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Thomas James (c. 1573 – August 1629) was an English librarian, first librarian of the Bodleian Library, Oxford. ==Life== He was born about 1573 at Newport, Isle of Wight. In 1586 he was admitted a scholar of Winchester College, matriculated at New College, Oxford on 28 January 1592, and was fellow of his college from 1593 to 1602. He graduated B.A. on 3 May 1595, M.A. on 5 February 1599, B.D. and D.D. on 16 May 1614. James became a fellow of New College, Oxford in 1593. In 1602, his wide knowledge of books, together with his skill in deciphering manuscripts and detecting literary forgeries, secured him the post of librarian to the library newly founded by Sir Thomas Bodley at Oxford.〔''Encyclopædia Britannica'', Eleventh edition, a publication now in the public domain, accessed September 2009〕 At the same time, he was made rector of St Aldate's Church, Oxford. In 1605, he compiled a classified catalogue of the books in the Bodleian Library, but in 1620 substituted for it an alphabetical catalogue. The arrangement in 1610, whereby the Stationers' Company undertook to supply the Bodleian with every book published, was James's suggestion. He assisted in framing a complete body of the ancient statutes and customs of the university. He was also skilled in deciphering manuscripts and in detecting forged readings. He obtained leave to examine the manuscripts in the college libraries at Oxford, and was allowed by easy-going heads of houses (particularly those of Balliol and Merton) to take away several, chiefly patristic, which he gave in 1601 to the Bodleian Library, together with sixty printed volumes. Bodley had fixed upon James as his library keeper, and the appointment was confirmed by the university in 1602. On 14 September of that year he also became rector of St. Aldate, Oxford. His salary as librarian was initially £5 13s. 4d. quarterly, but he threatened forthwith to resign unless it was raised to £30 or £40 a year. At the same time he demanded permission to marry. Bodley, who had made celibacy a condition in his statutes, expostulated with James, but eventually allowed him to take a wife. In December 1610 the library began to receive copies of all works published by the members of the Stationers' Company, under an agreement made with them by Bodley at the suggestion of James. In 1614 James, through Bodley's interest, was preferred to the sub-deanery of Wells, and in 1617 he became rector of Mongeham, Kent. At the beginning of May 1620 he was obliged through ill-health to resign the librarianship. At the convocation held with the parliament at Oxford in 1625 he moved that certain scholars be commissioned to peruse the patristic manuscripts in all public and private English libraries to detect forgeries introduced by Roman Catholic editors. His proposal not meeting with much encouragement, he set about the task himself. Ill health compelled him to resign his post in 1620,〔 he died at Oxford in August 1629, and was buried in New College Chapel. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Thomas James」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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