Most Miserable Infamy: The Life and Suicide of John James
Dürer's Melencolia I (1514)
On January 30 1577 John James committed suicide at his home in West Dean, Wiltshire. And so, according to a contemporary, 'ended his lyefe with most misterable infamye.' As a suicide, James would have been refused burial in consecrated ground. No church service, no interment in the churchyard followed his death, but most probably burial at a nearby crossroads. He may have had the ignominy of a stake driven through his body to prevent his restless spirit from returning. Thereafter, his goods were forfeit to the Crown.
James had been the rector of West Dean for twenty years; if he still retained his faith at his death, he would have understood his suicide to be a mortal sin - both a violation of the commandment not to kill and an act that rejected God's sovereignty over life and death. So, what had happened?
According to the contemporary source, James was rich, successful, but 'grewe into malangecolly humour.' The assessment reflects 16th-century medical understanding which recognised the body as containing four humours —blood, phlegm, white bile, and black bile (melaina kholé), that was associated with sadness and depression. James had taken his own life not as a result of a character flaw or even some enchantment or demonic possession, but from a humoral imbalance that had developed over time. This excess of black bile in 16th-century terms could result in sadness and despair, irrational fears, social withdrawal and in extreme cases, as here, in self-destructive behaviour. If the rector had sought medical assistance, he may have been recommended bloodletting, purging, dietary or environmental change. However, even if he had, it did not correct his decline.
While his contemporaries sought physical explanations for his distress, my inclination is not to pursue a physical cause, but rather a psychological one. Maybe by knowing a little about his life and the context in which he lived, it may be easier to comprehend the decision to take his life.
Unfortunately, I know nothing of James’ early life, but I do know that after obtaining a law degree c.1548-9, he became an original fellow of St. John's College, Oxford. The college was founded by Sir Thomas White, a relative of James, in 1555 to support the Roman Catholic Counter-Reformation of the newly enthroned Mary. As one author put it, 'the foundation was designed to celebrate and embolden the re-institution of traditional religion'. White made James vice-president of the college in 1556. As fellows of John's College were expected to be ordained, it is no surprise that in 1557 James also became rector of West Dean in Wiltshire. Mary wanted parishes to be led by educated clergy, not the "dumb dogs" of earlier times. The foundation of the college reflected a broader effort to develop an educated Catholic priesthood; the parish of West Dean was fortunate in this sense by the appointment of their learned rector. In his institution to the church at West Dean, James swore sacred oaths of fidelity to Cardinal Pole's Catholic restoration. There can be no doubt that at this time, James was a Roman Catholic.
In 1558, the Protestant Elizabeth ascended the throne. James did not leave for continental Europe, as may have been expected, to continue to practice Catholicism openly. By choosing to stay he probably lived under the suspicion of recusancy for the rest of his life. However, the fact that he was not forced to leave St. John's College or his rectory suggests James maintained at least an outward conformity to the new Protestant regime. To achieve this, James would have taken the Oath of Supremacy and sworn that the Queen, not the Pope, was the head of the church. His continued survival required remarkable political skill. Maybe his administrative skills also made him indispensable at St. John's College. He outlasted several presidents who came and went in quick succession.
In a few years, his combination of legal training and humanist scholarship seemed to position him perfectly for ecclesiastical advancement under the Protestant regime. In 1563, he was appointed sub-dean and canon of Salisbury and was in a legal dispute over the right of patronage to the rectory of Chilton Foliat. Did James feel guilt for having prospered while colleagues suffered ejection or exile? Did he feel any sense of spiritual crisis? Or remorse from breaking sacred vows to the Catholic church? These feelings could have contributed to the 'melancholy humour' that eventually consumed him.
In 1566, Thomas White, founder of St John's, took steps to ensure James could hold the post of vice-president for life, even if he were non-resident or wealthy. White died the following year. After his death, James' career stalled. He was probably made vicar of Newton Tony, Wiltshire, but no other high clerical appointments were forthcoming. There were questions asked about his 'unorthodox' view of the sacrament at the college in 1574, but not sufficient for his removal from John's or his parishes.
By 1577 James was exceptionally wealthy for a rural clergyman. He had furnished houses at West Dean and Newton Tony, as well as property elsewhere. At the rectory at West Dean, James maintained a bishop's chamber, suggesting he regularly hosted high-ranking clerical visitors. He owned a substantial library and, by this time, also possessed the advowson of West Dean. No future patron could remove him for religious reasons – perhaps a form of psychological insurance after decades of uncertainty.
During his life James had achieved material success, scholarly status, and social standing; yet in January 1577, he succumbed to despair and took his own life. Perhaps he was disappointed that clerical advancement eluded him, but surely it was not a reason to commit a mortal sin? Maybe James was beset with spiritual anguish. He had successfully navigated the huge religious upheavals of his age, but at what cost? If he had purchased the advowson of West Dean it might indicate a man still seeking security, still trying to control an uncontrollable world. Whatever his reasons that January day in 1577, perhaps John James finally chose the only act of his adult life that was entirely, irreversibly, his own.