James was one of only four Mormon pioneers from the George and Hannah May family to reach Utah. The others were his sister, Harriet, and brothers Thomas and Richard.

Born in England to a family of poor laborers, James became one himself, but then his life took an exciting turn when his family accepted the religious message of the Mormon missionaries and headed to America (see George's bio for more details).

James became the head of his family after several of them, including both his mom and dad, died in encampments along or directly on the Mormon Pioneer Trail itself.

After reaching Utah, James first began working off his father's indentured servant obligation (a common practice among Mormon leaders who converted the poor in distant lands) that had brought him to America and Utah in the first place.

His first marriage was to Martha Allen in 1856 in Utah, and they had at least 14 children.

Becoming a polygamist, James later brought home a second wife, Rhoda Lang, whom Martha welcomed to their home. James and Rhoda eventually added 11 children to the fold. Yet the fold did not end as one.

James was one of those caught in the ex-post facto fallout, after the U.S. Government declared polygamy a misdemeanor in 1862. The Edmunds Act of 1882 made polygamy a felony. Obviously, James and his wives had challenges that few others in North America faced at the time. James found sanctuary from the U.S. Government in Canada, in the Cardston, Alberta area where he moved Rhoda and his second, younger family.

Although he would occasionally slip down southwest and visit family in Utah, most of his time was spent in the safer confines of Canada. Members of both families often passed back and forth between Utah and Canada. Son Frank, who helped move his father and second family to Canada liked it so much, he moved his family north and spent a good portion of his life there.

James and Rhoda's children were William, Mary Angeline, Jane, Artemissia, Ben Hugh, Agnes, Eunice, Zina, Rhoda Alice, Sterling Ibey and Ross. William and Rhoda Alice died at about 7 years of age, Zina at 2 and Jane at 2 months.