James I of England

King James I (lived 1566 to 1625) became king of England after his cousin, Queen Elizabeth I died in 1603. Formally known as James Stuart, he had previously been the king of Scotland as James VI.

Unlike Elizabeth, James fought with Parliament frequently. As a staunch Protestant, he introduced a number of severe laws against Catholics, which was a major factor behind the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 led by Guy Fawkes.

He also commissioned and paid for a new translation of the Bible that became known as the King James Version, which has been profoundly influential ever since. He is also known to have spoken with a speech impediment that caused his words to slur. He never had a bath during his entire reign, and at the very most would moisten the tips of his fingers in a bowl of water. He also ran up huge debts which were left to his son to sort out (unsuccessfully). On receipt of a suitable payment, he granted permission to the English Puritans to found a colony in America, and granted similar pernissions to tobacco companies in a different part of America. Upon his death, his son Charles I ascended to the Throne.