James Lawless was born in 1794 at Brittas Bay, Kilbride-Barndarigg Parish, Wicklow, Ireland to Matthew Lawless. James' father took part in the rebellion of 1798 and then worked as a steward for a Quaker man named Penrose. When Matthew Lawless died in 1822, James got his father's job. He later worked for others in the same capacity and then was a farmer. He married Eleanor Madden a daughter of Andrew Madden and a woman whose maiden name was Murray in Arklow, Wicklow, Ireland and they had ten children: Mary Catherine who married Michael Burns;
Matthew who came to the United States at a young age; Sarah Jane who married William Kane;
James who married Mary Elizabeth Sullivan; Eleanor who married Charles Euston Smith; Lucy Ann who married Jonas Dearhammer; Andrew Daniel who married Sarah Burrier; Joseph who married Mary Elizabeth Doll; John who married Elizabeth Doran and Augustine. John stayed in Ireland. On April 8, 1847 James, Mary, Sarah, James and Andrew arrived at the port of New York on board the ship St. George coming from Liverpool. Sarah went with her husband to Pennsylvania and the other children remained in New York. Augustine died in New York. James then returned to Ireland and on August 25, 1847 the rest of the family arrived in New York on board the ship Abby Pratt. The Abby Pratt was one of the potato famine coffin ships. This trip over was a difficult one with the ship being infested with disease, rats and other trials. James' son Joseph wrote in his journal about a dead woman being set adrift on board a raft with her long hair and her dress flowing in the wind. James then left his family in New York and came to Wisconsin to set up a place for his family to live at. James bought farm land in Plymouth, Rock County. James became a naturalized citizen of the United States on November 4, 1850 at Janesville, Wisconsin. On September 1, 1857 James died in a runaway thressing pony accident. His estate was appraised by Edward Crisman and Thomas Inman on August 16, 1858. The child Matthew was presumed deceased and was not mentioned in the estate papers.