James Fleetwood (baptised 25 April 1603,Chalfont St Giles; died 17 July 1683,Hartlebury Castle[1]) was an English clergyman andBishop of Worcester.
He was descended from the oldLancashire family of Fleetwood and was the seventh son ofSir George Fleetwood ofThe Vache,Chalfont St Giles,Buckinghamshire.
He was educated atEton andKing's College, Cambridge.[2] Upon his ordination he was appointedchaplain to Dr WrightBishop of Lichfield. He became vicar ofPrees,Shropshire and aPrebendary ofEccleshall.
Fleetwood was a committedRoyalist and served as chaplain in the King's Army during theCivil War. In 1642, he was awarded a Doctorate of Divinity byKing Charles in recognition of his services at theBattle of Edge Hill, and in the same year was appointed Rector ofSutton Coldfield and chaplain toCharles, Prince of Wales.
At the end of the Civil War he was ejected from the living of Sutton Coldfield but on theRestoration he was appointed as chaplain toCharles II andProvost of King's College, Cambridge. He was later Rector ofAnstey, Hertfordshire and ofDenham, Buckinghamshire and in 1675 was appointedBishop of Worcester.
He died in 1683 and was buried inWorcester Cathedral.
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| Preceded by | Provost of King's College, Cambridge 1660-1676 | Succeeded by |
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| Preceded by | Bishop of Worcester 1675–1683 | Succeeded by |
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