[4] In 1937, James Francis married Shirley Louise King at St. Stephens Church of England in Richmond.
[5] After playing 61 games for Hawthorn, Francis left the Hawks in controversial circumstances, due to a disagreement with the club and his family's sports store.
[6] Francis wanted the club to order their uniforms through his store, but when Hawthorn secretary Sam Ramsay refused, he asked for a clearance to Carlton.
Francis was bitter about the firing and never spoke to his former close friend and Carlton coaching successor Ken Hands again.
Francis was appointed St Kilda Football Club senior coach for 1959–60, again achieving modest on-field results.