son James were stricken with "ship fever", and died in a few days and were buried at sea. (See Northfield Baptist headstone for date of 1854) On the arrival of the vessel in New York, learning of his loss, his grief was unbounded. With a father's love for his motherless children he strove to make the best of things, working for and providing suitable schooling for his remaing children, Mary, John and Thomas Peter. In about three years he had saved sufficient to puchase a three acre farm and in time bought several more acres, having in all about twenty acres of good farming land in Northfield, Livingston Township. He became prosperous as a farmer and after a few years exchanged his property for some in Newark, Essex County, New Jersey. He resided in Newark with his second wife, Maria Wade until his death in 1881. came to America in 1850

Citation "United States Census, 1860," database with images, <i>FamilySearch</i> (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GBSH-Z6C?cc=1473181&wc=7QPF-B61%3A1589430930%2C1589428712%2C1589431218 : 24 March 2017), New Jersey > Essex > Livingston > image 33 of 34; from "1860 U.S. Federal Census - Population," database, <i>Fold3.com</i> (http://www.fold3.com : n.d.); citing NARA microfilm publication M653 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

Birth: unknown Death: Nov. 15, 1881 Aged 67 years & 3 months