James was married twice. He first married Miss Ruth Sutherland circa 1810 in Virginia. They had six children. Ruth died during the birth of their last child, Mary Jane. Their children were:
1. Lucinda
b: 15 SEP 1811 Virginia (now part of Kentucky)
m: 6 MAR 1826 to James J. Ganier
d: circa 1846 Andrew County, Missouri
2. Hannah Lee
b: 22 JAN 1813 Virginia (now part of Kentucky)
m: 1833 Clay County, Missouri to William Newby
d: 1890 Sterling (Hodgeman or Rice County), Kansas
3.Stillborn
b/d: 1816 Virginia (now part of Kentucky)
4. Pleasant "Plez" James, Jr.
b: 1818 Virginia (now part of Kentucky)
5. Rebecca S.
b: 23 FEB 1820 Virginia (now part of Kentucky)
m: several X's one was a Mr. Johnson
d: 24 OCT 1892 Missouri or Texas
6. Mary Jane
b:1823 Virginia (now part of Kentucky)
m: Samuel Buckley
d: 1897 Ray County, Missouri
James a widower with five young children remarried in 1824. He wed Miss Catherine Thomas in North Carolina. They had ten known children. Nine of their children were:
A John Quincy (their eldest child)
b: 1824 North Carolina
m: circa 1848 to Elizabeth Foster
d: 1856 Randolph County, Missouri
B Martha Ann
b: 1825 North Carolina
m: Nathan Lipscome Smith
d: 1888 Villa Ridge (Franklin County), Missouri
C Samuel Madison
b: 1826 North Carolina
d: 1880
D Susannah
b: 1828
m: Mr. Smith
d: 1904
E Solomon
b: circa 1830 North Carolina
F Benjamin Franklin
b: 21 OCT 1839 Ray County, Missouri
m Lodusky Jane Cummins
d: 2 FEB 1929 Alameda County, California
G Cleopatra Anna
b: 27 AUG 1841 Missouri
m & d: Abram B. Powell
d: 25 MAR 1917 Caldwell County, Missouri
H Henry Clay
b: MAR 1843 Ray County, Missouri
m: 1st: 20 JAN 1863 to Martha Shanks
m: 2nd: 1880 to Margaret Varvel
d: 15 AUG 1933 McDonough County, Illinois
I George Washington (their youngest child)
b: 20 FEB 1847 Ray County, Missouri
m: 13 FEB 1867 to Susan Cates
d: 10 JUL 1920 Rayville (Ray County), Missouri Kentucky)
d: 1894
After James' death in 1846, Catherine remarried to an Adam Shanks.

FAMILY NOTE: In family records there is a daughter Bersheba/Bathsheba Elizabeth Adams listed for P. James and his second wife, Catherine. Bathsheba's birth year is circa 1835 and born in Virginia (?). She married a Mr. Mann (probably in Missouri). She was known by her middle name, Elizabeth.