Judge Guinn was born June 11, 1804 in Greene County Tennessee. He was the son of John and Rachael (Shields) Guinn. He studied law and was admitted to practice at the bar in 1828 at Franklin, Macon Co. North Carolina. He married Miss Catherine A. Dobson in 1829. He was elected Solicitor in 1832. He moved to Fish Head Valley, near Chulafinnee, in Randolph County, Alabama, 19 November 1841, and to Wedowee in the fall of 1843. Elected judge, January 1st, 1846 then moved to Cherokee Co. Texas December 11, 1858 and to Angelina Co. Texas 29th January 1859 .

He was elected State Senator from Angelina and Nacogdoches Counties in 1866. He was a member of the Methodist-Episcopal. Church.  Loved and respected by all. He was a Douglas Democrat, and opposed secession; had five sons in the Confederate Army, all lived to return, but one lost an arm, another captured twice and imprisoned once.  While in the Senate at Austin, the state capital of Texas, he was taken sick, and died in a few days thereafter, on 27th day of August, 1866.

Judge of County or Orphans Court, January 1 , 1846; and held until May 23, 1850. June 4-July 11, 1835. James W. Guinn was a landowner at Greene Co. Tennessee; lawyer at Macon Co. North Carolina; Judge at Randolph Co. Alabama; lawyer at Cherokee Co. Texas; lawyer at Angelina Co. Texas; and elected State Senator at Angelina Co. Texas.

Many of the descendants of James Washington Guinn have followed his lead in becoming Lawyers and Judges having had distinquished careers.

Visit the gravesite of James W Guinn in Austin, Texas