James Fairgrieve was born in 1870 in Scotland, son to a Scottish Presbyterian minister.
His education was undertaken at Aberystwyth University, graduating in 1889, and then at Jesus College, Oxford, reading mathematics.
From that point forward, Fairgrieve devoted his life's work to geography.
[1] Fairgrieve's career blossomed from 1912, when he left William Ellis School, until 1935, when he retired from Readership at the University of London Institute of Education.
He held a number of influential positions at the University of London and the Geographical Association (he was president in 1935) in addition to teaching.