The Committee for Compounding wrote to him on 26 December 1650, " Knowing how much you may contribute to carry on sequestration work, we have joined Mr.
As Colonel James, he was appointed commander of the Horse and Dragoons in Worcestershire, under a commission from the Council of State on 31 March 1651 to " raise and command the forces in co. Worcester, under the Militia Act," and he received a further order on 30 June for "listing volunteers in co.
The Council of State ordered on 15 June 1653, that Col. John James and other MPs "should have the lodgings late in possession of Sir Henry Vane, Sir H. Mildmay, and Col. Thomson, and any others they think fit, so that they may be lodged together," and further ordered on 8 July, "that the Whitehall Committee should put them in possession of the house late Dennis Bond's."
"The Lord President having last Saturday issued a warrant to take into custody Charles Rich and John James on information of a quarrel between them, both parties appeared before the Council where both were bound in £1,000 and two sureties in £1,000 not to fight each other, nor break the public peace".
On 10 May, "two warrants signed but suspended till Jessop (Assistant Clerk of the Council) give notice to Rich in the country".
On 19 May, "Order that they both give security in £1,000 each with two sufficient sureties to keep the peace towards each other for all times to come and neither of them to break it, and on so doing that their warrant for commitment to the Tower be suspended.
On 1 September 1670 he was given licence as John James, of Tripleton, "to remain in and about London and Westminster, although an officer in the army of the late usurped powers.