James M. Bustill was born in 1825, and made a living as a Plastering Contractor in a business partnership with his brother Charles Hicks Bustill.  Both Bustill brother's were taught the trade by their father David, and continued the family's participation in the plastering industry.  Like most members of his Philadelphia based family, James was an abolitionist and a leader within African American society.  Along with many of Philadelphia’s most prominent citizens, James was also a member of the Social, Cultural and Statistical Association of The Colored People of Pennsylvania. Formed in 1860, the organization's comprehensive purpose was to gather important statistics, fight for black suffrage, defend African American civil rights in the courts, and give money to needy African Americans.