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John Winthrop

John Winthrop (January 12, 1588 – March 26, 1649) was an English Puritan lawyer and a leading figure in the founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the second major settlement in New England following Plymouth Colony. Winthrop led the first large wave of colonists from England in 1630 and served as governor for 12 of the colony's first 20 years. His writings and vision of the colony as a Puritan "city upon a hill" dominated New England colonial development, influencing the governments and religions of neighboring colonies in addition to those of Massachusetts.

Winthrop was born into a wealthy land-owning and merchant family. He trained in the law and became Lord of the Manor at Groton in Suffolk, England. He was not involved in founding the Massachusetts Bay Company in 1628, but he became involved in 1629 when anti-Puritan King Charles I began a crackdown on Nonconformist religious thought. In October 1629, he was elected governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and he led a group of colonists to the New World in April 1630, founding a number of communities on the shores of Massachusetts Bay and the Charles River.

Between 1629 and his death in 1649, he served 18 annual terms as governor or lieutenant-governor and was a force of comparative moderation in the religiously conservative colony, clashing with the more conservative Thomas Dudley and the more liberal Roger Williams and Henry Vane. Winthrop was a respected political figure, and his attitude toward governance seems authoritarian to modern sensibilities. He resisted attempts to widen voting and other civil rights beyond a narrow class of religiously approved individuals, opposed attempts to codify a body of laws that the colonial magistrates would be bound by, and also opposed unconstrained democracy, calling it "the meanest and worst of all forms of government". The authoritarian and religiously conservative nature of Massachusetts rule was influential in the formation of neighboring colonies, which were formed in some instances by individuals and groups opposed to the rule of the Massachusetts elders.

Winthrop's son John was one of the founders of the Connecticut Colony, and Winthrop himself wrote one of the leading historical accounts of the early colonial period. His long list of descendants includes famous Americans, and his writings continue to influence politicians today.

Life in England
John Winthrop was born on January 12, 1587/8 to Adam and Anne (née Browne) Winthrop in Edwardstone, Suffolk, England. His birth was recorded in the parish register at Groton. His father's family had been successful in the textile business, and his father was a lawyer and prosperous landowner with several properties in Suffolk. His mother's family was also well-to-do, with properties in Suffolk and Essex. When Winthrop was young, his father became a director at Trinity College, Cambridge. Winthrop's uncle John (Adam's brother) immigrated to Ireland, and the Winthrop family took up residence at Groton Manor.

Winthrop was first tutored at home by John Chaplin and was assumed to have attended grammar school at Bury St. Edmunds. He was also regularly exposed to religious discussions between his father and clergymen, and thus came to a deep understanding of theology at an early age. He was admitted to Trinity College in December 1602, matriculating at the university a few months later. Among the students with whom he would have interacted were John Cotton and John Wheelwright, two men who also had important roles in New England. He was a close childhood and university friend of William Spring, later a Puritan Member of Parliament with whom he corresponded for the rest of his life. The teenage Winthrop admitted in his diary of the time to "lusts ... so masterly as no good could fasten upon me." Biographer Francis Bremer suggests that Winthrop's need to control his baser impulses may have prompted him to leave school early and marry at an unusually early age.

In 1604, Winthrop journeyed to Great Stambridge in Essex with a friend. They stayed at the home of a family friend, and Winthrop was favorably impressed with their daughter Mary Forth. He left Trinity College to marry her on April 16, 1605, at Great Stambridge. Mary bore him five children, of whom only three survived to adulthood. The oldest of their children was John Winthrop the Younger, who became a governor and magistrate of Connecticut Colony. Their last two children, both girls, died not long after birth, and Mary died in 1615 from complications of the last birth. The couple spent most of their time at Great Stambridge, living on the Forth estate. In 1613, Adam Winthrop transferred the family holdings in Groton to Winthrop, who then became Lord of the Manor at Groton.

Lord of the Manor
As lord of the manor, Winthrop was deeply involved in the management of the estate, overseeing the agricultural activities and the manor house. He eventually followed his father in practicing law in London, which would have brought him into contact with the city's business elite. He was also appointed to the county commission of the peace, a position that gave him a wider exposure among other lawyers and landowners and a platform to advance what he saw as God's kingdom. The commission's responsibilities included overseeing countywide issues, including road and bridge maintenance and the issuance of licenses. Some of its members were also empowered to act as local judges for minor offenses, although Winthrop was only able to exercise this authority in cases affecting his estate. The full commission met quarterly, and Winthrop forged a number of important connections through its activities. Winthrop documented his religious life, keeping a journal beginning 1605 in which he described his religious experiences and feelings. In it, he described his failures to keep "divers vows" and sought to reform his failings by God's grace, praying that God would "give me a new heart, joy in his spirit; that he would dwell with me". He was somewhat distressed that his wife did not share the intensity of his religious feelings, but he eventually observed that "she proved after a right godly woman." He was more intensely religious than his father, whose diaries dealt almost exclusively with secular matters.

His wife Mary died in 1615, and he followed the custom of the time by marrying Thomasine Clopton soon after on December 6, 1615. She was more pious than Mary had been; Winthrop wrote that she was "truly religious & industrious therein". Thomasine died on December 8, 1616, from complications of childbirth; the child did not survive.

In approximately 1613 (records indicate that it may have been earlier), Winthrop was enrolled at Gray's Inn. There he read the law but did not advance to the Bar. His legal connections introduced him to the Tyndal family of Great Maplestead, Essex, and he began courting Margaret Tyndal in 1617, the daughter of chancery judge Sir John Tyndal and his wife Anne Egerton, sister of Puritan preacher Stephen Egerton. Her family was initially opposed to the match on financial grounds; Winthrop countered by appealing to piety as a virtue which more than compensated for his modest income. The couple were married on April 29, 1618, at Great Maplestead. They continued to live at Groton, although Winthrop necessarily divided his time between Groton and London, where he eventually acquired a highly desirable post in the Court of Wards and Liveries. His eldest son John sometimes assisted Margaret with the management of the estate while he was away.

Decision to begin voyage and settlement in the American colonies
In the mid- to late-1620s, the religious atmosphere in England began to look bleak for Puritans and other groups whose adherents believed that the English Reformation was in danger. King Charles I had ascended the throne in 1625, and he had married a Roman Catholic. Charles was opposed to all manner of recusants and supported the Church of England in its efforts against religious groups such as the Puritans that did not adhere fully to its teachings and practices. This atmosphere of intolerance led Puritan religious and business leaders to consider emigration to the New World as a viable means to escape persecution.

The first successful religious colonization of the New World occurred in 1620 with the establishment of the Plymouth Colony on the shores of Cape Cod Bay. Pastor John White led a short-lived effort to establish a colony at Cape Ann in 1624, also on the Massachusetts coast. In 1628, some of the investors in that effort joined with new investors to acquire a land grant for the territory roughly between the Charles and Merrimack Rivers. It was first styled the New England Company, then renamed the Massachusetts Bay Company in 1629 after it acquired a royal charter granting it permission to govern the territory. Shortly after acquiring the land grant in 1628, it sent a small group of settlers led by John Endecott to prepare the way for further migration. John Winthrop was apparently not involved in any of these early activities, which primarily involved individuals from Lincolnshire; however, he was probably aware of the company's activities and plans by early 1629. The exact connection is uncertain by which he became involved with the company because there were many indirect connections between him and individuals associated with the company. Winthrop was also aware of attempts to colonize other places; his son Henry became involved in efforts to settle Barbados in 1626, which Winthrop financially supported for a time.

In March 1629, King Charles dissolved Parliament, beginning eleven years of rule without Parliament. This action apparently raised new concerns among the company's principals; in their July meeting, Governor Matthew Cradock proposed that the company reorganize itself and transport its charter and governance to the colony. It also worried Winthrop, who lost his position in the Court of Wards and Liveries in the crackdown on Puritans that followed the dissolution of Parliament. He wrote, "If the Lord seeth it wilbe good for us, he will provide a shelter & a hidinge place for us and others". During the following months, he became more involved with the company, meeting with others in Lincolnshire. By early August, he had emerged as a significant proponent of emigration, and he circulated a paper on August 12 providing eight separate reasons in favor of emigration. His name appears in formal connection with the company on the Cambridge Agreement signed August 26; this document provided means for emigrating shareholders to buy out non-emigrating shareholders of the company.

The company shareholders met on October 20 to enact the changes agreed to in August. Governor Cradock was not emigrating and a new governor needed to be chosen. Winthrop was seen as the most dedicated of the three candidates proposed to replace Cradock, and he won the election. The other two were Richard Saltonstall and John Humphrey; they had many other interests, and their dedication to settling in Massachusetts was viewed as uncertain. Humphrey was chosen as deputy governor, a post that he relinquished the following year when he decided to delay his emigration. Winthrop and other company officials then began the process of arranging a transport fleet and supplies for the migration. He also worked to recruit individuals with special skills that the new colony would require, including pastors to see to the colony's spiritual needs.

It was unclear to Winthrop when his wife would come over; she was due to give birth in April 1630, near the fleet's departure time. They consequently decided that she would not come over until a later time, and it was not until 1631 that the couple were reunited in the New World. To maintain some connection with his wife during their separation, the couple agreed to think of each other between the hours of 5 and 6 in the evening each Monday and Friday. Winthrop also worked to convince his grown children to join the migration; John, Jr. and Henry both decided to do so, but only Henry sailed in the 1630 fleet. By April 1630, Winthrop had put most of his affairs in order, although Groton Manor had not yet been sold because of a long-running title dispute. The legal dispute was only resolved after his departure, and the property's sale was finalized by Margaret before she and John, Jr. left for the colony.

Coat of arms

John Winthrop used a coat of arms that was reportedly confirmed to his paternal uncle by the College of Arms, London in 1592. It was also used by his sons. These arms appear on his tombstone in the King's Chapel Burying Ground. It is also the coat of arms for Winthrop House at Harvard University and is displayed on the 1675 house of his youngest son Deane Winthrop at the Deane Winthrop House. The heraldic blazon of arms is Argent three chevronels Gules overall a lion rampant Sable.

Arrival
On April 8, 1630, four ships left the Isle of Wight carrying Winthrop and other leaders of the colony. Winthrop sailed on the Arbella, accompanied by his two young sons Samuel and Stephen. The ships were part of a larger fleet totalling 11 ships that carried about 700 migrants to the colony. Winthrop's son Henry Winthrop missed the Arbella sailing and ended up on the Talbot, which also sailed from Wight. A sermon titled "A Modell of Christian Charitie", delivered either before or during the crossing, has historically been attributed to Winthrop, but the sermon's authorship is disputed; John Wilson or George Phillips, two ministers who sailed with the Arbella, may have authored the sermon.

"A Modell of Christian Charitie" described the ideas and plans to keep the Puritan society strong in faith, while also comparing the struggles that they would have to overcome in the New World with the story of Exodus. The sermon used the now-famous phrase "City upon a Hill" to describe the ideals to which the colonists should strive, and that consequently "the eyes of all people are upon us." The sermon also said, "In all times some must be rich some poore, some highe and eminent in power and dignitie; others meane and in subjection"; that is, all societies include some who are rich and successful and others who are poor and subservient—and both groups were equally important to the colony because both groups were members to the same community.

The fleet arrived at Salem in June and was welcomed by John Endecott. Winthrop and his deputy Thomas Dudley found the Salem area inadequate for a settlement suitable for all of the arriving colonists, and they embarked on surveying expeditions of the area. They first decided to base the colony at Charlestown, but a lack of good water there prompted them to move to the Shawmut Peninsula where they founded what is now the city of Boston. The season was relatively late, and the colonists decided to establish dispersed settlements along the coast and the banks of the Charles River in order to avoid presenting a single point that hostile forces might attack. These settlements became Boston, Cambridge, Roxbury, Dorchester, Watertown, Medford, and Charlestown.

The colony struggled with disease in its early months, losing as many as 200 people to a variety of causes in 1630, including Winthrop's son Henry, and about 80 others who returned to England in the spring due to these conditions. Winthrop set an example to the other colonists by working side by side with servants and laborers in the work of the colony. According to one report, he "fell to work with his own hands, and thereby so encouraged the rest that there was not an idle person to be found in the whole plantation."

Winthrop built his house in Boston where he also had a relatively spacious plot of arable land. In 1631, he was granted a larger parcel of land on the banks of the Mystic River that he called Ten Hills Farm. On the other side of the Mystic was the shipyard owned in absentia by Matthew Cradock, where one of the colony's first boats was built, Winthrop's Blessing of the Bay. Winthrop operated her as a trading and packet ship up and down the coast of New England.

The issue of where to locate the colony's capital caused the first in a series of rifts between Winthrop and Dudley. Dudley had constructed his home at Newtown (present-day Harvard Square, Cambridge) after the council had agreed that the capital would be established there. However, Winthrop decided instead to build his home in Boston when asked by its residents to stay there. This upset Dudley, and their relationship worsened when Winthrop criticized Dudley for what he perceived as excessive decorative woodwork in his house. However, they seemed to reconcile after their children were married. Winthrop recounts the two of them, each having been granted land near Concord, going to stake their claims. At the boundary between their lands, a pair of boulders were named the Two Brothers "in remembrance that they were brothers by their children's marriage". Dudley's lands became Bedford, and Winthrop's Billerica.

Colonial governance
The colony's charter called for a governor, deputy governor, and 18 assistant magistrates who served as a precursor to the idea of a Governor's Council. All these officers were to be elected annually by the freemen of the colony. The first meeting of the General Court consisted of exactly eight men. They decided that the governor and deputy should be elected by the assistants, in violation of the charter; under these rules, Winthrop was elected governor three times. The general court admitted a significant number of settlers, but also established a rule requiring all freemen to be local church members. The colony saw a large influx of immigrants in 1633 and 1634, following the appointment of strongly anti-Puritan William Laud as Archbishop of Canterbury.

When the 1634 election was set to take place, delegations of freemen sent by the towns insisted on seeing the charter, from which they learned that the colony's lawmaking authority, the election of governor, and the election of the deputy all rested with the freemen, not with the assistants. Winthrop acceded on the point of the elections, which were thereafter conducted by secret ballot by the freemen, but he also observed that lawmaking would be unwieldy if conducted by the relatively large number of freemen. A compromise was reached in which each town would select two delegates to send to the general court as representatives of its interests. In an ironic twist, Thomas Dudley, an opponent of popular election, won the 1634 election for governor, with Roger Ludlow as deputy. Winthrop graciously invited his fellow magistrates to dinner, as he had done after previous elections.

In the late 1630s, the seeming arbitrariness of judicial decisions led to calls for the creation of a body of laws that would bind the opinions of magistrates. Winthrop opposed these moves, and used his power to repeatedly stall and obstruct efforts to enact them. His opposition was rooted in a strong belief in the common law tradition and the desire, as a magistrate, to have flexibility in deciding cases on their unique circumstances. He also pointed out that adoption of written laws "repugnant to the laws of England" was not allowed in the charter, and that some of the laws to be adopted likely opposed English law. The Massachusetts Body of Liberties was formally adopted during Richard Bellingham's governorship in 1641. Some of the laws enacted in Massachusetts were cited as reasons for vacating the colonial charter in 1684.

In the 1640s, constitutional issues arose concerning the power of the magistrates and assistants. In a case involving an escaped pig, the assistants ruled in favor of a merchant who had allegedly taken a widow's errant animal. She appealed to the general court, which ruled in her favor. The assistants then asserted their right to veto the general court's decision, sparking the controversy. Winthrop argued that the assistants, as experienced magistrates, must be able to check the democratic institution of the general court, because "a democracy is, amongst most civil nations, accounted the meanest and worst of all forms of government."

Winthrop became the focus of allegations about the arbitrary rule of the magistrates in 1645, when John was formally charged with interfering with local decisions in a case involving the Hingham militia. The case centered around the disputed appointment of a new commander, and a panel of magistrates headed by Winthrop had several parties imprisoned on both sides of the dispute, pending a meeting of the court of assistants. Peter Hobart, the minister in Hingham and one of several Hobarts on one side of the dispute, vociferously questioned the authority of the magistrates and railed against Winthrop specifically for what he characterized as arbitrary and tyrannical actions. Winthrop defused the matter by stepping down from the bench to appear before it as a defendant. He successfully defended himself, pointing out that he had not acted alone, and also that judges are not usually criminally culpable for errors that they make on the bench. He also argued that the dispute in Hingham was serious enough that it required the intervention of the magistrates. Winthrop was acquitted and the complainants were fined.

One major issue that Winthrop was involved in occurred in 1647, when a petition was submitted to the general court concerning the limitation of voting rights to freemen who had been formally admitted to a local church. Winthrop and the other magistrates rejected the appeal that "civil liberty and freedom be forthwith granted to all truly English", and even fined and imprisoned the principal signers of the petition. William Vassal and Robert Child, two of the signatories, pursued complaints against the Massachusetts government in England over this and other issues.

Religious controversies
In 1634 and 1635, Winthrop served as an assistant, while the influx of settlers brought first John Haynes and then Henry Vane to the governorship. Haynes, Vane, Anne Hutchinson, and pastors Thomas Hooker and John Wheelwright all espoused religious or political views that were at odds with those of the earlier arrivals, including Winthrop. Hutchinson and Wheelwright subscribed to the Antinomian view that following religious laws was not required for salvation, while Winthrop and others believed in a more Legalist view. This religious rift is commonly called the Antinomian Controversy, and it significantly divided the colony; Winthrop saw the Antinomian beliefs as a particularly unpleasant and dangerous heresy. By December 1636, the dispute reached into colonial politics, and Winthrop attempted to bridge the divide between the two factions. He wrote an account of his religious awakening and other theological position papers designed to harmonize the opposing views. (It is not known how widely these documents circulated, and not all of them have survived.) In the 1637 election, Vane was turned out of all offices, and Dudley was elected governor.

Dudley's election did not immediately quell the controversy. First John Wheelwright and later Anne Hutchinson were put on trial, and both were banished from the colony. (Hutchinson and others founded the settlement of Portsmouth on Rhode Island; Wheelwright founded first Exeter, New Hampshire and then Wells, Maine in order to be free of Massachusetts rule.) Winthrop was active in arguing against their supporters, but Shepard criticized him for being too moderate, claiming that Winthrop should "make their wickedness and guile manifest to all men that they may go no farther and then will sink of themselves." Hooker and Haynes had left Massachusetts in 1636 and 1637 for new settlements on the Connecticut River (the nucleus of the Connecticut Colony); Vane left for England after the 1637 election, suggesting that he might seek a commission as a governor general to overturn the colonial government. (Vane never returned to the colony, and became an important figure in Parliament before and during the English Civil Wars; he was beheaded after the Restoration.)

In the aftermath of the 1637 election, the general court passed new rules on residency in the colony, forbidding anyone from housing newcomers for more than three weeks without approval from the magistrates. Winthrop vigorously defended this rule against protests, arguing that Massachusetts was within its rights to "refuse to receive such whose dispositions suit not with ours". Ironically, some of those who protested the policy had been in favor of banishing Roger Williams in 1635. Winthrop was then out of office, and he had a good relationship with Williams. The magistrates ordered Williams' arrest, but Winthrop warned him, making possible his flight which resulted in the establishment of Providence Plantations. Winthrop and Williams later had an epistolary relationship in which they discussed their religious differences.

Indian policy
Winthrop's attitude toward the local Indian populations was generally one of civility and diplomacy. He described an early meeting with one local chief:

"Chickatabot came with his [chiefs] and squaws, and presented the governor with a hogshead of Indian corn. After they had all dined, and had each a small cup of sack and beer, and the men tobacco, he sent away all his men and women (though the governor would have stayed them in regard of the rain and thunder.) Himself and one squaw and one [chief] stayed all night; and being in English clothes, the governor set him at his own table, where he behaved himself as soberly ... as an Englishman. The next day after dinner he returned home, the governor giving him cheese, and pease, and a mug, and other small things."

The colonists generally sought to acquire title to the lands that they occupied in the early years, although they also practiced a policy that historian Alfred Cave calls vacuum domicilium (empty of inhabitants): if land is not under some sort of active use, does not have fixed habitation, structures, or fences, it was considered to be free for the taking. This also meant that lands, which were only used seasonally by the Indians (e.g., for fishing or hunting) and were empty otherwise, could be claimed. According to Alfred Cave, Winthrop asserted that the rights of "more advanced" peoples superseded the rights of the Indians.

However, cultural differences and trade issues between the colonists and the Indians meant that clashes were inevitable, and the Pequot War was the first major conflict in which the colony engaged. Winthrop sat on the council which decided to send an expedition under John Endecott to raid Indian villages on Block Island in the war's first major action. Winthrop's communication with Williams encouraged Williams to convince the Narragansetts to side with the colonists against the Pequots, who were their traditional enemies. The war ended in 1637 with the destruction of the Pequots as a tribe, whose survivors were scattered into other tribes or shipped to the West Indies.

Slavery and the slave trade
In the aftermath of the Pequot War of 1636-38, many of the captured Pequots warriors were shipped to the West Indies as slaves. Winthrop kept one male and two female Pequots as slaves.

In 1641, the Massachusetts Body of Liberties was enacted, codifying rules about slavery, among many other things. Winthrop was a member of the committee which drafted the code, but his exact role is not known because records of the committee have not survived. C. S. Manegold writes that Winthrop was opposed to the Body of Liberties because he favored a common law approach to legislation.

Trade and diplomacy
Rising tensions in England culminated in a civil war and led to a significant reduction in the number of people and provisions arriving in the colonies. The colonists consequently began to expand trade and interaction with other colonies, non-English as well as English. This led to trading ventures with other Puritans on Barbados, a source of cotton, and with the neighboring French colony of Acadia.

French Acadia covered the eastern half of present-day Maine, as well as New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. It was embroiled in a minor civil war between competing administrators; English colonists began trading with Charles de Saint-Étienne de la Tour in 1642, and his opponent Charles de Menou d'Aulnay warned Boston traders away from de la Tour's territories. In June 1643, de la Tour came to Boston and requested military assistance against assaults by d'Aulnay. Governor Winthrop refused to provide official assistance, but allowed de la Tour to recruit volunteers from the colony for service.

This decision brought on a storm of criticism, principally from the magistrates of Essex County, which was geographically closest to the ongoing dispute. John Endecott was particularly critical, noting that Winthrop had given the French a chance to see the colonial defenses. The 1644 election became a referendum on Winthrop's policy, and he was turned out of office. The Acadian dispute was eventually resolved with d'Aulnay as the victor. In 1646, Winthrop was again in the governor's seat when d'Aulnay appeared in Boston and demanded reparations for damage done by the English volunteers. Winthrop placated the French governor with the gift of a sedan chair, originally given to him by an English privateer.

Property and family
In addition to his responsibilities in the colonial government, Winthrop was a significant property owner. He owned the Ten Hills Farm, as well as land that became the town of Billerica, Governors Island in Boston Harbor (now the site of Logan International Airport), and Prudence Island in Narragansett Bay. He also engaged in the fur trade in partnership with William Pynchon, using the ship Blessing of the Bay. Governors Island was named for him and remained in the Winthrop family until 1808, when it was purchased for the construction of Fort Winthrop.

The farm at Ten Hills suffered from poor oversight on Winthrop's part. The steward of the farm made questionable financial deals that caused a cash crisis for Winthrop. The colony insisted on paying him his salary (which he had refused to accept in the past) as well as his expenses while engaged in official duties. Private subscriptions to support him raised about £500 and the colony also granted his wife 3,000 acre of land.

His wife Margaret arrived on the second voyage of the Lyon in 1631, but their baby daughter Anne died during the crossing. Two more children were born to the Winthrops in New England before Margaret died on June 14, 1647. Winthrop married his fourth wife Martha Rainsborough some time after December 20, 1647, and before the birth of their only child in 1648. She was the widow of Thomas Coytmore and sister of Thomas and William Rainborowe. Winthrop died of natural causes on March 26, 1649, and is buried in what is now called the King's Chapel Burying Ground in Boston. He was survived by his wife Martha and five sons.

Writings and legacy
Winthrop rarely published and his literary contribution was relatively unappreciated during his time, yet he spent his life continually producing written accounts of historical events and religious manifestations. His major contributions to the literary world was The History of New England (1630–1649, also known as The Journal of John Winthrop), which remained unpublished until the late 18th century.

The History of New England
Winthrop kept a journal of his life and experiences, starting with the voyage across the Atlantic and continuing through his time in Massachusetts, originally written in three notebooks. His account has been acknowledged as the "central source for the history of Massachusetts in the 1630s and 1640s". The first two notebooks were published in 1790 by Noah Webster. The third notebook was long thought lost but was rediscovered in 1816, and the complete journals were published in 1825 and 1826 by James Savage as ''The History of New England from 1630 to 1649. By John Winthrop, Esq. First Governor of the Colony of the Massachusetts Bay. From his Original Manuscripts''. The second notebook was destroyed in a fire at Savage's office in 1825; the other two volumes now belong to the Massachusetts Historical Society. Richard Dunn and Laetitia Yeandle produced a modern transcription of the diaries in 1996, combining new analysis of the surviving volumes and Savage's transcription of the second notebook.

The journal began as a nearly day-to-day recounting of the ocean crossing. As time progressed, he made entries less frequently and wrote at a greater length so that, by the 1640s, the work began to take the shape of a history. Winthrop wrote primarily of his private accounts: his journey from England, the arrival of his wife and children to the colony in 1631, and the birth of his son in 1632. He also wrote profound insights into the nature of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and nearly all important events of the day. The majority of his early journal entries were not intended to be literary, but merely observations of early New England life. Gradually, the focus of his writings shifted from his personal observations to broader spiritual ideologies and behind-the-scenes views of political matters.

Other works
Winthrop's earliest publication was likely The Humble Request of His Majesties Loyal Subjects (London, 1630), which defended the emigrants' physical separation from England and reaffirmed their loyalty to the Crown and Church of England. This work was republished by Joshua Scottow in the 1696 compilation MASSACHUSETTS: or The first Planters of New-England, The End and Manner of their coming thither, and Abode there: In several EPISTLES.

In addition to his more famous works, Winthrop produced a number of writings, both published and unpublished. While living in England, he articulated his belief "in the validity of experience" in a private religious journal known as his Experiencia. He wrote in this journal intermittently between 1607 and 1637 as a sort of confessional, very different in tone and style from the Journal. Later in his life, he wrote A Short Story of the rise, reign, and ruine of the Antinomians, Familists and Libertines, that Infected the Churches of New England which described the Antinomian controversy surrounding Anne Hutchinson and other in 1636 and 1637. The work was first published in London in 1644. At the time of its publication, there was much discussion about the nature of church governance, and the Westminster Assembly of Divines had recently begun to meet. The evidence which it presented was seen by supporters of Congregationalism as proving the book's worth, and by opponents as proving its failings. In some of its editions, it was adapted by opponents of Henry Vane, who had become a leading Independent political leader in the discussion. Vane's opponents sought to "tie Toleration round the neck of Independency, stuff the two struggling monsters into one sack, and sink them to the bottom of the sea."

According to biographer Francis Bremer, Winthrop's writings echoed those of other Puritans which "were efforts both to discern the divine pattern in events and to justify the role [which] New Englanders believed themselves called to play."

Legacy
Winthrop was historically credited for writing "A Modell of Christian Charitie" and its reference to a "city upon a hill", imagery that became an enduring symbol in American political discourse. Many American politicians have cited him in their writings or speeches, going back to revolutionary times. Winthrop's reputation suffered in the late 19th and early 20th century, when critics pointed out the negative aspects of Puritan rule, including Nathaniel Hawthorne and H. L. Mencken, and leading to modern assessments of him as a "lost Founding Father". Political scientist Matthew Holland argues that Winthrop "is at once a significant founding father of America's best and worst impulses", with his calls for charity and public participation offset by what Holland views as rigid intolerance, exclusionism, and judgmentalism.

Winthrop gave a speech to the General Court in July 1645, stating that there are two kinds of liberty: natural liberty to do as one wished, "evil as well as good," a liberty that he believed should be restrained; and civil liberty to do good. Winthrop strongly believed that civil liberty was "the proper end and object of authority", meaning that it was the duty of the government to be selfless for the people and promote justice instead of promoting the general welfare. He supported this point of view by his actions, such as when he passed laws requiring the heads of households to make sure that their children and servants received proper education, and for support of teachers from public funds. Winthrop's actions were for the unity of the colony because he believed that nothing was more crucial of a colony than working as a single unit that wouldn't be split by any force, such as with the case of Anne Hutchinson. He was a leader respected by many, even Richard Dummer, a principal Hutchinsonian disarmed for his activities, who gave 100 pounds to him.

Many modern politicians's speeches refer to writings attributed to Winthrop, such as those of John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, Michael Dukakis, and Sarah Palin. Reagan described Winthrop as "an early 'Freedom Man'" who came to America "looking for a home that would be free."

Winthrop is a major character in Catharine Sedgwick's 1827 novel Hope Leslie, set in colonial Massachusetts. He also makes a brief appearance in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter in the chapter entitled "The Minister's Vigil."

Winthrop's descendants number thousands today. His son John was the first governor of the Saybrook Colony, and later generations of his family continued to play an active role in New England politics well into the 19th century. Twentieth century descendants include former US Senator from Massachusetts and former Secretary of State John Kerry, educator Charles William Eliot, and Downton Abbey creator, Julian Fellowes. The towns of Winthrop, Massachusetts, and Winthrop, Maine, are named in his honor. Winthrop House at Harvard University and Winthrop Hall at Bowdoin College are named in honor of him and of his descendant John Winthrop, who briefly served as President of Harvard.

He is also the namesake of squares in Boston (downtown and in Charlestown), Cambridge, and Brookline. The Winthrop Building on Water Street in Boston was built on the site of one of his homes and is one of the city's first skyscrapers. NYU Langone Hospital in Mineola, New York was named Winthrop Hospital since 1986 named for Winthrop's descendant, Robert Winthrop, a retired investment banker, and long time patron and volunteer of the hospital.

A statue of Winthrop by Richard Greenough is one of Massachusetts' two statues in the National Statuary Hall Collection, Capitol in Washington D.C.

Not long after the death and funeral of Winthrop, early American poet Benjamin Tompson wrote a Funeral Tribute in Winthrop's honor, which appeared in his work, New-Englands Tears, in 1676. The Tribute was also printed as a broadsheet and circulated in Boston that same year.

title: John Winthrop


text:
Talk:John Smith (explorer)

Copyright date and POV
I assume something with a copyright date of 1899 is eligible to be included here? Still there's a lot of POV here and not much meat. -- Zoe — Preceding undated comment added 00:06, 31 December 2002 (UTC)

 * Anything pre-1923 is in the Public Domain in the U.S. so this qualifies. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 207.172.11.147 (talk) 00:31, 31 December 2002 (UTC)

The POV-ness is due largely to the fact that the source seems to take Smith's memoirs at face value, whereas they are today believed to biggest source of baloney outside the Italian peninsula. -Smack 06:00 14 Jul 2003 (UTC)

 * "This dropping of historical context and fact dishonours those heroes among the European expedition. It dishonours Pocahontas. And worse, it abuses the modern child's potential for understanding the growing pains of Western Culture and the founding of America."
 * Uhh...thats very NPOV if I do say so myself. I'm deleting it.
 * -Mr. Tachyon — Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.78.4.225 (talk) 07:48, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

Age of Pocahontas
Just wanted to point out that in the Pocahontas definition she was 13 when she saved John Smith, and in this definition she was 11. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Soopah (talk • contribs) 18:19, 24 July 2005 (UTC)

Birth and death dates
An anonymous IP was curious about Smith's birth date, apparently not noting that the years of birth and death were right after his name. I have removed their ALL CAPS COMMENT from the middle of the article, which is hopefully not a tact they will regularly follow. - DavidWBrooks 20:13, 3 November 2005 (UTC)

The currently shown death date for Smith is both wrong and inconsistent with the balance of the article, and while I am no historian, a number of internal dates in the article also do not match my history-class memory of events. Doc W 14:01, 14 October 2007 (UTC)

Proposed merger
I support this, although I don't see a great deal to salvage in John Smith (statesman). The Singing Badger 01:32, 4 January 2006 (UTC)

John Smith in film
What's up with this section? For a man who's been a character in American history and lore for nigh 400 years, that's a lot of space spent on a minor Disney film and its direct-to-video sequel. In addition it does not present a NPOV. -Acjelen 03:42, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

 * Quite correct. I've trimmed it. - DavidWBrooks 11:23, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

"Smith fathered Pocahontas bastered son."
Huh? "Smith fathered Pocahontas bastered son." There is no evidence or citation to support this statement. I suggest this statement be removed until it is substantiated with facts. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 66.25.168.154 (talk) 21:42, 5 May 2007 (UTC).

 * So, I've been able to find two (rather lousy) references to this: one in an NY Times article and another in a book by Jyotsna Kapur called "Coining for Capital: Movies, Marketing and the Transformation of Childhood." And each of these refers to an educator from Seattle named Robert Eaglestaff, who apparently did an interview with the Chicago Tribune back when Disney's 'Pocahontas' came out. I couldn't find the original interview (cited in Kapur's book), but the Times may be referring to it when it says: "Mr. Eaglestaff pointed to an account of the relationship between Smith and Pocahontas, said to be in Smith's diaries, in which Smith raped and impregnated Pocahontas." Now if that were in Smith's diaries it seems likely that it would be more widely reported. Eaglestaff (or the reporter) may have been thinking of the oral tradition to which the Wikipedia article on Pocahontas refers, referring to Linwood Custalow: "Linwood "Little Bear" Custalow, in a 2007 book, asserted that Pocahontas was raped during [her captivity at Henricus], citing oral tradition handed down over four centuries."......Perhaps, if someone is interested in pursuing this, they could try to track down the Chicago Tribune interview referenced in Kapur's book. If there's anything to substantiate it, or if the myth is so widespread that it's worth debunking the popular misconception, then it might be worth including a section in the article. At this point, though, I don't see any real evidence to support it. NY Times: Coming to Classrooms, the Real Pocahontas Story Jyotsna Kapur, 'Coining for Capital' — Preceding unsigned comment added by Brijohn6882 (talk • contribs) 21:53, 14 March 2015 (UTC)

Water Trail
Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail should be included in the article. — Preceding unsigned comment added by WillC (talk • contribs) 13:46, 17 June 2007 (UTC)

US or UK spelling?
Recently, changed the spelling in Christopher Newport, John Smith of Jamestown and John Rolfe from US to UK English. I've started a discussion on what national variety of English these articles should use at Talk:Christopher Newport. Anyone who has an opinion is invited to join and help us work towards a consensus. —Josiah Rowe (talk • contribs) 19:30, 14 August 2007 (UTC)

 * The article currently carries a "Use British English" but if this article started as US English, then per WP:RETAIN it should revert to it. The question is does MOS:TIES say this has a weak affinity for Britain, or is it also strong, as it does have a strong affinity for the U.S. -- 67.70.32.190 (talk) 05:24, 31 August 2015 (UTC)

Daily Press
This article was on the front cover of my newspaper Daily Press. It said students at school copy the text and use it on reports and stuff. That's not good Ryan Holloway 18:14, 23 October 2007 (UTC)

Baptism Date
The consensus seems to be 9 January rather than 6 January, but what do we make of the discrepancy between 1579 and 1580? - JackofOz (talk) 03:02, 7 January 2008 (UTC)
 * This and others say it happened on 9 January 1579.
 * this, this and this say it happened on 9 January 1580.
 * this says it happened on 6 January 1580.

 * google on "john smith" born 1579, and "john smith" born 1580. You'll note that some comment that their sources state that it's around the end of 1579/beginning of 1580.  Others just say 1579/1580.  Baptism date is near birth date, but not the same (depending on circumstances, may be a few weeks later).  The UNC page seems to have some reliable sources; the Britannia is least reliable.  None of them are primary sources, but you might be able to find a reliable source quoting the baptism date using the hints that you've found so far. Tedickey (talk) 20:21, 7 January 2008 (UTC)

 * post-mortem on the date. I don't see any discussion of date. FYI date discussions of persons who lived in times more remote from the present are not only perfectly legitimate but are often expected. Not to include them is often totally bad form. We can't always know when things happened in history. Often there are different theories. If it is relevant WP should not seek to simplify to one date, it should present the theories. But here, we have a problem. The editors want to use the usual web sites as sources. They think way too much of web sites! Typically they only repeated what someone else said on another web site and that derives ultimately from someone's off the cuff simplification or invention. WP offers the opportunity for the ordinary man to do historian's work. This means you have to come UP to it; it isn't easy work. There are no easy answers; if there were, we wouldn't need historians, we could just settle for whichever of the reams of mythological bunk tickles our fancy. You have to find scholarly discussions of the date in credible sources. It is both a lot of work and a lot of fun. The world is not or should not be interested in convenient myths just so it won't be troubled by any non-convenience in WP articles. Become historians, and have fun doing it.Dave (talk) 10:12, 8 July 2010 (UTC)

 * The gap is still too wide, but is the editor (or sources) mixing OS and NS dates here? Mugginsx (talk) 14:06, 21 June 2012 (UTC)

Cpt Smith & Pocahontas
Thay both present in pop culture than just the movie. For example Presley's song Fever which is few years older that the Disney movie (and more popular among adults :> ) Mar1u5z (talk) 08:36, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

POV
"Henry Brooks Adams, the pre-eminent Harvard historian of the second half of the 19th century, attempted to debunk Smith’s claims of heroism. He said that Smith’s recounting of the story of Pocahontas had been progressively embellished, made up of “falsehoods of an effrontery seldom equalled in modern times.” Although there is general consensus among historians that Smith tended to exaggerate, his account does seem to be consistent with the basic facts of his life. Adams' attack on Smith, an attempt to deface one of the icons of Southern history, was motivated by political considerations in the wake of the Civil War. Adams had been influenced to write his fusillade against Smith by John G. Palfrey who was promoting New England colonization, as opposed to southern settlement, as the founding of America."

This is all very biased without any attempt at documentation. Who claims it was politically motivated? Can we have a source? Who claims that his account is consistent with his life? This is all unsuitable as is. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 138.253.235.141 (talk) 13:18, 28 January 2009 (UTC)

 * The Jill Lepore article states that Adams and others were interested in promoting New England as the birthplace of America. That's a bit short of what this article claims, so someone who can access the article should go see what exactly it supports (http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2007/04/02/070402fa_fact_lepore). JustinBlank (talk) 22:02, 13 December 2012 (UTC)

Suggestions

 * In the notes the same book is repeated many times with different page numbers. One way in which WP handles this is as follows: a separate bibiography that uses template:cite book. One parameter in the list is "ref=CITEREFauthoryear". In the note you use template:harvnb with a a parameter "p=" or "pp=" for page or pages. The result is a brief 3-or-4-word note that gives the page number and links you to the full bibliographic item below.
 * The style. Too many editorial insertions. It reads like an essay. I would have to say, this is not yet WP style. For example, the incident with the Indian maiden is not "infamous." Leave out words such as these. Also, that is an interesting theoretical explanation of the incident but it is presented as fact when in fact it is only a theory. You need to state whose theory it is. In such cases one would state the source of the story and then give the theories explaining it; that is, to distinguish between the historical evidence and the historian's theory about it. The editor tries not to take a stand himself. This is not always easy, no one said it was. Currently I'd have to rate this article B or below. Have fun.Dave (talk) 09:48, 8 July 2010 (UTC)

 * More than that - the article relies far to heavily on LeMay et al. Rich Farmbrough, 10:11, 14 July 2010 (UTC).

This article is written in terrible English and is rife with incomplete sentences and, frankly, sentences that make little to no sense. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 88.250.85.65 (talk) 16:24, 19 June 2012 (UTC)

Should executions be included?
Over at the History.com is a video titled Death at Jamestown which can be seen here. As most know, History.com is a considerably reliable source when it comes to actual history and not reality programming. What surprised me was the claim made at about 0:30 and to quote it, "John Smith finally took over the colony, imposed martial law and executed people who wouldn't work." Actually there were a couple of surprises, but this is the only one directly related to John Smith. Now to be fair, I cannot find another reference which lays claim to Smith's ordered executions. This doesn't mean that other sources do not exist. My feeling is that if the claim is true (and not a stretch or twist of the fact that Smith ordered those not working to not eat), it most definitely needs to be documented in the article. I also feel a second source is in order since it appears to be so rare. Any thoughts on the subject? Is one source enough? MagnoliaSouth (talk) 19:27, 19 April 2011 (UTC)

 * Given the context (an offhand remark by a narrator), additional sources are needed TEDickey (talk) 21:54, 19 April 2011 (UTC)

Not knighted
The abstract mentions that Capt. Smith was knighted. To the best of my knowledge, as of 2006, he had not been (Google: Knighthood sought for Capt. John Smith) 2ndCharter (talk) 21:07, 1 February 2012 (UTC)

What on earth has Captain John Smith got to do with Kings Lynn
Is it me or are you having a laugh? Are you thinking of the Rolfes at Heacham perchance?Greenpenwriter (talk) 23:30, 3 March 2012 (UTC)

 * This kind of remark in unhelpful and is borderline malicious to a possibly new or newish editor. A simple critical statement using wiki guidelines (as shown above by other editors) is better.  I only created Jamestown section in this article late June 2012 but will work on rest of this article per the more helpful suggestions. Mugginsx (talk) 17:50, 20 June 2012 (UTC)

Article revisit
I revisited the article on request. I can't say that it has changed any. The material it seems to me is sound and at the encyclopedic level. So, I would still rate it as B. My critique (for what it seems to be worth, not much I guess) concerns the language and the formatting.Dave (talk) 15:20, 21 June 2012 (UTC)

 * It still needs an English language edit to correct the grammatical errors and make sure the phrases are at the appropriate formal level. Mr. Muggins, I think you are moving in the right direction. Be bold, but give reasons for your changes - grammar, spelling, awkward phrase, not a neutral point of view, etc. That way if someone takes issue you will have a leg to stand on. Now that you may have had a chance to track me down, keep it to yourself, will you? I would now add one comment. In my opinion the sections are too long. They could be split into subsections. I realize of course that every writer, regardless of their experience or skill, writes differently. So, I am not even going to approach the topic of how I would write it. I do think it should be grammatical. The length of the article, well, it is a big topic. Smith is an important historical figure, at least to us in New England. He was quite a man. He could have had a rich Turkish princess but he tossed her over for freedom. He wanted to name Cape Ann after her but the king said no. If it really gets huge we might consider splitting it, say, Smith at Jamestown, Smith at somewhere else.Dave (talk) 15:20, 21 June 2012 (UTC)

 * No one has taken on the refs. I can't say I blame you. You almost have to be a programmer. It clearly needs the Harvard ref system. Everything is done by hand, and that is allowed on WP, and if there is a coherent system, we are encouraged not to touch it. However, those repetitions are not in my view a coherent system. Moreover, in any system, raw url's are not allowed. At the time of my previous comments I was just discovering harvard ref. I've done more of them since then. It does not work quite the way I said. I will get started on that briefly so you can see what I mean. Only started.Dave (talk) 15:20, 21 June 2012 (UTC)

 * Thank you Dave. Oops, I hope I have not inadvertenly interfered. Should have read this first.  Please feel free to revert.  Mugginsx (talk) 16:31, 21 June 2012 (UTC)

 * I didn't see anything reverted. Here is some help: HELP:FOOT. I was going to list more help but down at the bottom I just noticed something new: the multiple page numbers. The programmers have not all gone to sleep after all and apparently they do something else for their money besides hassle the editors. This is new. I've never used it before, although it is easy enough to use. So, I could give you some help for the citations and the abbreviated citations, which utilize harvref, but now that there is another possibility, who is to say harvref is the best way to do it? You can find harvref under "template:harvref" and the publication citations under "template:cite book" and the like. Someone now has to decide what system should be in use in this article. I propose that that person should be YOU. What I have done are only examples, but you can see I've cut down by several notes. I'm not going to work on the Smith article. I propose you take it over. If you read the help and browse around in the templates you should be up to speed in less time than you think. It is all laid out pretty good. As I say J. Wales must have got them off their thumbs to do some useful work. It's up to you. I'm a tech writer. I always worked on Framemaker, Epic, and earlier I did Unix macros and so on so I enjoy it, more or less. Keeps me from going mad, mad, mad. Do it yourself design is very interesting and I can pick my poisons. If this is something you care to do, go, go, go! If someone hassles you just work it out and push on, on, on. By the time you are done you should be a silver or gold editor, whatever. I could probably put all the precious metals on my user pages and then some, but I find standing out from the crowd makes you a target. When I was in the service I was told that when I walked into a room I should stand out from the crowd. The only trouble is, in war, the crowd contains a man or woman with a sniper rifle. So, you may have great credentials but sooner or later a jerk will show up who can get nastier than you and then it may not be worth it. Some people are professional nasties. It is up to you what you want to do. Are you interested in programming? Well I think I have managed to reply to you requests. If you would like, take a look at template:harvnb and the help page I mentioned and see what works for you. Since no one else really is on the article I think you have pretty much a free hand at design and text. After a certain number of edits you'll be listed as the chief contributor and then people will email YOU! Best wishes. PS feel free to change anything I did.Dave (talk) 19:35, 21 June 2012 (UTC)

 * Please feel free (anyone) to change the type of referencing that is here. I have not as yet perfected the preferred use of citation listing that others do.  Still trying to learn it.  Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't   Apologies. Mugginsx (talk) 14:34, 25 October 2012 (UTC)

"English unwillingness to work"
Is there any chance someone can rephrase this? It seems quite prejudiced if I say so myself. As if whoever wrote it has some assumption that ALL English people are lazy. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Harry McThompson (talk • contribs) 00:09, 23 October 2012 (UTC)

Removed the named siblings of John Smith
I removed the reference to John Smith's siblings by name. None of the recent scholarship mentions these names and no reference was given to support the claim. If anyone has a reliable source that mentions names of Smith's sisters and/or brothers, it can, of course, be reinstated. Mugginsx (talk) 20:24, 5 March 2013 (UTC)

Requested move 30 August 2015

 * The following is a closed discussion of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. Editors desiring to contest the closing decision should consider a move review. No further edits should be made to this section.

The result of the move request was: not moved. DrKiernan (talk) 19:03, 7 September 2015 (UTC)

John Smith (explorer) → Captain John Smith – This man seems to be universally known as 'Captain'. Per WP:COMMONNAME this should be included in the title, which also eliminates the need for disambiguation. Zacwill16 ( talk ) 17:03, 30 August 2015 (UTC)
 * Tending toward opposed – My impression is that we generally don't use ranks or honorifics in titles on Wikipedia, and I have certainly heard Smith discussed in serious reliable sources without much (or perhaps any) noticeable usage of "Captain" – particularly in 1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus Created. —BarrelProof (talk) 20:33, 30 August 2015 (UTC)
 * Oppose since this subject's WP:COMMONNAME does not include "Captain". In fact, this subject has such a strong connect with the name "John Smith" with nothing else that adding "Captain" to the title could be rather WP:ASTONISH-ing. Steel1943  (talk) 20:55, 30 August 2015 (UTC)
 * Strong oppose extremely common generic name. Further, he was an admiral and a knight, so picking and choosing a title is bad. And indeed, most of the military personnel listed in the military section of the dab page became captains at some point. John Smith (of Pocahontas) or John Smith (of Jamestown) would make it more recognizable, if you wanted to identify this as the person in the tale. -- 67.70.32.190 (talk) 05:17, 31 August 2015 (UTC)
 * oppose extremely common generic title, GregKaye 16:12, 31 August 2015 (UTC)
 * Oppose per Steel1943. FoCuS contribs ;  talk to me!  19:32, 31 August 2015 (UTC)
 * Oppose and speedy close In ictu oculi (talk) 20:08, 31 August 2015 (UTC)
 * Oppose. No need and goes against our usual guidelines. -- Necrothesp (talk) 15:50, 2 September 2015 (UTC)
 * Neither "Captain" nor "explorer" are ideal, but then nothing will be for a complex character known for multiple things. Recommend John Smith (explorer, 1580 – 1631).  I'm sure other John Smiths explored.  "Founder of Jamestown" might be most recognizable, but is not quite accurate.  --SmokeyJoe (talk) 01:44, 7 September 2015 (UTC)

 * The above discussion is preserved as an archive of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on this talk page or in a move review. No further edits should be made to this section.

Death
The text says: "John Smith died 21 June 1631. He was buried in 1633 (bold added here for emphasis) in the south aisle of Saint Sepulchre-without-Newgate Church, Holborn Viaduct, London."

Question: Is there a typo on one of the dates, or was he buried in late 1631 and RE-buried in 1633? This needs clarified in the text -- unless London had an unburied corpse stored somewhere for 2 years? Lifesnadir (talk) 04:55, 17 November 2015 (UTC)

ENGVAR all over the place
"colonise", "colonize", "baptise", "baptize" (admittedly within an image), "labour", "rumour", "harbor", "laborious". Since we can't excise one of the "baptize"s, using some ENGVAR that spells it -ize is best, and since Oxford spelling preserves the (majority) -our spellings I'm gonna go with that. Hijiri 88 ( 聖やや ) 00:49, 18 January 2017 (UTC)

Credibility as an author
This section is oddly and defensively written. We are told throughout that "critics," "literary critics" and the like make all sorts of accusations about Smith's credibility and character. And yet not one of them is cited or any attempt made to portray their criticisms. So if the criticisms are worth noting, then why the rebuttal? The other part odd part is that Lemay is used for all defenses and it looks like he is a complete John Smith true believer. There are historians who both admit Smith's importance, in some cases his humanity but nevertheless point out his biases and exaggerations. Finally, while the defense of Smith is all directed at his actions in Virginia, no attempt is made to defend his Autobiography, which has many things that strain credulity (and have generated much ink). The section is unbalanced (from a writing point of view I could care less about Wiki:POV) and it reduces the credibility of the article, IMO. AnthroMimus (talk) 19:34, 11 March 2017 (UTC)

External links modified
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Insistence on "Indians"
I want to avert revert warring so I ask you this question here. Why do you insist on referring to native Americans as "Indians" when it has been well established that many consider the term derogatory and insulting as Indians are inhabitants of the sub continent of India. While it is true that some have no problem with the word, it is an individual choice. Depending on tribe they either prefer being referred to by their tribal name (i.e. Dakota, Lakota, Nakota) or the official Native American as adopted by the US Government. I have mentioned this more than once in my edit summaries, and you choose to ignore, and then use specious and inaccurate justifications in your revert Edit Summaries. Do you care to engage in a conversation?Oldperson (talk) 22:06, 26 August 2019 (UTC)

No response Following the guidance ofWP policy: Quote: Reverting is appropriate mostly for vandalism or other disruptive edits. The Wikipedia edit warring policy forbids repetitive reverting.

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If there is a dispute, editors should work towards consensus. Instead of engaging in an edit war, which is harmful, propose your reverted change on the article's talk page or pursue other dispute resolution alternatives. During a dispute discussion, until a consensus is established, you should not revert away from the status quo (except in cases where contentious material should be immediately removed, such as biographies of living people, or material about living people in other articles). Note that this process is meant for managing resolution of disputes while discussion is taking place. It is not appropriate to use reversion to control the content of an article through status quo stonewalling.

Do not revert an otherwise good edit solely because an editor used a poor edit summary or has a bad username. You cannot remove or change prior edit summaries by reverting, even if you made the edit in question. If an edit summary violates the privacy policy or otherwise qualifies for oversighting or deletion, then see Help:Edit summary#Fixing. Otherwise, ignore it. In the case of a bad username, see WP:BADNAME. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Reverting. Your reversions are not justified, and certainly not adequately explained in the eddit summary, in fact they do not address the issue at all. Given this I intend to revert your unexplained and unjustified arbitrary reversions.I prefer that you respond and discussOldperson (talk) 18:52, 27 August 2019 (UTC)

Native American vs Indian
I see by your revert of a previous edit that you have a problem with the words Native American and prefer the word Indian. Care to explain. I assume you aware of the Native American name controversy. I am trying to understand the issues behind the controversy. Can you help me out?Oldperson (talk) 14:35, 23 October 2019 (UTC)

unclear
"they landed at Cape Henry on 26 April 1607" - "By the summer of 1607, the colonists were still living in temporary housing. The search for a suitable site ended on 14 May 1607". First, why is the first half of May "summer"? Second, why is looking for less than 3 weeks worthe mentioning "still temporary housing"? (and why did they not stay on ship anyway?) unclear. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 47.71.62.103 (talk) 13:07, 4 November 2019 (UTC)

Legacy
Since the other monument is mentioned, perhaps the statue at Jamestown ought to be mentioned as well.

https://historicjamestowne.org/visit/plan-your-visit/monuments-john-smith/ 71.191.77.64 (talk) 02:39, 13 November 2020 (UTC)

Death and burial
It might just be a typo but his article states he died in 1631 but was buried at St Sepulchre's Newgate in 1633, two years later. This needs checking, was he buried elsewhere in the meantime then moved to give a more fitting place for a memorial to be erected? By his lifetime parish registers of burials would already have been operating; do published registers of St Sepulchre's support the alleged year? (I accept some registers may have got lost in the Great Fire of 1666.)Cloptonson (talk) 05:55, 3 August 2021 (UTC)

successor?
who was his successor as governor? 176.72.115.169 (talk) 18:56, 6 January 2022 (UTC)

other information
what was his political position: royal absolutist? and his religion: Anglican, Catholic, or Puritan? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.21.234.123 (talk) 15:15, 17 July 2022 (UTC)

Revise the section 'Encounter with the Powhatan tribe'
Hello, I apologize if this request is disruptive or inappropriate in any way. While reading this article, in the section 'Encounter with the Powhatan tribe,' it felt as if the second paragraph did not quite follow from the first. It launches into discussion about whether or not John Smith's story as it relates to Pocahontas is accurate, however the preceding paragraph does not mention her at all. It talks about how Smith may have been "involved in a ritual intended to symbolize his death and rebirth as a member of the tribe," which sounds like the three-day shamanistic ritual mentioned above, which does not refer to Pocahontas. It reads as if we were meant to have just been told a story about how Pocahontas rescued Smith, or perhaps was the impetus behind him leaving Opechancanough's camp and the shaman ritual. In fact she had only been briefly mentioned in the section above that, without any prior introduction as to why she would've been present, or whether she had known Smith previously. The entire section of the article reads as if it had been written by several different editors, who did not check as to whether their respective paragraphs would logically align or flow into each other. As I'm not that familiar with all the history here, I'm not sure the best way to revise this. Perhaps put more emphasis on the story of Pocahontas, so that it makes more sense when its veracity is brought up. 2600:1702:4190:1B60:B4E2:105A:8A55:7A0C (talk) 02:17, 8 July 2023 (UTC)

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Talk:John Smith (explorer)


text:
Information commissioner

The role of information commissioner differs from nation to nation. Most commonly it is a title given to a government regulator in the fields of freedom of information and the protection of personal data in the widest sense. The office often functions as a specialist ombudsman service.

Australia
The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) has functions relating to freedom of information and privacy, as well as information policy. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner, which was the national privacy regulator, was integrated into the OAIC on 1 November 2010. There are three independent commissioners in the OAIC: the Australian Information Commissioner, the Freedom of Information Commissioner, and the Privacy Commissioner.

Bangladesh
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Canada
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Germany
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Hong Kong
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India
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Ireland
The Office of the Information Commissioner (Oifig an Choimisinéara Faisnéise) in Ireland was set up under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 1997, which came into effect in April 1998. The Information Commissioner may conduct reviews of the decisions of public bodies in relation to requests for access to information. Since its creation, the office has been held simultaneously with that of the Ombudsman. The Information Commissioner also holds ex officio the role of Commissioner for Environmental Information.

Switzerland
The Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner is responsible for the supervision of federal authorities and private bodies with respect to data protection and freedom of information legislation.

United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, the Information Commissioner's Office is responsible for regulating compliance with the Data Protection Act 2018, Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004. The Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 is the responsibility of the Scottish Information Commissioner.

Other European States
All other countries of the European Union and the European Economic Area have equivalent officials created under their versions of Directive 95/46. The Europa website gives links to such bodies around Europe.

Cooperation among information commissioners
The Global Privacy Enforcement Network is a transnational organization for the coordination of privacy laws among its 59 member states and the European Union.

title: Information commissioner


text:
London Metropolitan University

London Metropolitan University, commonly known as London Met, is a public research university in London, England. The University of North London and London Guildhall University merged in 2002 to create the university. The University's roots go back to 1848.

The university has campuses in the City of London and in the London Borough of Islington, a museum, archives and libraries. Special collections include the TUC Library, the Irish Studies Collection and the Frederick Parker Collection.

History
London Metropolitan University was formed on 1 August 2002 by the merger of London Guildhall University and the University of North London. In October 2006 the University opened a new Science Centre as part of a £30m investment in its science department at the North campus on Holloway Road, with a "Super Lab" claimed to be one of Europe's most advanced science teaching facilities, and 280 workstations equipped with digital audio visual interactive equipment.

London Guildhall University
In 1848 Charles James Blomfield, the Bishop of London, called upon the clergy to establish evening classes to improve the moral, intellectual and spiritual condition of young men in London. In response, the bishop Charles Mackenzie, instituted the Metropolitan Evening Classes for Young Men in Crosby Hall, Bishopsgate, London, with student fees at one shilling per session. Subjects on the original curriculum included Greek, Latin, Hebrew, English, History, Mathematics, Drawing and Natural Philosophy. This fledgling college came under royal patronage following the visit of Prince Albert to the classes in 1851. In 1860 the classes moved to Sussex Hall, the former Livery Hall of the Bricklayers' Company, in Leadenhall Street. By this time, some 800 students were enrolled annually.

In 1861 the classes were reconstituted and named the City of London College. Over the next twenty years, the College was one of the pioneers in the introduction of commercial and technical subjects. The college built new premises in White Street at a cost of £16,000 (contributions were received from Queen Victoria and the Prince of Wales) and were opened in 1881. In 1891 the college joined Birkbeck Institute and the Northampton Institute to form the City Polytechnic by a Charity Commissioners' scheme to facilitate funding for these institutions by the City Parochial Foundation, and to enable the three institutions to work cooperatively. However this attempted federation did not function in practice, as each institution continued to operate more or less independently. The City Polytechnic concept was dissolved in 1906 and the City of London College came under the supervision of London County Council.

In December 1940 the college's building was destroyed by a German air raid. City of London College subsequently moved into premises at 84 Moorgate in 1944. In 1948, the City of London College celebrated its centenary with a service of thanksgiving addressed by the Archbishop of Canterbury at St Paul's Cathedral. In 1970 the college merged with Sir John Cass College to form the City of London Polytechnic. In 1977 it also became the home of the Fawcett Society library, afterwards the Women's Library.

Under the Further and Higher Education Act 1992 the Polytechnic was awarded university status (having previously awarded degrees of the Council for National Academic Awards). It was renamed London Guildhall University, to demonstrate its links with the City of London and the City's many guilds/livery companies. It was unassociated with the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, based at the Barbican Centre. It was ranked 30th out of the UK's 43 new universities in the 2001 Research Assessment Exercise. In August 2004, in the midst of a contract dispute with former LGU staff following the merger with the University of North London, it was reported that the management of the merged institution had ordered the destruction of the entire print run of a history of the university – London Guildhall University: From Polytechnic to University – authored by Sean Glynn, formerly a senior research fellow in the department of Politics and Modern History; the work had been commissioned by Sir Roderick Floud, the President of London Metropolitan University, when Provost of LGU.

The former LGU campus, which was home to London Met's Guildhall School of Business and Law until August 2019, was located at the intersection of the City of London financial district and the old East End, near Aldgate East, Tower Hill and Liverpool Street tube stations. There are buildings located at Minories, Jewry Street, Central House, Moorgate, Whitechapel High Street, Calcutta House, Commercial Road and Goulston Street. There is a gymnasium for the use of staff and students at the Whitechapel High St. building,

University of North London
Founded as the Northern Polytechnic Institute in 1896, it merged in 1971 with the North Western Polytechnic which was established in 1929, to become the Polytechnic of North London. Until the passing of the Education Reform Act 1988, the Polytechnic was under the control of the Inner London Education Authority – part of the then Greater London Council and awarded the degrees of the former Council for National Academic Awards. Under the Further and Higher Education Act 1992, the institution, a pioneer of widening participation and access to higher education, was granted university status and the right to award its own degrees. Following the merger with London Guildhall University, London Metropolitan University became the largest unitary university in Greater London.

The former UNL campus is now the Holloway campus and is located on Holloway Road, near Holloway Road and Highbury & Islington tube stations.

Dalai Lama Honorary Doctorate controversy
In May 2008, London Metropolitan University presented the 14th Dalai Lama with an Honorary Doctorate of Philosophy, for "promoting peace globally". This move caused controversy among the Chinese public and the overseas Chinese community, who view the Dalai Lama as partly responsible for the 2008 unrest in Tibet. As a result, Chinese migration agents had been reported to "boycott" London Metropolitan University in advising clients who wish to study in the UK. The university's Vice-Chancellor, Brian Roper, in July sent a controversial public letter of apology to the Chinese Foreign Ministry via embassy officials. In an interview with the Global Times, a worker at a Chinese study abroad agency suggested that the university could repair the offence of the honours by refusing speaking platforms to Tibetan independence groups, such as the university's own "Free Tibet Society". The university has also faced criticism for offering free scholarships specifically reserved for students from the Tibetan exile community in India, Nepal and the West, in a case of non-merit "racial quotas".

Student numbers controversy
In July 2008 it was reported that a financial crisis was looming for the university. London Met had allegedly been misreporting data on student drop-outs for several years and, consequently, the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) was proposing to reclaim at least £15 million for the overpayment in 2008–9. In February 2009 the overpayment figure was revised to £56 million by HEFCE, who were seeking to recover the money.

On 19 March 2009, in response to the crisis, vice-chancellor Brian Roper resigned his position with immediate effect but continued to receive his salary until December 2009. In May 2009 Alfred Morris, former vice-chancellor of the University of the West of England and University of Wales, Lampeter, was appointed interim vice-chancellor.

The government announced in May 2009 that there would be an independent inquiry, exploring the possibility that HEFCE had colluded with London Met by failing to query implausibly low drop-out rates. The inquiry concluded in November 2009 and was reported to attribute responsibility to vice-chancellor Brian Roper, along with other senior administrators and the Board of Governors. Following completion of the report, the chair of HEFCE called on "senior staff" and the entire Board of Governors to resign, noting that HEFCE was not convinced that the university's management could effectively safeguard public funds. After the deadline indicated by HEFCE chief executive Alan Langlands had expired, rumours circulated among staff and government ministers that HEFCE could withdraw funding, effectively forcing the university to close.

A report commissioned by the university, published in November 2009, found that vice-chancellor Roper bore "the major responsibility and culpability" for the financial situation: Roper and some members of the executive had been aware that the university had been applying its own interpretation of funding rules on student drop-outs – rather than the funding council's – since 2003, but had taken no action. The university's board of governors and audit committee had an oversight role, which made them ultimately "accountable for a financial failure of this magnitude" and this meant that they "must take overall responsibility".

2011 course changes
In early 2011, London Metropolitan University announced an overhaul of undergraduate education for students entering courses in 2012. This included a reduction in the number of courses from 557 to 160. The announcement also signalled a move from semester-long to year-long modules, and thirty weeks of teaching, a gain of six weeks on the current average. The university argues that the longer learning time will help increase the opportunity for development and guidance before students move to final examinations. There will be a transition to this new course offering in 2011/12 and this has led to applicants for some courses being contacted and offered alternative programmes.

Proposed alcohol-free zones
In April 2012 Professor Malcolm Gillies, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive was reported to be considering creating alcohol-free zones and events to enable Muslim students (who form 20% of the student population) to take part more comfortably. This provoked criticism from the Muslim Council of Britain and the university's Islamic societies, who described the proposal as unhelpful and "divisive", but positive comments from representatives of the National Union of Students and the Federation of Student Islamic Societies.

UK Home Office/Border Agency action, and consequences
On 16 July 2012 the UK Border Agency of the Home Office suspended the university's "highly-trusted status" with the Border Agency, a status required in order for the university to be eligible to sponsor both new student visa applications as well as existing student visas, for foreign students from outside of the European Union and the European Economic Area (or Switzerland). The university was one of three institutions to have such a status suspended.

On 30 August 2012, the university's highly trusted status was revoked, revoking the university's right to sponsor new visa applications for non-EU/EEA foreign students, as well as revoking the existing visas of the university's pre-existing non-European foreign students, causing them to be excluded from the university, and leaving thousands with the possibility of being forced to leave the country, unless places with alternative institutions and sponsors are secured.

The Immigration Minister, Damian Green, cited a number of reasons for the decision, including the discovery that more than a quarter of the students in the test sample did not in fact have leave to remain in the UK, that the university did not have and could not provide sufficient proof of English-language proficiency standards for some of its students, and the fact that the university was unable to confirm the attendance of its students, in some 57% of the sampled cases.

In September 2012, the university announced it was beginning legal action against the border agency over the licence issue.

In April 2013 the university regained its licence to sponsor international students for Tier 4 visas.

The High Court case against Home Office was settled in October 2013 after both parties reached an undisclosed settlement. Both parties have refused to comment on the specifics of the settlement. The last minute withdrawal of the case meant that the judicial review against the Home Office, which had been scheduled to start on 17 October 2013, would not proceed any further.

In November 2019, London Metropolitan University released a statement confirmed that University Patron Prince Andrew, Duke of York had resigned.

Campuses

The main university campus is on Holloway Road in the London Borough of Islington where five of the University's Schools are based. The School of Art, Architecture and Design is based in Aldgate.

Academic profile
London Metropolitan offers about 160 degree courses, to students (including 7,000 overseas students from 155 countries). The university also maintains several offices abroad in Beijing, Chennai, Delhi, Dhaka, Lagos and Lahore. The university's operations are overseen by a board of governors comprising external members and senior administrative and academic staff.

Academic departments

The University's academic departments are currently arranged into six schools, where previously there were four faculties each comprising three schools. These are:

 * Guildhall School of Business and Law
 * School of Computing and Digital Media
 * School of Human Sciences
 * School of Social Professions
 * School of Social Sciences
 * School of Art, Architecture and Design

Scholarships
The university invests over £700,000 annually in its scholarship programme to help academically excellent students as well as students with outstanding achievements in various sports disciplines, such as hockey, tennis and basketball. The university gives £1000 for any of its undergraduate international students who achieve 'A' grade marks. The university also offers postgraduate scholarships, a range of full tuition scholarships, including some scholarships with free accommodation. Scholarships are offered in conjunction the BBC World Service, International Student House and Mahatma Gandhi Foundation. The university has several student exchange programmes with academic institutions in the US and Europe, with financial support for those who participate through the Erasmus programme.

Rankings and reputation
In the past, the university refused to participate in newspaper league tables on the grounds that Universities should be assessed by the UK Government and not (private) newspapers. The new management reversed this policy and in the 2013 rankings (published in 2012), the university was placed 118th out of 120 universities in The Guardian University Guide 2013. In the 2011 Institutional Audit, the Quality Assurance Agency expressed "reasonable confidence" in the "academic standards" of the university's awards. In the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise, London Metropolitan was ranked equal 107th out of 132 institutions by the Times Higher Education's RAE league table. The university has not fared well in the past national league tables (2014/2015) and has placed last in each respective league table, Guardian University Guide 2015 (116th), Complete University Guide 2015 (123rd) and The Times and Sunday Times University League Table 2014 (121st). The university has fared better in the most recent Guardian University Guide 2024 (85th).

The architecture department was ranked 18th and 20th in 2011 and 2012 in The Guardian University League Tables. American Studies placed 20th, 17th and 18th in 2011, 2012 and more recently, at the newly published Complete University Guide 2013. The law school ranked 87th in 2011 at the Complete University Guide and rose to 85th in 2012, 75th in 2013 and most recently placed 70th out of 98 law schools at the 2014 Complete University Guide. It is also ranked 58th out of 96 in Research Assessment. The School of Art, Architecture and Design (fashion, textile and retail design courses) was ranked 4th in The Guardian University League Tables 2022.

The university also entered the QS World University Rankings (2022) of top universities in the world for the first time, placing in the 801-1000 bracket.

Students' union
London Metropolitan University Students' Union (MetSU) is the students' union for students at London Metropolitan University. It provides representation, advice and support to students at the university. MetSU is run by four full-time sabbatical officers and four part-time liberation officers.

MetSU has two offices, one at its City Campus at CM2-22 Calcutta House, Old Castle Street and on the North Campus at the Harglenis Building, 166-220 Holloway Road.

Student media
Student media at London Metropolitan University include:
 * Verve magazine – launched in 2009 by journalism students; articles about the university, general politics, entertainment, lifestyle, fashion and sports.
 * Verve Radio – launched in 2011 as a platform for student thoughts and opinions; regular shows hosted by student DJs.
 * Dictum – launched in 2010 by law students; articles on law, politics and international relations; notable guest writers include Supreme Court Judge Robert Walker and writer, blogger and barrister Tim Kevan.

Arts and media

 * Helen Baker, author
 * John Box, Academy Award and BAFTA-winning British film production designer and art director
 * Noel Clarke, director, screenwriter and actor
 * Alannah Currie, artist
 * James Hyman, DJ, Radio & TV presenter, music supervisor and MD of JLH.
 * Yinka Ilori, an artist and designer
 * Henry Irving, first English Stage actor to be awarded a knighthood
 * Will Kirk, furniture restorer, The Repair Shop
 * J. W. R. Linton, West Australian artist and teacher
 * Maimie McCoy, actress
 * Tom McRae, English singer-songwriter
 * Alison Moyet, pop singer
 * Michael Petry, multi-media artist, director of MOCA London, and co-founder of the Museum of Installation, London
 * Vic Reeves, comedian
 * Daniela Ruah, actress, most notably NCIS: Los Angeles
 * Edwin Smith, photographer
 * Adaora Onyechere, a Nigerian TV/radio presenter, entrepreneur, motivational speaker and author.
 * Irwin Sparkes, front-man of pop band The Hoosiers
 * Matthew Sweeney, Irish poet
 * Neil Tennant, from the Pet Shop Boys (1972–75 History, North London Polytechnic)
 * AJ Tracey, Musician (dropped out)
 * Jamie Theakston, TV presenter
 * Eamonn Walker, English film, television and theatre actor
 * Oritsé Williams, member of pop band JLS (did not graduate)
 * Tracey Emin, English Artist, was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy from London Metropolitan University
 * Xatar, German Rapper and Record Label Executive (did not graduate)

Business, marketing and law

 * William Neville Bingley, lawyer and academic known as the architect of Code of Practice for the Mental Health Act 1983
 * Rowan Carstairs, 1973–1977 (philosophy: North London Polytechnic), entrepreneur, writer, and social housing advocate.
 * Edward Clarke, Victorian British barrister and politician
 * Ian M. Cook, Chairman, President and chief executive officer of Colgate-Palmolive.
 * Harry Henry, one of Britain's market research pioneers and last survivor of the 23 founders of the Market Research Society (MRS)
 * Nick Leeson, trader with Barings Bank who brought about its collapse
 * Jane Shepherdson, chief executive of UK clothing brand, Whistles and was brand director for TopShop.

Politics and public affairs

 * Adel Al-Mouwdah, Deputy Speaker of Bahrain's first elected parliament and president of Salafist party, Asalah
 * Graham Allen, Member of Parliament (1974, City of London Polytechnic)
 * Candy Atherton, British journalist and former Member of Parliament (1985, BA Applied Social Studies, Polytechnic of North London)
 * Julie Bindel, English writer, feminist and co-founder of the group Justice For Women (Researcher)
 * James Brokenshire, Member of Parliament
 * Jeremy Corbyn, former leader of the Labour Party (Trade Union Studies, North London Polytechnic: did not graduate)
 * Kate Hoey, Member of Parliament (Economics, City of London College)
 * Sadiq Khan, Member of Parliament and Mayor of London (1992, Law, University of North London)
 * Nainendra Nand, former Solicitor-General of Fiji from 1997 to 2000
 * Christine Russell, former Member of Parliament
 * David Shaw, former Member of Parliament
 * Rainatou Sow, women's rights campaigner
 * Peter Tatchell, human rights campaigner (1973, BSc Sociology, Polytechnic of North London)
 * Pola Uddin, Baroness Uddin, Labour politician and community activist
 * Charlie Whelan, Gordon Brown's former spin doctor
 * Malcolm Wicks, Member of Parliament
 * Nnamdi Kanu, Nigerian-British Director of Radio Biafra and founder of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), an African separatist group

Royalty

 * Otumfuo Nana Osei Tutu II, King of the Ashantiman in Ghana, attended the Polytechnic of North London

Sciences

 * D. Bernard Amos, professor of immunology and experimental surgery at Duke University (1962–1993), attended Sir John Cass Technical School
 * Harshad Bhadeshia, professor of metallurgy at the University of Cambridge, attended City of London Polytechnic
 * Edward Charles Bowra, Sinologist and botanist, attended City of London College
 * Edward Robert Harrison, astronomer and cosmologist noted for his explanation of Olbers's paradox

Sports

 * Garth Crooks, former football player
 * David Goodchild, former English cricketer
 * Stewart Faulkner, Olympic Long Jumper

Notable staff

 * Patrick Brill, artist
 * Maurice Glasman, Lord Glasman
 * Peter Gowan, left-wing intellectual and editor of New Left Review
 * Stephen Haseler, politician and writer
 * Sadiq Khan, Member of Parliament and Mayor of London
 * Tony McNulty, former Member of Parliament
 * Karim Ouazzane, Professor of Computing and Knowledge Exchange
 * Sunny Singh, writer
 * Paul St George, artist
 * Kate Soper, philosopher
 * Margot Sunderland, children's psychologist and author of popular books
 * A. J. P. Taylor, historian
 * Nicholas Troop, health psychologist

title: London Metropolitan University