Initially James was appointed to the Parish of Turks and Caicos Islands although in 1873 he was transferred to Pembroke Parish and Devonshire Parish as Rector.[1] During his time as Rector, James oversaw the building and repairs of Trinity Church, the parish church of Pembroke, during this time, Trinity Church was termed a Chapel of ease for the Bishop of Newfoundland and Bermuda.[4] However, in 1884, Trinity Church was destroyed by arson, and the building of the new Cathedral was started in 1885, at which point James was appointed Canon of Bermuda Cathedral.[1][5] As Canon of Bermuda Cathedral and Vice-Chairman of the Building Committee, he approved the design and oversaw the collection for and construction of the new cathedral and was at the same time de jureArchdeacon of Bermuda.[6][7] Although only Vice-Chairman, in reality, the Chairman, Llewellyn Jones, the Bishop of Newfoundland and Bermuda was seldom there, so James was de facto head of the committee. James died in office before the completion of the construction of Bermuda Cathedral and there remains a bell put up in memorial for him.[8] His successor as Rector was James Davidson, later Archdeacon of Bermuda.[1]
^Piper, Liza (2000). "The Church of England". Heritage Newfoundland and Labrador. Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage Web Site. Retrieved 17 August 2021.