James Wallace was a Scottish soldier and covenanter. He was the son of Matthew Wallace and Agnes Somervell and succeeded about 1641 to his father's lands at Auchans, Ayrshire. Early in life he adopted the military profession, and became lieutenant-colonel in the parliamentary army. He went to Ireland in the Marquis of Argyll's regiment in 1642, and in 1645 was recalled to oppose the progress of Montrose. He joined the covenanters under General Baillie, and was taken prisoner at the Battle of Kilsyth (Murdoch and Simpson, Deeds of Montrose, 1893, pp. 125, 329). Returning to Ireland before 1647, he was appointed in 1649, but was deprived of the office in June of that year. Soon afterwards he removed to Redhall, Ballycarry, near Carrickfergus, where he married in 1649–50. Removing to Scotlan