After Phil and I had inspected the collection's artifacts, we remained awestruck long into the night. As a diversion & relief, we discussed my James family's relationship.
Working together on Stray Leaves, Phil was confident that our James family is related to the Jesse James family. He didn't know how, though, any more than I did. Using his extensive knowledge of Jesse James history, Phil ascertained my theory of the two John M. James might be probable. But he offered his own analysis.
Phil believed that William James, the father of John M. James on the Jesse side, was a contemporary to my John M. James, more than to Jesse's John M. James. If my John M. James was a brother of Jesse's grandfather William James, there exists history on the Jesse James side to support it. With that, Phil retired about 2 a.m. leaving me to wrestle with the prospect toward morning. Even as I slept briefly that night, my mind continued to re-process everything I knew of my family.
