James Russell was probably born in 1777 due to his first tax list being in 1798. With him being 21 years old to be on the tax list his year of birth would have been 1777. Also he is on this list as "1 Poll and no land". This usually means a young man who is still unmarried. He is on Capt. Reece Gullock's List. On the same list is James Houston, James Russell's father-in-law and William & Absolom Houston, James Russell's brother-in-laws.
The only other Russell's on the Greene County tax lists in 1798 is a David Russell Esq. with 500 acres on Richland Creek on Capt. James Lauderdal's List.
This leads one to think that James Russell would have to be the son of David Russell. Also This would put David Russell on the same social and financial field as James Houston, making James Russell a suitable candidate for marrying James Houston's daughter Mary Polly.
https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/4261795/person/5016239520/facts
