On the evidence of the 1841 census, James Barr was born in the county of Donegal c. 1790; the 1851 census indicates c. 1786. Since his age was given as 67 at the time of his death in 1859, the later date is the more credible.

For a time, James and his wife, Mary Docherty, lived on Islay. He was apparently in Bowmore by the time of the baptism of his son Hugh Barr, c. 1823. The Kilchoman Parish Register entries for the births of three of their sons indicate that James and Mary lived at Sunderland at least from 1827 until 1834. While no record has yet been found, it appears that James and Mary were formally married, since all three for whom a birth record can be found are entered as lawful sons.

At the time of the 1841 census, James Barr, an agricutural labourer aged 50, was living at Kilchoman with his wife Mary, 45, and their sons Edward, also an agricultural labourer, aged 14, William, 11, and Neil 7. James and Mary were entered as natives of Ireland and the boys as having been born in the county, i.e. Argyll.

By 1851, James and Mary were residing in a tenement property at 22, Newton Street, Paisley. James was an agricultural labourer, aged 64. Mary was also 64 and a native of Donegal. Living with the couple was their son, Neil, aged 18, who was entered as having been born at some unspecified location in Ireland. He was actually born in Islay.

James was referred to in his son Hugh’s 1886 application for poor relief. He was recalled as a labourer and it was stated that he had died twenty-seven years previously, i.e. c. 1859, at 3, Main Street, ‘A’, presumably signifying Anderston.

This is confirmed by James’s death certificate, according to which he died on 2^nd March 1859 at 11^h 45^m pm, at ‘3 Mains Street’, Glasgow. The cause of death was entered as ‘natural decay’; ‘No medical attendant’ was present. The deceased was interred in Sighthill cemetery, as certified by Wylie & Lochhead, undertaker. The informant was James’s son Hugh, who was present in the house in which the death occurred. The deceased’s age was entered as 67.

The parents of the deceased were entered as James Barr, an agricultural labourer, and Mary Barr MS Docherty, both deceased. It may be that James’s father had the same name and occupation as himself and that his mother possessed the same name as his wife. However, it seems far more probable that Hugh has simply misunderstood the question and given the names of his own parents instead of those of his father’s.

James Barr was again recalled as a farm labourer (deceased) on the death certificates of his sons, Hugh, in 1886, and William in 1887.