Born on January 17th, 1817, and after being privately educated was apprenticed to Dr Pye Smith, father of Dr Philip Henry Pye Smith, of Guy's. He entered at Guy's Hospital as a student in 1838 and was dresser to Aston Key. James Oldham, though not strong either in frame or in health, was able throughout a long life to keep up probably one of the largest private practices in the country (1842-1880). He was an ideal general practitioner, and was a generous benefactor of his neighbourhood, spending much of his fortune in charity. He bought and maintained a coffee-house tavern, and almost entirely supported St Christopher's Home for Sick Children at Haywards Heath, besides contributing liberally to the church and schools of the town. He was at one time President of the Brighton and Hove Medico-Chirurgical Society, and at the time of his death was Consulting Surgeon to the Brighton and Hove Lying-in Hospital. He died on December 26th, 1881, after a long and tedious illness, at his country residence, Haywards Heath, an estate to which he had retired in 1880. By his marriage with Anna, second daughter of Thomas Brame Oldfield, of Champion Hill, Surrey, he had issue three sons and two daughters, who survived him. Charles James Oldham (qv) was in partnership with him, his son's Brighton address being 1 Brunswick Terrace.