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This portrait-style monument is typical of late 16th-century brasses which attempted to provide a realistic presentation of the deceased. While Roger James is shown praying, the accompanying inscription does not request prayers from the living (“Here under lieth ye bodye of Roger James late of london Brewer whoe beinge of the age of three skore and seven departed this lyfe the second daye of March in the yeare of our Lorde one thowsand five hundred foure skore and Eleaven leavinge behind him Sara his wyfe eight sonnes and one daughter”). The move away from intercessory prayer reflects the Protestant ideal that one should develop a more personal relationship with Christ. This relationship was particularly expected of the male head of the household.
The individualized relationship with Christ may have influenced the realistic style of portraiture we find in monuments during the Reformation period. Commissioners of tombs became more concerned with celebrating the life of the individual, including his or her earthly achievements and social status, than with a collective effort to bless the soul of the deceased. The inclusion of the shield for the Worshipful Company of London Brewers suggests contemporaries valued James most highly as an influential businessman. The status of Roger James, a Flemish immigrant, as a successful merchant is confirmed by his ruff and fur-trimmed gown.