Sir William James, 1st Baronet
Commodore Sir William James, 1st Baronet, FRS (1721 – 16 December 1783) was a Welsh-born commander of the East India Company navy, director of the company and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1774 to 1783. He conducted successful campaigns against the navies of Indian territories. Early life. William was born in 1721 at Milford Haven. The son of an impoverished miller from Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, James ran away to sea in 1732, and by 1738 was commanding his own ship and serving in the West Indies. In 1747, he joined the East  India Company and was appointed commodore of its Bombay Marine naval forces four years later. Around same time he married the owner of "Red Cow" public house in Wapping. Naval career. James is particularly associated with an action on 2 April 1755 when, commanding the Bombay Marine Ship "Protector" he attacked and destroyed the fortress of Tulaji Angre (also spelt Tollagee Angria; son of famed admiral Kanhoji Angre), at Severndroog (an English spelling of the latter part of "Janjeera Soowumdroog" or Suvarnadurg), in Konkan, along the western coast of India, between Mumbai and Goa. He had initially been instructed only  to blockade the stronghold, but through his intimate knowledge of the rocky coastline was able to get close enough to blow up the fortress. Although the British East India Company had spent considerable sums providing protection from piracy, he only received £100 in reward. In February 1756, he supported the capture of Gheriah (now Vijaydurg) by Colonel Robert Clive and Admiral Charles Watson, and was active in numerous skirmishes against the French, helping to consolidate the British position in India. Later life. James returned to England in 1759, settling in Eltham in north-west Kent. In 1765, he married  his second wife, Anne Goddard, with whom he had two children: Edward and Elizabeth. He became a Director of the East India Company in 1768 was reappointed in most years until his death in 1783. He was frequently deputy chairman and was chairman of the directors in 1779. He was a governor of Greenwich Hospital and a fellow of the Royal Society for his contribution to navigation. In 1778 he was created baronet. James became an associate of Lord Sandwich and through him became involved in politics. In 1770 he stood for Parliament at Shoreham, but was defeated overwhelmingly. At  the 1774 general election he was returned unopposed at West Looe on the Buller interest. He was returned again unopposed for West Looe at the 1780 general election by John Buller, with whom he also stood unsuccessfully at Saltash. As an associate of Sandwich he supported Lord North until his fall from power in 1782. James came under personal attack when a report from the select committee on Bengal affairs was put before the House on 1 April 1783. This alleged that James and Laurence Sulivan had altered the records of the East India Company and tried to deceive the  committee about communications with India. James maintained that the charges were false and opposed any publication of the report without a defence. James died of a stroke at his daughter Elizabeth Anne's wedding to MP Thomas Parkyns on 16 December 1783. He was buried at Eltham and the following year a folly, Severndroog Castle (designed by East India Company architect Richard Jupp), was built as a memorial to him by his wife, Lady James of Eltham, on nearby Shooter's Hill. His title passed to his son Edward William and became extinct on the latter's own death. Sir