 James the Deacon ( Latin : Iacomus Diaconus ; died after 671 ) was a Roman deacon who accompanied Paulinus of York on his mission to Northumbria . He was a member of the Gregorian mission which came to England to Christianize the Anglo @-@ Saxons from their native Anglo @-@ Saxon paganism , although when he arrived in England is unknown . After Paulinus left Northumbria , James stayed near Lincoln and continued his missionary efforts , dying sometime after 671 according to the medieval chronicler Bede . 
