James Newcome

James William Scobie Newcome, DL (born 24 July 1953) is an English Anglican bishop and Lord Spiritual. Since 2009, he has been the Bishop of Carlisle, the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Carlisle. He has been a member of the House of Lords as a Lord Spiritual since October 2013. From 2002 to 2009, he was the Bishop of Penrith, a suffragan bishop in the Diocese of Carlisle.

He was born in Aldershot, the son of an officer in the Royal Artillery. As a result of his father's army postings, he spent time in Malta and Germany during his childhood. He then attended Marlborough College from 1966 to 1971, where he was Senior Prefect, and worked for Community Service Volunteers in children's homes in Nottinghamshire.

In 1971, he matriculated into Trinity College, Oxford to study modern history. He won the University of Oxford history of art prize in 1972. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1974; his BA was promoted to Master of Arts (MA Oxon) degree in 1978.

He was commissioned as a second lieutenant on the General List of the Territorial Army on 23 May 1974. He then spent a year working as an ambulance driver in Stevenage. He later resigned his TA commission on 8 July 1977.

From 1975, he studied at the University of Cambridge, where he read theology at Selwyn College, Cambridge, whilst also preparing for ordination at Ridley Hall, Cambridge. He graduated Bachelor of Arts (BA) in 1977; this was promoted to Master of Arts (MA Cantab) in 1981.

Newcome was ordained a deacon at Michaelmas 1978 (24 September) at St Mary's, Watford and a priest the following Michaelmas (30 September 1979) at St Albans Cathedral – both times by Robert Runcie when he was Bishop of St Albans. His ordained ministry began as a curate at All Saints' Leavesden in the Diocese of St Albans. He was ordained a priest in 1979 and remained at All Saints until 1982.

Newcome was then appointed Vicar of Bar Hill and Dry Drayton in the Diocese of Ely in 1982. He also became a tutor and lecturer in Pastoral Theology, Ethics and Integrating Theology at the Cambridge Federation of Theological Colleges from 1983 to 1988. He was Rural Dean of the North Stowe Deanery from 1988 to 1994. In 1994 he was appointed a canon residentiary at Chester Cathedral also holding the Diocesan posts of Director of Ordinands from 1994 to 2000 and Director of Ministry, Education and Training from 1996 to 2002.

Episcopal ministry

In March 2002, Newcome was appointed Bishop of Penrith, a suffragan bishop in the Diocese of Carlisle; he was consecrated a bishop at York Minster on 19 March 2002. In May 2009, he was announced as the next Bishop of Carlisle, the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Carlisle. He was enthroned at Carlisle Cathedral on 10 October 2009.

On 3 October 2013, Newcome joined the House of Lords as a Lord Spiritual.

On 17 November 2014, it was announced that Newcome had been appointed Clerk of the Closet. As such, he is head of the College of Chaplains of the Ecclesiastical Household and he undertakes a number of ceremonial roles such as presenting new diocesan bishops to the monarch.

(2016) now chaplain to the Royal British Legion. Officiated at the 2016, 2017 and 2018 Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall.

Newcome married Alison, a health visitor, in 1977, and they have four adult children. He is a keen amateur runner, squash player and hill walker, and also enjoys films and restoring furniture.

He was a governor of St. Bees School which announced that, after 432 years, it was closing in March 2015.

In 2009 Newcome appeared on the television programme Help! I Caught it Abroad with a tick, which he had acquired in a remote part of Argentina, attached to his leg.

• The Reverend James Newcome (1978–1994)
• The Reverend Canon James Newcome (1994–2002)
• The Right Reverend James Newcome (2002–2013)
• The Right Reverend James Newcome DL (2013–present)