James MacPherson Le Moine was born on January 21, 1825, in Quebec City, Quebec.

He was a lawyer, author, and historian. He studied at the Petit Séminaire de Québec and after being articled to Joseph-Noël Bossé, he was called to the bar of Lower Canada in 1850. He practised law in Quebec City until 1858. Then he devoted himself wholly to his work as a collector of inland revenue, an office he had held since 1847, and from Oct. 12, 1869, to Dec. 31, 1899, to his duties as an inspector in the same department. In 1860, he moved to Spencer Grange, a villa set in the heart of a 40-acre estate in Sillery. He was involved with the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec, helping in the development of their natural history museum, and later serving as president in 1871, 1879–1882, and 1902–1903. From 1894 to 1895, he was the president of the Royal Society of Canada. In 1897, he was made a Knight by Queen Victoria. In 1901, Bishop’s College in Lennoxville conferred on him an L.L.D. honoris causa. He published several books, e.g., "Maple Leaves: A Budget of Legendary, Historical, Critical, and Sporting Intelligence" (7 vols., 1863-1906), "Ornithologie du Canada", (2 vols., 1860-1861), and "Les pêcheries du Canada" (1863).

In 1856, he married Harriet Mary Atkinson (1830 –1900). He died on February 5, 1912, in Ste. Colomb-de-Sillery, Quebec.