Rev. James William Williams was born on September 15, 1825, in Overton, Hampshire, England.

He was a Canadian Church of England priest, bishop, and educator. He graduated from Pembroke College, Oxford University (M.A. in classics and mathematics, 1852). He was ordained deacon in 1852 and priest in 1855. Williams immigrated to Canada in 1857 and was appointed rector of the Lennoxville grammar school, affiliated with Bishop’s College, Lennoxville. He also served as the chairman of King's Hall, Compton. In 1860, he became a professor at Bishop's College. In 1863, he was appointed the 4th Bishop of Quebec and remained in this position until he died in 1892. Rev. Williams participated vigorously in the development of the Protestant public school system in Quebec and collaborated with Sir Alexander Galt in drawing up Section 93 of the British North American Act (Constitution Act, 1867), which conferred upon Parliament the responsibility of protecting the educational rights of minorities. Many of his sermons and lectures were published.

In 1854, he married Anna Maria Waldron (1821–). He died on April 20, 1892, in Quebec City, Quebec.