James was born in Dorset England in 1858, came to New Zealand in 1870 and to Cambridge in 1880. He worked for the 'Waikato Mail' newspaper then he went into the printing business in 1881. In 1895 he ran the 'Waikato Advocate' newspaper for six months in Cambridge then in 1896 took over the 'Waikato Times' in Hamilton converting it from a tri weekly to a penny daily.
James married in Cambridge on 1 May 1881 to Sarah Annie O'Connor and they had 10 children in 11 years. Sarah died in 1902 and James married for a second time to Ellen Graham in 1905.
James was on the Cambridge Borough Council for 9 years and Mayor from 1892 to 1894 - the first to serve two terms. He also served on the committees of the Cemetery, High School, Library, Cricket, Athletics and the Waikato Farmers' Club. He was a Justice of the Peace from 1893.
Researched and written by Eris Parker
Ref: Cambridge Museum Archives
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