Born in Reading, Berkshire, England, James Sands (d. 1695) immigrated to Plymouth, MA with his wife Sarah and their children, circa 1658.

In 1661, Sands sailed from Taunton, MA and moved his family to Block Island and had six children.

[3] Sands worked at several positions including at Joseph Decker's store that was located on Peck Slip in lower Manhattan.

[1] In 1783, Sands and his brother Joshua formed a business partnership dealing in foreign trade and land speculation.

[3][6] Their partnership included real estate ventures and a rope making manufacturing business in Brooklyn.

[3] In 1769, he married Sarah Dodge (1749-1795) of Hunts Point in Westchester County, N.Y. (now part of the Bronx).