James was educated at McGowan's school at North Adelaide, and with his brother John accompanied his father to the Victorian goldfields, then with his parents to Mount Gambier.
In 1864 he left for Bowen, Queensland, where he carried on business for about three years, then returned to "The Mount", and resumed farming, also working with his brother John as a contractor.
He stood for election to the South Australian House of Assembly seat of Victoria at the by-election of October 1888 brought about by the death of the Daniel Livingston, but was unsuccessful.
Towards the end of his third term his health gave way, and he was forced to apply for an extended leave of absence, and retired when Parliament expired in April 1899.
He died after several years of poor health and a series of strokes which prevented him leaving his home for several months, and was mostly confined to bed.