James Harcus was the son of James Harcus and Sarah Harcus of Eday. He was born on 26th September 1855 and first appears in the census for Pharay at Hammar in 1881 with his wife Jane Drever and youngest child, James Harcus, who was two months old.

James had married Jane Drever on 10th March 1881. She was the daughter of David Drever and Mary Groat. Hammer was the Drevers family home.

James and Jane had nine children born up until the time of the 1901 census, all born on Pharay:

• James Harcus, b. 1881 who married Annie Jane Reid of Quoyfaulds, Eday in 1914 and had a son and a daughter, neither of whom married. James and Annie farmed Quoyfaulds after Annie's parents retired. James died in the 1940s.

• Jane Harcus, b. 1882 who married John Brown, originally from Sanday, a master mason, 28th Sep 1921. They had no family and later lived in Kirkwall.

• David Harcus, b.1884 who was killed in WWI

• William Harcus, b. 1886 who married Margaret Shearer of Dykeside, Eday. (They were cousins as Margaret's mother was Ann Harcus, sister of William's father James.) They had two daughters and a son. They lived most of their lives at Groatha, Eday before retiring near one of their daughters in Stenness. William lived to the age of 103.

• Thomas M. Harcus, b. 1889 who died in 1912, at age 23

• Mary Isabella Harcus, b. 1892 who married George Seatter (b. 31st May 1894), the son of John Seatter and Ann Drever from Quoy, at Backaland, Eday on 13th April 1914. Mary was teaching at the Pharay School when she and George married. George was a farm servant at Holland at the time. They had two sons. George was killed in action with 4th Btn Seaforth Highlanders on the border between France and Belgium between 19th and 21st September 1917.

• Robert Harcus, b. 1893 who was killed in WWI

• John Harcus, b. 1896 who farmed Backaland, Eday with his father but poor health forced him to sell in the late 1930s. He continued to operate a post office from Backaland Cottage. He died in the 1940s, unmarried.

• Peter Harcus, b. 1898 who was a wireless operator and sailed for many years. He later worked for the Marconi Co. in Hull, England. The first radio on Eday was provided by Peter, and it was much appreciated because with it the islanders could get the correct time. Peter later married in England.

James's occupation in the 1881 census is given as schoolteacher.

The family lived at Hammer, Pharay until about 1900 when they went to Backaland, Eday where James was a farmer. The 1901 census shows the entire family except for David at Backaland. Eventually James became the sub-postmaster also. Jane died at Backaland Cottage on 14th February 1934, age 73, leaving James a widower.