James Macaulay was born on May 22, 1817, in Edinburgh, Scotland.

He was a Scottish physician, journalist, editor, and author. He was educated at Edinburgh Academy and Edinburgh University, where he studied first the arts and then medicine. With his fellow student and lifelong friend Edward Forbes (1815-1854), he spent some time in Paris, France (1837-1838), where after witnessing experiments on animals, he became an avid opponent of vivisection. He published "An Essay on Cruelty to Animals" (1839), followed up in later life with "A Plea for Mercy to Animals" (1875) and "Vivisection: Is it Scientifically Useful or Morally Justifiable?" (1881). Macaulay gave up medicine for literature and journalism. Settling in London, he joined the staff of the Literary Gazette in 1850. In 1858, he became editor of two weekly periodicals, The Leisure Hour and Sunday at Home, and held the posts till 1895. He was also a general editor for the Religious Tract Society and edited the Boy's Own Paper and the Girl's Own Paper. After his studies, he travelled as a tutor in Italy and Spain. In 1871, he travelled through the United States of America and published a series in the Leisure Hour, called "First Impressions of America" which were collected as "Across the Ferry" (1871).

In 1860, he married Fanny Stokes (1837–1903). He died on June 18, 1902, in London, England.