James Spedding (28 June 1808 – 9 March 1881) was an English author, chiefly known as the editor of the works of Francis Bacon.
Spedding's major edition of Bacon's works was begun in 1847 in collaboration with Robert Leslie Ellis and Douglas Denon Heath.
In 1853 Ellis had to leave the work to Spedding, with the occasional assistance of Heath, who edited most of the legal writings.
Taken together these works contain practically all the material which exists in connection with the subject, collected and weighed with care and impartiality.
Spedding's initial reaction was "speechless astonishment"; but on later occasions he clearly expressed his disfavour of the Baconian hypothesis, and explained some of the common-sense reasons against it.