James M Doutt was born in 1832, probably in Armstrong Co, Pennsylvania, the oldest known son of Absalom and Elizabeth Doutt. He married Hannah Schall in 1854 and moved to Ironton, Ohio. He worked in the pig iron furnaces in and around Ironton until 1875 when he moved his family back to Armstrong Co, Pennsylvania.
At that time he bought the old family homestead and lived there for the rest of his life. James and Hannah had 11 children.