Born in Brant, Ontario.
In the 1916 Alberta census, married, 38 years, two children, living in Edmonton, Occupation was Manager, Sewing Machine Company.
Were in Long Beach California for 1919-1920 with family. In US Census, no occupation.
His grandfather Benjamin Bell was an inventor and manufacturer who owned and ran Bell Agricultural Works, makers of farm equipment. James went to UofT for Engineering and used the new science of photography to create an illustrated catalogue of farm equipment for the family business.
A couple years later, James was sent to the west on sales missions and became the Western Sales Manager living in Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver. He met and married Helen Healy in Winnipeg and they had a family. He was employed by Singer Sewing Machines under the guidance of his father-in-law Michael Healy who was a pioneer of the company in Canada.
About 1920 they travelled to California to operate an orange farm but returned to Vancouver Island about 1923 where he was sales manager for Singer Canada. He also ran a silver fox farm in Victoria.
Loyalist Ancestor: Timothy William Culver, 1738-1803.

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