William James (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 posts	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	12 May 1617(1617-05-12) (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

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

William James graduated with an MA degree at Christ Church, Oxford in 1565. 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.

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

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. 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.