Jamse's father was David Inman (1811-1871) and his mother Dorothy Robinson (1813-1890). He was the youngest of 2 sisters and 5 brothers.
James was a stationer in 1871 and sometime before 1879, for reasons unknown, moved from the rather imposing Frenchgate in Richmond to be a boarder at Clarence St Bolton. He was a bookseller's assistant at Winterburns bookshop on Deansgate. Celia's aunt tells her he lost his job when the son of the owner was old enough to work in the shop. Presumably he then decided to follow Joseph to Birkenhead where he had a similar job as a stationer’s assistant. Here began a grim life for the family. Birth, death and census records show at least 6 different addresses for the family although It was not unusual for famillies living in towns in Victorian times to move frequently.
In 1883, James and family moved from Little Bolton to Birkenhead.
After the deaths of Elizabeth and William 1894, it may have been too much for James. Rumour suggested that although he was registered as deceased on Sarah Ellen's 1908 marriage certificate and Ruth Mather’s 1902 death certificate he had in fact gone off to Australia. The new emigration website finds him aged 47 on a passenger list for Sydney in 1900 but I don't know if he went alone. It would be interesting to find out what then happened to him.
I am unable to find any records on Ancestry.
There is a James Inman of the correct age who travelled to Adelaide, Australia in 1900. He had famale companion, (b.1857) and children Leslie (b.1880), Mabel (b.1883), Daisy (b.1889), Ana (b.1891) and an infant (b.1889), all named Inman. Could this be the family he ran off to Australia with in 1900, leaving his wife Ruth behind !
James did spend time with John and Sarah Barratt, and John appears to have sailed overseas, but there is nothing I can find to suggest that James ever went with him.