James Henry Gray was born at 23 St Andrews Drive Pollokshields Glasgow, Scotland on 23 July 1885 and was articled to Fred Rowntree (1860-1927) in London from 1903 to 1906. He then returned to Glasgow to work as an assistant to Alexander Nisbet Paterson (1862-1947) of Campbell Douglas & Paterson. After leaving Paterson's employ Gray went back to London where he worked as an assistant to David Barclay Niven (1864-1942) and Herbert Henry Wigglesworth (1865-1949) of Niven & Wigglesworth. from 1909 to 1911. He then went back to Glasgow again and worked as an assistant to John Watson (1872-1936) and David Salmond (1876-1938) of Watson & Salmond. In 1914 became a partner in the firm which was renamed Watson Salmond & Gray. He remained a partner in the practice until 1936 when he resigned through ill-health.
Gray was elected an Associate of the Roylal Institute of British Architects (ARIBA) in 1911 and a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (FRIBA) in 1937. He died at White Rock Villa, Strone, Dunoon, Argyll, Scotland on 17 August 1938
See: Dictionary of Scottish Architects 1660-1980 [link below]
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
‘Obituary’. Royal Institute of British Architects Journal vol. 45, 15 August 1938 p. 943 [Note: this is the date given in the Avery Obituary Index of Architects, however, Gray died two days later]