James Pilkington MH4J-Z96 was the older brother of Edward above. He was born in Scarisbrick in July 1810 and baptised on 20th July 1810 at Ormskirk Church. He worked for his father, Ralph on North Moor Farm. On 18th October 1859, he married his first wife Ann Livsey, 25 years his junior at Christ Church, Everton, Liverpool. A year later, their first daughter, Alice was born – named after James’ mother, Alice Goore. 

By the 1861 census, James, Ann and Alice were living at the Saracen’s Head. In 1866, just 3 months after his brother Edward died, James’ wife Ann also passed away aged 27 years. She was buried at Halsall on 23rd October 1866. When he was 60 years old, James re-married on 5th January 1870 at Halsall church. His bride was Sarah Mawdsley, 50 years old of Halsall. She was the daughter of Jane and Thomas Mawdsley, a farmer who lived down North Moor Lane. 

It appears that after his brother Edward’s death in 1866, James took over the North Moor Farm as, in the 1871 and 1881 census records, he is listed as a farmer of 108 acres, and has a son, also called James. James Pilkington, senior died in 1882 and was buried at Halsall church – Rector Thomas Blundell Hollinshead Blundell led the service