Have you tried tracing James backward in the census (1880 - 1870 - 1860 - 1850) to find him living as a child with his parents? Have you tried tracing him forward in the census (1900 -1910 - 1920) to see where he might have been residing when he died? When you discover where he died, you can obtain his death certificate, which will probably list his parents and their birthplaces.
