James Maxse was born in 1792 and died on 3 March 1864, aged 72.
He matriculated at University College, Oxford, on 5 December 1809 and became ‘a landowner, hunting man, and yachtsman'.
In 1818, at the age of 26, he bought the Old Club (subsequently a notorious drinking and hunting club) at Melton Mowbray with James Musgrave, Valentine Maher and John Moore. Members of this club included Beau Brummell and James Brudenell, Earl of Cardigan.
In 1827, as the owner of the yacht Miranda, he won the very first King’ Cup presented by King George IV.
He married Lady Caroline FitzHardinge Berkeley (aged37) on Christmas Eve 1829, at Cranford, Middlesex. They lived in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire.
In 1841, a man of independent means, a yachtsman and Master of Foxhounds, he leased 33 Upper Grosvenor Street, St. George's Hanover Square, London until his death in 1864. Lady Caroline Maxse continued to live there until 1886.
They had two sons, Lieut.-Col. Sir Henry Berkeley FitzHardinge Maxse CMG KCMG (1832 – 1883), and Admiral Frederick Augustus Maxse (1833 – 1900). The Admiral was an RYS member from 1855 to 1902.