James was born on 13 June 1800. He was the son of
Joseph R. Hamill. He married
Annie Faris. He married
Ann H. Gillespie on 30 December 1848. Another record says the marriage was performed by a Methodist Minister named Ruben Mason on January 2, 1849.. He married
Matilda Faires. James died on 3 May 1874 in
Winston County,, Mississippi, at age 73. James's grave marker has the Masonic Emblem on it..
James and his 1st wife, Annie Fais left South Carolina about 1825 traveling in ox wagons down through Georgia to northern Alabama..taking about 6 months. They settled either in Perry county near Marion, Alabama or Pickins County, Alabama near Carrolton, Alabama. He was a school teacher and taught school in both Pickins and Perry counties. There is a document where he signed as a Justice of the Peace in Perry County in the 1830s. Annie died and is buried somewhere in Alabama...His 2nd marriage to a wodow named Matilda ended in a divorce. James and Matilda had one child,Amanda Carolyn....In 1840 James moved to Lowndes County, Mississippi and taught school one year; then moved to Winston County, Mississippi in 1841 and settled near Old Webster and taught school at Webster. Webster was a Star Route between Sturgis and Louisville, Mississippi. He married widow Ann Savage. They had one child Henrietta.