James Whitshed (c.1716–1789) was an Irish politician who sat in the British House of Commons for 29 years from 1754 to 1783.
He became connected with the Leicester House faction through his father-in-law, Lord Bathurst and before the general election of 1747 and was included in a list by Dr Ayscough of "persons to be brought into Parliament by his Royal Highness, who are not able to bring in themselves".
He did not stand until the 1754 general election when he was returned unopposed as Member of Parliament for St Ives on the Praed interest.
There is a commemorative tablet to him in the church of St James, Piccadilly on the North vestibule wall.
[2] Under the terms of his will, his cousin James Hawkins-Whitshed was to assume the name and arms of Whitshed in addition to his own, and legislation was passed in the British and Irish parliaments in 1791 to allow exemplification of his will.