James William Sunderland was the son of Edward Sunderland and Mary Chew.

James was born on Monday 2 March 1857 in Spotland, Rochdale, Lancashire.

James married Sarah Brayne in 1879 in the Rochdale Registration District.

He had the following children from his marriage to Sarah Brayne:

- Albert Edward Sunderland	born on 23 July 1880 in Rochdale, Lancashire.
- David William Sunderland	born on 17 July 1882 in Rochdale, Lancashire.
- Sarah Ellen Sunderland	born on 26 August 1884 in Rochdale, Lancashire.
- Mary Sunderland	born in 1889.
- Tom Chew Sunderland	born in 1893 in Rochdale, Lancashire.
- Ernest Sunderland	born around 1894 in Walkden, Worsley, Salford, Manchester, Lancashire.
- Doris Sunderland	born around 1899 in Walkden, Worsley, Salford, Manchester, Lancashire.

The places where he lived have been identified as:

From	To	Place	Source of Information
1856		Spotland, Rochdale, Lancashire.	Census Data.
1861		Shanter, Spotland, Lancashire.	Census Data.
1871		19 Sparth Bottoms, Castleton, Rochdale, Lancashire.	Census Data.
1881		42 Arthur Street, Spotland, Rochdale, Lancashire.	Census Data.
1891		2 Arthur Street, Spotland, Rochdale, Lancashire.	Census Data.
1901	1911	60 Harriet Street, Walkden, Worsley, Salford, Manchester, Lancashire.	Census Data.

James was a Silk Weaver, and later a Chip-Potato Shopkeeper.

James died when he was 84 years old, on Friday 9 January 1942 in 8 Beaufort Street, Rochdale, Lancashire.  

Census Data:

Year	Address
1861	Shanter, Spotland, Lancashire.
1871	19 Sparth Bottoms, Castleton, Rochdale, Lancashire.
1881	42 Arthur Street, Spotland, Rochdale, Lancashire.
1891	2 Arthur Street, Spotland, Rochdale, Lancashire.
1901	60 Harriet Street, Walkden, Worsley, Salford, Manchester, Lancashire.
1911	60 Harriet Street, Walkden, Manchester.
1939	8 Beaufort Street, Rochdale, Lancashire.