Sir William James, 1st Baronet

Sir William James 1st Baronet
Commodore James, 1784 (painted by Joshua Reynolds)
Born	1721 Milford Haven
Died	16 December 1783(1783-12-16) (aged 61–62) Eltham
Buried	Eltham
Allegiance	East India Company
Service / branch	Bombay Marine
Years of service	1747-1759
Rank	Commodore
Commands	Bombay Marine HCS Protector HCS Guardian
Battles / wars	Battle of Suvarnadurg, 1755 Battle of Vijaydurg, 1756
Memorials	Severndroog Castle
Spouse(s)	1st wife, Name & dates unknown; Anne Goddard ​ (m. 1765⁠–⁠1783)​
Children	From 2nd marriage Edward William Elizabeth Anne
Relations	Thomas Parkyns, 1st Baron Rancliffe Son-in-law

Commodore Sir William James, 1st Baronet, FRS (c.1721 – 16 December 1783) was a Welsh-born commander of the East India Company navy, director of the company and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1774 to 1783. He conducted successful campaigns against the navies of Indian territories.

Early life

William was born in 1721 at Milford Haven. The son of an impoverished miller from Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, James ran away to sea in 1732, and by 1738 was commanding his own ship and serving in the West Indies. In 1747, he joined the East India Company and was appointed commodore of its Bombay Marine naval forces four years later. Around same time he married the owner of "Red Cow" public house in Wapping.

Naval career

Commodore James in the Protector, with the Revenge and the grab Bombay in the bay off Gheriah, India, April 1755

James is particularly associated with an action on 2 April 1755 when, commanding the Bombay Marine Ship Protector he attacked and destroyed the fortress of Tulaji Angre (also spelt Tollagee Angria; son of famed admiral Kanhoji Angre), at Severndroog (an English spelling of the latter part of Janjeera Soowumdroog or Suvarnadurg), in Konkan, along the western coast of India, between Mumbai and Goa. He had initially been instructed only to blockade the stronghold, but through his intimate knowledge of the rocky coastline was able to get close enough to blow up the fortress. Although the British East India Company had spent considerable sums providing protection from piracy, he only received £100 in reward.

In February 1756, he supported the capture of Gheriah (now Vijaydurg) by Colonel Robert Clive and Admiral Charles Watson, and was active in numerous skirmishes against the French, helping to consolidate the British position in India.

Later life

James returned to England in 1759, settling in Eltham in north-west Kent. In 1765, he married his second wife, Anne Goddard, with whom he had two children: Edward and Elizabeth. He became a Director of the East India Company in 1768 was reappointed in most years until his death in 1783. He was frequently deputy chairman and was chairman of the directors in 1779. He was a governor of Greenwich Hospital and a fellow of the Royal Society for his contribution to navigation. In 1778 he was created baronet.

James became an associate of Lord Sandwich and through him became involved in politics. In 1770 he stood for Parliament at Shoreham, but was defeated overwhelmingly. At the 1774 general election he was returned unopposed at West Looe on the Buller interest. He was returned again unopposed for West Looe at the 1780 general election by John Buller, with whom he also stood unsuccessfully at Saltash. As an associate of Sandwich he supported Lord North until his fall from power in 1782. James came under personal attack when a report from the select committee on Bengal affairs was put before the House on 1 April 1783. This alleged that James and Laurence Sulivan had altered the records of the East India Company and tried to deceive the committee about communications with India. James maintained that the charges were false and opposed any publication of the report without a defence.

James died of a stroke at his daughter Elizabeth Anne's wedding to MP Thomas Parkyns on 16 December 1783. He was buried at Eltham and the following year a folly, Severndroog Castle (designed by East India Company architect Richard Jupp), was built as a memorial to him by his wife, Lady James of Eltham, on nearby Shooter's Hill. His title passed to his son Edward William and became extinct on the latter's own death.