James Crawford was born on the 1st September 1888, in Greenock, Renfrewshire. His father was a well-known Greenock solicitor, a partner in Smith, MacDonald and Crawford. His mother, Jenny Charlotte Rennie Crawford, came from Largs. They had married in June 1886 at the Alexandria Hotel, in Bath Street. Their three sons were brought up in Greenock.

In 1906 James set out to follow his father’s career in law. He found term-time accommodation at 50 Bank Street, matriculated in the Arts Faculty, and began studying Latin and French in his first year. His studies progressed smoothly. He took Logic and Mathematics the following year and completed his Arts curriculum with passes in Moral Philosophy, Political Economy and Constitutional Law. After graduating on 10th June 1910 he continued his studies in the Law Faculty. There he became a Faculty of Procurators prizeman in Scots Law, took the Guthrie Memorial Prize in International Private Law, and won an ‘Eminently Distinguished’ in Conveyancing. Among his classmates on the prizelist was Andrew D. Gibb, who went on to great eminence in the law, a reminder among many of what promise was lost to society as well as to the families of those who, like James, fell in war.

James graduated LL.B. in April 1913 and began working in his father’s firm. He also worked in Glasgow. Like his brother Robert Stobo Crawford, he volunteered. He received a commission to the 7th Bn. Cameron Highlanders. 2nd Lieutenant James Crawford was killed at the Somme on the 19th July 1916. He was buried at Bethune Town cemetery, aged 27. His death followed that of his brother Robert, who had interrupted his medical studies to serve with the Royal Scots Fusiliers but was killed on the 17th May 1915. A handsome memorial to both brothers stands in Largs cemetery. A third brother held a commission in the Red Cross Ambulance Corps.