James Ashworth was born in Church Lancashire to James and Esther Ashworth.  On the 1911 census James is living in Denaby Main with his mother, step father and 3 half siblings. At this time he was working as a pony rider down the local coal mine. In June 1915 James married Hannah Pugh and they had 1 daughter, Ellen. Before he went to war, the family lived at 110 Annerley Street at Denaby Main. 

James was killed in action  on the 15th September 1916. He was 19 when he died, and was a Private in the York and Lancaster Regiment, 2nd Battalion which he had joined on 12th July 1915, arriving overseas in December of that year.

The war diaries for his battalion show that on the 15th September 1916, they were involved in attacks along with (and eventually relieving) the 1/The Buffs, and 8/Bedfords at an area around Leuze Wood, The Quadrilateral and Bouleaux Wood. The day's work ended with a failed attack on the Quadrilateral. 

James's body was never found; he is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing in France.