William James (bishop)

William James (1542 – 12 May 1617) was an English academic and bishop.

The Right Reverend William James
Bishop of Durham
Diocese	Diocese of Durham
In office	September 1606 (conf.) – 1617 (died)
Predecessor	Tobias Matthew
Successor	Richard Neile
Other post(s)	Master of University College, Oxford (1572–1584) Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University (1581–1582 & 1590–1592) Dean of Christ Church (2 September 1584–1596) Dean of Durham (5 June 1596 {installed} – 1606)
Personal details
Born	1542 Sandbach, Cheshire, England
Died	(1617-05-12)12 May 1617 (aged 74–75) Durham, County Durham, England
Buried	Durham Cathedral
Nationality	English
Denomination	Anglican
Parents	John James & Ellen Bolte
Spouse	1. Katherine (née Risby) 2. unknown person 3. Isabel (Atkinson née Rilley)
Children	at least 2 (a son, Francis, and a daughter who married a Ferdinand Morecroft)
Profession	academic
Alma mater	Christ Church, Oxford
Ordination history
History Episcopal consecration Date 7 September 1606

Life

William James graduated with an MA degree at Christ Church, Oxford, in 1565.^[1] He was Master of University College, Oxford, in 1572, and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford in 1581, and again in 1590. He became Dean of Christ Church in 1584.^[2]

James became Dean of Durham in 1596, where he was a witness to the decay of agriculture in northeast England.^[3][4] He was Bishop of Durham from 1606.^[2]

In early 1611, James had custody of Arbella Stuart, with the intention of the King to take her north to Durham. In the event, Arbella was moved from Lambeth to be confined at Barnet, while the bishop travelled north leaving Sir James Croft in charge, and for health reasons did not follow, being moved to East Barnet.^[5] When Arbella and her husband William Seymour, 2nd Duke of Somerset, (who was in the Tower of London) made simultaneous but badly coordinated escapes on 3 June 1611, she simply walked free.^[6]

Wolsingham School was founded on 19 June 1614 by James as the Bishop of Durham. The board of trustees included nine landowners who had all donated land to create the (then) boys' school. Each of the founding trustees was allowed to name two boys to be taught a basis education from the age of eight.^[7]

References

1. Alumni Oxonienses 1500-1714, Jablonski-Juxston
2. Tillbrook, Michael (September 2004). "James, William (1542–1617)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/14623. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.) Online edition, January 2008.
3. "Deans of Durham". Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1541–1857. Vol. 11, Carlisle, Chester, Durham, Manchester, Ripon, and Sodor and Man Dioceses. London: Institute of Historical Research. 2004. pp. 77–81. Retrieved 21 September 2015 – via British History Online.
4. Richard L. Graves, Society and Religion in Elizabethan England (1981), page 638.
5. Sarah Gristwood, Arbella: England's Lost Queen (2003), pp. 359–368.
6. Gristwood, pp. 370–371.
7. "Scholars and scandals". The Northern Echo. 21 July 2014. Retrieved 18 October 2024.

Academic offices
Preceded by Thomas Caius	Master of University College, Oxford 1572–1584	Succeeded by Anthony Gate
Preceded by Tobias Matthew	Dean of Christ Church, Oxford 1584–1596	Succeeded by Thomas Ravis
Preceded by Arthur Yeldard	Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University 1581–1582	Succeeded by Robert Hovenden
Preceded by Nicholas Bond	Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University 1590–1592	Succeeded by Nicholas Bond
Church of England titles
Preceded by Tobias Matthew	Dean of Durham 1596–1606	Succeeded by Adam Newton
Preceded by Tobias Matthew	Bishop of Durham 1606–1617	Succeeded by Richard Neile