He was born about 1702 (possibly at the time in Northern Ireland) and moved to West Nottingham Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania about 1725. He married Martha Allison  shortly after. In 1726, James and his father in law Alexander Allison asked the Colony of Pennsylvania for a Grant of 200 acres each on Octorord Creek.
    He moved to Augusta County, Virginia about 1743 where Martha soon died. About 1746 he married Mary Reside.

(Family record written by Alexander Buchanan (1763-1858), 3rd son of John Buchanan  , and belonging to Felix Grundy Buchanan in 1930; Chester County, Pennsylvania Tax Lists, 1718-1748; Pennsylvania Archives (Second Series) XIX, 745 (Philadelphia, 1853, Harrisburg, 1874-1935)

    James was a Justice of the Augusta County Court in 1757. On November 14, 1757 he bought 415 acres crossing Hays Creek on the Borden Patent Line from the executors of Benjamin Borden for L10. He devised his property to several of his sons in his Will made on June 9, 1761. He died 1764 in Abingdon, Virginia and his Will probated March 19, 1765.

(Lyman Chalkey, "Records of Augusta County, Virginia", (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, reprinted 1965), I, 77; Augusta County, Virginia, Deed Book 7, page 500, Will Book 3, page 379)