James Bott was born on May 13, 1835, in Heather, Leicestershire. He married Frances Johnson on January 21, 1856, in Breedon on the Hill, Leicestershire, after getting her pregnant. He then decided to beat her up more or less continuously, was convicted a number of times and spent some time in jail. He died 12 Jul 1864 at Leicester and Rutland Lunatic Asylum.