James Sutherland was born in Smithfield Township, Jefferson Co., Ohio.

The evidence

• “JAMES SUTHERLAND ; was born in Smithfield Township, Jefferson Co., Ohio, on the 20th day of March, 1820 ; his earlier years were spent on his father's farm ; he received his education mainly at the Ashland Academy and the Norwalk Seminary, institutions of learning in his native State ; he taught school in the winter season, in order to obtain means with which to attend school during the summer ; owing to a failure of health from too close confinement to study, he was compelled to give up his cherished object of going through a regular collegiate course of study. He was married to Miss Elizabeth Withingion, in December, 1846, and in the spring of 1847, they emigrated to Rock Co., Wis. ; he took up a temporary residence in the town of Rock, but, in the fall of the same year, settled permanently in the village of Janesvilie, where he has ever since made his home ; in the spring of 1848, he opened a book and stationery store, which, though small at the time, has since grown to he among the largest in the State.”

  1879-history-of-rock-county/17-bios-janesville.md, PDF p. 721 / book p. 725

  Butterfield, C. W., et al. The History of Rock County, Wisconsin: its early settlement, growth, development, resources, etc. Chicago: Western Historical Company, 1879. Cornell University Library via the Internet Archive, archive.org/details/cu31924028871585.

  Grade A: Found on a page of one of our sources