James, a celebrated English botanist, contemporary with Plukenet. Of the precise time of his birth no notice has been preserved. He was by profession an apothecary, having served an apprenticeship under Mr Feltham, apothecary to St Bartholomew's Hospital. He settled in Aldersgate Street, where he commenced business on his own account, which he continued during the whole of his life. His business was extensive, and he afterwards became apothecary to the Charter-house. Excepting Sir Hans Sloane and Mr Courten, he was the only person after the Tradescants who made any important collections in natural history, previously to those of the present day. He employed the captains and surgeons of different ships to bring him home specimens; and by means of printed directions he enabled them to select proper objects. In this manner his collection soon became so valuable, that, some time previously to his decease, he was offered L4000 for it by Sir Hans Sloane, by whom it was purchased some time after Petiver's death. Both at home and abroad his fame was extended by his valuable museum. He was chosen a fellow of the Royal Society; and having become acquainted with Ray, he assisted him in arranging the second volume of his History of Plants. He died on the 20th of April 1718; and his funeral was honoured by the attendance of Sir Hans Sloane, and other eminent men, as pall-bearers.

He published several works on different subjects of natural history, particularly, 1. Musci Petiverianae Centuriae decem, 1692-1703, 8vo; 2. Gazophylacii Naturae Artis, Decades decem, 1702, folio, with a hundred plates; 3. A Catalogue of Mr Ray's English Herbal, illustrated with figures, 1713; and continued in 1715, folio; 4. Many small publications, which may be found enumerated in Dr Pultney's book; 5. Many papers in the Philosophical Transactions, and a valuable article in the third volume of Ray's work, entitled Plantarum Rariores Chinenses, Madras-patanae et Africanae, a Jacobo Petiverio ad opus consimilis collate. Many of his small tracts having become scarce, his works were collected and published, exclusively of his papers in the Transactions, 1764, in two vols. folio.