james sproull cothran was born in abbeville county, south carolina on august 8, 1830. he attended the country schools and graduated from the university of georgia in athens in 1852. he was an attorney in private practice. he served with the confederate army. he was solicitor of the eighth judicial circuit of south carolina in 1876 and 1880 and judge of the eighth judicial circuit of south carolina from 1881 to 1886. he was elected as a democrat to the fiftieth and to the succeeding congress (march 4, 1887 – march 3, 1891). cothran was not a candidate for renomination to the fifty-second congress in 1890. he died on december 5, 1897, in new york, new york. he was interred in upper long cane cemetery, abbeville, south carolina.