Colin James (bishop)

The Right Reverend Colin Clement Walter James (20 September 1926^[1]–10 December 2009)^[2] was an Anglican bishop in the Church of England, successively Suffragan Bishop of Basingstoke, then the Bishop of Winchester.

James was educated at Aldenham School and King's College, Cambridge before his ordained ministry which began with a curacy at Stepney, after which he was a chaplain of Stowe School.^[3] He was ordained a deacon at Trinitytide 1952^[4] and priest a year later,^[5] both by William Wand, Bishop of London, at St Paul's Cathedral.^[4][5]

Following his title, he was a producer of religious programmes for the BBC^[6] and then (his final appointment before being ordained to the episcopate) vicar of St Peter's Bournemouth.^[7] James was the first suffragan Bishop of Basingstoke in the Diocese of Winchester, beginning with his consecration as a bishop on 2 February 1973 at St Paul's Cathedral by Michael Ramsey, Archbishop of Canterbury.^[8] He held his suffragan bishopric with a residentiary canonry of Winchester Cathedral.^[1]

He was translated to become diocesan Bishop of Wakefield^[9] and was enthroned at Wakefield Cathedral on 9 February 1977.^[10] He was returned to the Diocese of Winchester as the diocesan Bishop of Winchester;^[11] he was enthroned at Winchester Cathedral on 28 June 1985,^[12] having been elected two weeks prior^[12] and confirmed (officially becoming the Bishop) at some intervening point. He retired in April 1995.^[13]

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