James Bond's parents, George and Keziah Bond, died early. James was taken by an aunt and uncle to raise. He lost track of his brothers and sisters. The aunt and uncle were mean to him, so he was on his own early.

After his marriage and the births of his children, he and his family immigrated to America. The trip to the United States was made late in the year of 1871. Mary, his wife, made lots of cookies to take with them in their trunk, as she knew the children would be sick in a fall crossing. The trip took 2 months or more.

The place of landing has not been determined. It is assumed they probably landed in New York, then stopped in New Orleans and then arrived in Galveston, Texas, though ships went directly there from England.

"The family went to Gonzales County, Texas , for about 2 years. From there they moved to Bell County and later to Hamilton County in central Texas. I believe they stayed in Hamilton County several years because more than one of the children were married in Hamilton County. About 1899 they moved to Sweetwater in Nolan County. In America Mr. Bond was a farmer. According to one newspaper account he was a very prominent citizen. The Sweetwater years were spent mostly in retirement." (by Ed Kellis, grandson of Nellie Bond Smith.)

Census research done by Celia Huckabay lists James Bond living in the household with his son John and family in 1900. James came to America in 1870, was not a naturalized citizen. He was a farmer by trade.

(The following is evidently a copy of his obituary.)

BOND - At the residence of his son, John H. Bond, Sweetwater, Texas, on Saturday, April 30th, 1904, at 11:25 o'clock, P.M. James Bond, aged 76 years, a native of England and a resident of Texas for the past forty-one years.

Mr. James Bond, who died last Saturday night at the residence of his son, J.H. Bond of this city, was an old resident of Texas, coming to this state from Plymoputh, england in 1862 and settling in Gonzales when that section was just settling up. From there he moved to Hamilton Co. about twelve years later and continued his westward movement in 1899.

Mr. Bond, though a farmer all his life was a prominent citizen in both Gonzales and Hamilton, but owing to old age and ability to retire from active service , he lived a comparatively retired and quite life after coming to Sweetwater, enjoying the esteem respect of all who knew him here, as he had done in his former homes. He was married at the home of his birth, Plymouth, Eng., and he and his young bride together started out to take their places and make their fortune in what was then the newest part of, to Englishmen, a new world. Mrs. Bond survives her husband, and though one year his senior, has enjoyed a like good health and is at present living with her son, Mr. J.H. Bond. The surviving children of Mr. and Mrs. James Bond are: Mrs. E. Schumacher, Roby; Mrs. L.H. Slonecker, Mrs. Edgar Smith, and J.H. Bond, Sweetwarer; and Mr. Geo. Bond, a ranchman of Mitchell county. All the children were present and with him in his last moments save his son George, who was in New Mexico on business and could not be reached in time. Mr. Bond has brothers in England, but as he lost trace of them they could not be reached.

His remains were interred in the city cemetery on Sunday afternoon, a large concourse of his own and the many friends of his sons and daughters attending, and there passed away another...

Research done by John Higgans for Bonnie Walker and Carolyn Shumaker, 1990:

1851 Census of Bickleigh, England:

Folio 547:

James Bond 23 Ag. lab. Born Egg Buckland

Mary " w. 23 Buckland Monachoram

William " s. 1 Bickleigh

Samuel Venney brother-in-law 18 Ag. lab. Buckland Monachoram

1861 Census of Bere Ferrers, England:

Pepper Street:

James Bond 34 Ag.Lab.& Shopkeeper born Murchaton, Thirley

Mary " w. 35 Tamerton

William s. 11 Scholar Bickleigh

Jane A. d. 9 " Tamerton

Mary E. d. 2 Murchaton, Thirley

Emma d. 9 months Beer Ferris

James Bond was baptised at Throwleigh on the 2 March 1828 as James with no second name.