Sir James Napier Tidmarsh KCVO MBE (born 15 September 1932) was the Lord Lieutenant of Bristol from 1996 until 2007.
Educated at Taunton School, Sir James Tidmarsh spent most of his working life in the manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.Originally a shoe maker, in 1972 he set up his owncompany manufacturing specialised flooring for the electronics industry.The product sold all over the world, 75% of the company's output being exported;for services to export he received the M.B.E. in 1989.
He became Lord Lieutenant of Bristol in 1996 having been the High Sheriff of Avon in the preceding year.He was Master of the Merchant Venturers in 1994-95. He was a founder director of GWR Radio plc and is a director of Business West.He is Chairman of SouthWest One and Pro-Chancellor of the University of Bristol.Married with two sons, he is a Trustee of several charitable trusts.He has received Honorary Degrees (Doctorates) from both the University of Bristol and UWE.