 James Arthur "Jimmie" Mercer was born in England on August 12, 1871, and was the eldest child of Andrew Valentine Mercer and Isabella Katherine Newton.Jimmie was named after Andrew's father, James Arthur Mercer (1812-1878).In 1883, Jimmie and his parents emigrated to the United States and settled down in Tubac, Arizona, where Andrew's elder brother, T. Lillie Mercer, had previously settled.