In 1920, Cagney was a member of the chorus for the show Pitter Patter, where he met Frances Willard "Billie" Vernon.
They married on September 28, 1922, and the marriage lasted until his death in 1986.
Frances Cagney died in 1994.
 In 1941 they adopted a son whom they named James Francis Cagney III, and later a daughter, Cathleen "Casey" Cagney.
 Cagney was a very private man, and while he was willing to give the press opportunities for photographs, he generally spent his personal time out of the public eye.

Cagney's son married Jill Lisbeth Inness in 1962.
 The couple had two children, James IV and Cindy.
James Cagney III died from a heart attack on January 27, 1984 in Washington, D.C, two years before his father's death.
 He had become estranged from his father and had not seen or talked to him since 1982.

Cagney's daughter Cathleen married Jack W. Thomas in 1962.
 She, too, was estranged from her father during the final years of his life.
She died on August 11, 2004.

As a young man, Cagney became interested in farming – sparked by a soil conservation lecture he had attended – to the extent that during his first walkout from Warner Bros., he helped to found a 100-acre (0.40 km²) farm in Martha's Vineyard.
Cagney loved that no concrete roads surrounded the property, only dirt tracks.
The house was rather run-down and ramshackle, and Billie was initially reluctant to move in, but soon came to love the place as well.
After being inundated by movie fans, Cagney sent out a rumor that he had hired a gunman for security.
The ruse proved so successful that when Spencer Tracy came to visit, his taxi driver refused to drive up to the house, saying, "I hear they shoot!"
Tracy had to go the rest of the way on foot.

In 1955, having shot three films, Cagney bought a 120-acre (0.49 km²) farm in Stanford, Dutchess County, New York, for $100,000.
Cagney named it Verney Farm, taking the first syllable from Billie's maiden name and the second from his own surname.
He turned it into a working farm, selling some of the dairy cattle and replacing them with beef cattle.
He expanded it over the years to 750 acres (3.0 km²).
Such was Cagney's enthusiasm for agriculture and farming that his diligence and efforts were rewarded by an honorary degree from Florida's Rollins College.
Rather than just "turning up with Ava Gardner on my arm" to accept his honorary degree, Cagney turned the tables upon the college's faculty by writing and submitting a paper on soil conservation.

Cagney was born in 1899 (prior to the widespread use of automobiles) and loved horses from childhood.
As a child, he often sat on the horses of local deliverymen and rode in horse-drawn streetcars with his mother.
As an adult, well after horses were replaced by automobiles as the primary mode of transportation, Cagney raised horses on his farms, specializing in Morgans, a breed of which he was particularly fond.

Cagney was a keen sailor and owned boats that were harbored on both coasts of the U.S.  His joy in sailing, however, did not protect him from occasional seasickness—becoming ill, sometimes, on a calm day while weathering rougher, heavier seas at other times.
Cagney greatly enjoyed painting, and claimed in his autobiography that he might have been happier, if somewhat poorer, as a painter than a movie star.
The renowned painter Sergei Bongart taught Cagney in his later life and owned two of Cagney's works.
Cagney often gave away his work but refused to sell his paintings, considering himself an amateur.
He signed and sold only one painting, purchased by Johnny Carson to benefit a charity.
In 1920, Cagney was a member of the chorus for the show Pitter Patter, where he met Frances Willard "Billie" Vernon. They married on September 28, 1922, and the marriage lasted until his death in 1986. Frances Cagney died in 1994.  In 1941 they adopted a son whom they named James Francis Cagney III, and later a daughter, Cathleen "Casey" Cagney.  Cagney was a very private man, and while he was willing to give the press opportunities for photographs, he generally spent his personal time out of the public eye.
Cagney's son married Jill Lisbeth Inness in 1962.  The couple had two children, James IV and Cindy. James Cagney III died from a heart attack on January 27, 1984 in Washington, D.C, two years before his father's death.  He had become estranged from his father and had not seen or talked to him since 1982.
Cagney's daughter Cathleen married Jack W. Thomas in 1962.  She, too, was estranged from her father during the final years of his life. She died on August 11, 2004.
As a young man, Cagney became interested in farming – sparked by a soil conservation lecture he had attended – to the extent that during his first walkout from Warner Bros., he helped to found a 100-acre (0.40 km²) farm in Martha's Vineyard. Cagney loved that no concrete roads surrounded the property, only dirt tracks. The house was rather run-down and ramshackle, and Billie was initially reluctant to move in, but soon came to love the place as well. After being inundated by movie fans, Cagney sent out a rumor that he had hired a gunman for security. The ruse proved so successful that when Spencer Tracy came to visit, his taxi driver refused to drive up to the house, saying, "I hear they shoot!" Tracy had to go the rest of the way on foot.
In 1955, having shot three films, Cagney bought a 120-acre (0.49 km²) farm in Stanford, Dutchess County, New York, for $100,000. Cagney named it Verney Farm, taking the first syllable from Billie's maiden name and the second from his own surname. He turned it into a working farm, selling some of the dairy cattle and replacing them with beef cattle. He expanded it over the years to 750 acres (3.0 km²). Such was Cagney's enthusiasm for agriculture and farming that his diligence and efforts were rewarded by an honorary degree from Florida's Rollins College. Rather than just "turning up with Ava Gardner on my arm" to accept his honorary degree, Cagney turned the tables upon the college's faculty by writing and submitting a paper on soil conservation.
Cagney was born in 1899 (prior to the widespread use of automobiles) and loved horses from childhood. As a child, he often sat on the horses of local deliverymen and rode in horse-drawn streetcars with his mother. As an adult, well after horses were replaced by automobiles as the primary mode of transportation, Cagney raised horses on his farms, specializing in Morgans, a breed of which he was particularly fond.
Cagney was a keen sailor and owned boats that were harbored on both coasts of the U.S.  His joy in sailing, however, did not protect him from occasional seasickness—becoming ill, sometimes, on a calm day while weathering rougher, heavier seas at other times. Cagney greatly enjoyed painting, and claimed in his autobiography that he might have been happier, if somewhat poorer, as a painter than a movie star. The renowned painter Sergei Bongart taught Cagney in his later life and owned two of Cagney's works. Cagney often gave away his work but refused to sell his paintings, considering himself an amateur. He signed and sold only one painting, purchased by Johnny Carson to benefit a charity.
James Cagney