Of course St. James is my namesake. Our pilgrimage to Our Lady of Joyful Hope Shrine in Kingstree, SC falling on this feast was simply a coincidence. But our pilgrimage brought out a discussion of other pilgrimage sites-including the Compostella in Spain where St. James is purported to by buried. This was one of the three major pilgrimages (the others being the Holy Land and Rome). 
Pilgrims to Santiago de Compostela would wear an identifying badge-identifying them as pilgrims-travelers to or from the site. Their badge was the shell-possibly as a reminder or renewal of their Baptism (they used a shell to scoop the water and to pour over their head). Families who had a member who had made the pilgrimage made the symbol part of their coat of arms, clothing decorations etc.
Apparently the family who owned Shell Oil had a ancestor who made the pilgrimage and thought the shell would be a good traveler motif. Thus we have the Shell Oil symbol.
I am sure many of you already knew this-but I just found out yesterday.
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