James Sharples was born in
Liverpool on 19 October 1797, the son of Thomas and Elizabeth Sharples. He began training for the
priesthood at
Ushaw College in
County Durham on 27 January 1809. James left Ushaw on 21 September 1818, and continued with his studies at the
English College, Rome, arriving there on 18 December 1818. He became a distinguished student, winning prizes in
Theology and
Hebrew. While at the English College, he was
ordained a
subdeacon on 21 December 1822, a
deacon on 20 May 1823, and a
priest on 30 November 1823. He left Rome in July 1824 to join the
mission in the north of England. At first he took temporary appointments at
Lea and
Kirkham before taking charge of the mission of St Alban's in
Blackburn. He caused controversy when he placed a brass plaque with the word "Rectory" at the entrance of the clergy house in Blackburn, which offended
Anglicans and lead to questions being asked in
Parliament. However, the brass plaque remained for over a hundred years. After fourteen years at Blackburn, he was appointed to St Marie's Church,
Sheffield in 1839, which later became the
Cathedral Church of St Marie for the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Hallam. ==Episcopal career==