On his return to England he took holy orders, and resigned his studentship on being presented by the dean and chapter of Christ Church to the vicarage of Flitton-cum-Silsoe in Bedfordshire.
[1] James's appointment to the bishopric of Calcutta, in succession to Reginald Heber, came at the end of 1826, and he resigned his vicarage in April 1827.
[1] For purposes of organisation James divided the city of Calcutta into three parochial districts, the fort itself constituting a fourth.
On 20 June 1828 he set out on a visitation to the western provinces of his diocese, but, taken ill, he returned to Calcutta and was advised to take a sea voyage.
James published, in 1816, a Journal of a Tour in Germany, Sweden, Russia, and Poland, during 1813 and 1814, Subsequent editions appeared in 1817 and 1819.
[1] In 1823 James married Marianne Jane, fourth daughter of Frederick Reeves, of East Sheen, Surrey, and formerly of Mangalore, in the Bombay presidency.