Thomas James

James, Thomas

Thomas James, explorer (b 1593; d 1635). He sailed from Bristol to Hudson Bay in 1631, 2 days before Luke FOX left on a rival voyage from London. The 2 met by chance at Cape Henrietta Maria (named after James's ship). The only independent exploration made by James was of the west coast of the bay to which he gave his name. He beached his ship off Charlton Island and spent a miserable winter - the first European to winter deliberately in the North. James's voyage was less productive than that of Fox, who was the superior navigator, but the harrowing tale so richly described in his masterly narrative discouraged further attempts to seek the passage for nearly 100 years. The circumstances of his death are unknown.