Researching James Williams

Williams was most notable for being the first player on the Buffalo Bills squad to don number 31, which had been "retired" to represent the spirit of the franchise. Since Williams wore the number, the Bills have allowed anyone to wear the 31 jersey; it was later worn by Dwayne Wright, who like Williams, went to Fresno State. Jairus Byrd wore the number before becoming a free agent; he used it because his college number, 32, was unofficially retired because of O. J. Simpson.

After retiring from football, Williams became a football coach beginning in 1997 as a graduate assistant at Fresno State.

James was coached by Péter Fröhlich for a number of years, and together with Ian Williams they run a summer training camp at Grantham in the UK.

James still has involvement at the top levels of fencing in Britain; he was the Team Manager for Team GB Fencing at the 2005 World Student Games in Izmir, Turkey. James is responsible for Olympic Pathways and TASS program delivery, and is the Strength and Conditioning lead for GB Fencing. James coached at Sheffield Sword Club, where he was the principal coach until June 2010. James now coaches at City FC, MX Fencing and at Brentwood School.

Born in Overton, Hampshire, United Kingdom, the son of David Williams and Sarah Eliza, Williams graduated from Pembroke College, Oxford in 1851. He was ordained deacon in 1852 and received his ordination as a priest in 1855. Williams immigrated to Lower Canada in 1857 when he was appointed rector of the Lennoxville grammar school (Bishop's College School) and the chairman of former BCS sister school King's Hall Compton. In 1860, he was appointed a professor at Bishop's College, Lennoxville. In 1863, he was appointed fourth Bishop of Quebec. His son, Lennox, was later sixth Bishop of Quebec.

He participated vigorously in the development of the Protestant public school system in Québec 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.

Williams made a single first-class appearance for Glamorgan against the touring Australians in 1993, being dismissed in both innings by Merv Hughes.

In 1997, he played 2 Minor Counties Championship fixtures for Wales Minor Counties against Dorset and Berkshire. He also represented the team in the 1998 MCCA Knockout Trophy against the Warwickshire Cricket Board. He subsequently returned to Glamorgan, where he became the county's youth coach.

James Williams was born in Prince George's County, Maryland, and moved with his family to Mechanicsburg, Champaign County, Ohio in 1831. He was educated, studied medicine, and was admitted to practice in 1843. In 1849, he caught Gold Fever, and went to California.

When Williams returned to Champaign County in 1851, he was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives for the 50th General Assembly in 1852–1853.

In 1856, Williams went to the State Capitol in Columbus with Ohio State Auditor Francis M. Wright, and served for sixteen years as clerk, chief clerk and deputy in the office. He was elected as State Auditor in 1871 and re-elected in 1875, serving eight years.

Williams died at his home in Mechanicsburg in November, 1892. He was married to Sarah Staley of Champaign County in 1848.

Williams also helped organize and was the initial commander of the 1st Kansas Colored Infantry Regiment, the first unit of USCT soldiers to see combat. Following the war, Williams remained a soldier until resigning in 1871 to become a rancher, then re-entered the service briefly about twenty years later, and afterwards became a merchant.