James Service was born on 28 June 1823, Duntocher, Dunbarton, Scotland, one of several children born to Thomas Service and Janet Hunter, both of whom reported being born in Ireland in the 1841 Scottish census. The family may have come from County Antrim, in Northern Ireland and appear to be of Scots-Irish origins.

Mary Ann Smith was born c1824, also in Duntocher, Dunbarton, Scotland, per the 1841 census, but the names of her parents haven’t been determine.

The family left Scotland between 1865, when the baptism of their youngest child was recorded, and the 1875 New York state census. They haven’t been found in the 1870 U.S census or the 1871 Scottish census. They may have left in that time period, causing them to miss both enumerations.

Like many of his neighbors, James worked in the mills in 1880, as did his three oldest children still at home.

James and Mary Ann had at least eight children, all born in Scotland.

Children:

1. Thomas, born 6 November 1843, Old Kilpatrick, Duntocher, Dunbarton, Scotland; married Catherine McIntyre, 30 December 1870, Glasgow, Lanark, Scotland Note: The age for this man varies with birth years from 1843 to 1849.]
2. James, born c1846, Duntocher, Dunbarton, Scotland; died after 1880, possibly in Oneida County, New York; married Mary Badley, 1 June 1875, New York Mills, Oneida, New York. They had no children in 1880.
3. Alexander, born April 1851, Duntocher, Dunbarton, Scotland; died 6 January 1927, Utica, Oneida, New York; married Mary Muir, c1872, Scotland
4. Agnes, born 3 July 1853, Glasgow, Lanark, Scotland; died between 1901-1904, probably Paterson, Passaic, New Jersey; married John Smith, 14 November 1879, Paterson, Passaic, New Jersey
5. Robert, born c1856, Glasgow, Lanark, Scotland; died between 1880-1900, probably Oneida County, New York
6. William, born March 1858, Glasgow, Lanark, Scotland; died 19 May 1934, Utica, Oneida, New York; married Ida M. (MNU), c1886, New York
7. Janet, born c1861, Glasgow, Lanark, Scotland; died between 1880-1900
8. Samuel Hunter, born 28 March 1865, Glasgow, Lanark, Scotland; died before 1875; not found in any U.S. record and may have died young in Scotland

Mary Ann (Smith) Service passed away on 5 May 1891 in Rome, Oneida, New York per her husband’s obituary.

James Service survived his wife by ten years, almost to the day, dying on 9 May 1901, also in Rome, Oneida, New York.