James Kennedy, the father, was born in Ireland where he learned the trade of brick and stone mason. He then came to America and located at Hamilton, O., where he married Mary McKenna, who was born at Pottsville, Pa., of Irish parentage. From Ohio Mr. Kennedy and his wife moved to Pendleton County, Ky., and there he bought a farm, but in 1861 on account of the war, he moved back to Ohio and engaged in mining near Pomeroy. He continued to live in Ohio until his sons brought him to Kanawha County, where he died in 1888, at the age of sixty-five years. His wife had died three years before. Eight children were born to them: Charles, John, James, Margaret, Stephen, William, Edmund and Mary, the last being the wife of C.P. McCafferty. During the labor troubles of 1876, the sons scattered, each seeking a home where prospects seemed more favorable, Charles going to the West and John and James coming to Kanawha County, W.Va., from which locality they subsequently sent for the family still remaining in Ohio.

James Kennedy was thirteen years of age when he accompanied his father to the mines where he was set to work at tasks suitable to his age and inexperience, but he soon became a regular miner and worked as such until his marriage. About that time, in partnership with John Barrett, he opened a general store at Shrewsbury, in Kanawha County, and they operated it for seven years under the name of Kennedy & Barrett. After they closed the store Mr. Kennedy went back to mining and was for a time in the employ of J.D. Harris at Monarch and later at Shrewsbury, and was made mine foreman and served in that capacity for three years before coming to the Winifrede Mines, where he was foreman for one year, when he again came back to Shrewsbury and worked as a tracklayer for several years. On March 1, 1910, he took the responsible office he now so satisfactorily fills.

On June 24, 1879, Mr. Kennedy was married to Miss Anna Rodgers, a daughter of John and Ann Rodgers, and eleven children have been born to them, namely: Thomas, who is a mine boss under his father's supervision; Mary, who is the wife of M.T. Long; Anna; Rose, who is the wife of T.J. Malone; and James, Lawrence, William, Margaret, Edward, Raymond and Helen. Mr. Kennedy and family are members of the Good Sheperd Roman Catholic Church. He is a Democrat in politics and at one time was his party's candidate for county commissioner. He belongs to the Ancient Order of Hibernians.