James Carter was born in Nateby, near Garstang, Lancashire, England in c.1876. Nothing is known about his training as an architect. In 1903 he formed the partnership Walker Carter & Walker with Robert Walker (1841-1903) and his son, Frank Hugh Walker (1882-1958), in Windermere, Westmorland, England. Within a week, Walker senior died, however, the title of the firm was retained and remained unchanged until at least 1939.
Carter was elected a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (FRIBA) in 1939. His address that year was given as Institute Building,s Windermere, Westmorland
Architectural projects by Walker, Carter & Walker included Grizedale Hall in Hawkeshead in Westmorland (1905-07); Kelsick Grammar School in Ambleside in Westmorland (1907-08); Bank Premises in Windermere in Westmorland (1909); house near Lake Windermere, Westmorland (1912); war memorial in Windermere, Westmorland (1922-23); Royalty Cinema in Bowness-on-Windermere, Westmorland (1925); police station in Windermere, Westmorland (1927).
Directory of British Architects 1834-1914. Compiled by Antonia Brodie, et al. Volume 1: A-K. London; New York: British Architectural Library, Royal Institute of British Architects/Continuum, 2001