.James Frederick Sandham was born on 17 November 1889 at Chelsea, London. Although it is mentioned in the De Ruvigny's Roll of Honour that the father of James was James Sandham, this cannot be correct. That is not saying his fathers name was not James, but it is unlikely to have been Sandham. His mother Sophia had previously been married to George Sandham, born c.1841 at Binstead, Hampshire, a Hawker of Fruit. They had at least three children by their union, Eliza, George and Stephen. The father George senior, died in 1882 leaving Sophia with three children. Her occupation throughout was shown as Charwomen, a part-time cleaning lady. It is probable that James was illegitimate as his birth was registered by his mother on the 5 January 1890 having born the previous November and she is shown as Spinster, she is also shown as the head of the family in all the following Censuses. In only the 1891 Census he is shown as also residing with a Step-Sibling, namely Eliza. It would also appear that James's marriage to Alice Brown was also due to a pregnancy as he was married in April 1911 and his son was born in the November of the same year.

.James Frederick Sandham was born on 17 November 1889 at Chelsea, London. Although it is mentioned in the De Ruvigny's Roll of Honour that the father of James was James Sandham, this cannot be correct. That is not saying his fathers name was not James, but it is unlikely to have been Sandham. His mother Sophia had previously been married to George Sandham, born c.1841 at Binstead, Hampshire, a Hawker of Fruit. They had at least three children by their union, Eliza, George and Stephen. The father George senior, died in 1882 leaving Sophia with three children. Her occupation throughout was shown as Charwomen, a part-time cleaning lady. It is probable that James was illegitimate as his birth was registered by his mother on the 5 January 1890 having born the previous November and she is shown as Spinster, she is also shown as the head of the family in all the following Censuses. In only the 1891 Census he is shown as also residing with a Step-Sibling, namely Eliza. It would also appear that James's marriage to Alice Brown was also due to a pregnancy as he was married in April 1911 and his son was born in the November of the same year.