Sir John, a celebrated statesman, grammarian, and divine, descended of an ancient family in the Isle of Wight, was born at Cambridge in the year 1514, and educated at St John's College in that university. After taking his degrees in arts, he was first chosen Greek lecturer, and then, in 1540, professor of that language, with a stipend of L40 a year. In this station he was principally instrumental in reforming the pronunciation of the Greek language, which, having been much neglected, was imperfectly understood. About the year 1543 he was incorporated as master of arts at Oxford, where, we are told, he had studied for some time. In the following year he was sent to the court of King Henry VIII. and appointed tutor for the Latin language, jointly with Sir Anthony Cooke, to Prince Edward, about which time he was made canon of the college newly founded at Oxford; so that he must by this time have been in orders. On the accession of his royal pupil to the crown, Mr Cheke was first rewarded with a pension of a hundred marks, and afterwards obtained several considerable grants from the crown. In 1550 he was made chief gentleman of the privy chamber, and was knighted the following year; in 1552, chamberlain of the exchequer for life; in 1553, clerk of the council; and soon afterwards secretary of state and privy councillor. But these honours were of short duration. Having concurred in the measures of the Duke of Northumberland for settling the crown on the unfortunate Lady Jane Grey, and acted as her secretary during the nine days of her reign, Sir John Cheke was, on the accession of Queen Mary, sent to the Tower, and stripped of the greater part of his possessions. In September 1554 he obtained his liberty, and a license from her majesty to travel abroad. He went first to Basel, thence to Italy, and afterwards returned to Strasbourg, where he was reduced to the necessity of reading Greek lectures for subsistence. In 1556 he set out in an evil hour to meet his wife at Brussels; but before he reached that city he was seized by order of Philip II., hoodwinked, and thrown into a waggon, and thus ignominiously conducted to a ship, which brought him to the Tower of London. He soon found that religion was the cause of his imprisonment; for he was immediately visited by two Catholic priests, who piously endeavoured to convert him, but without success. However, he was at last visited by Fleckenham, who told him from the queen that he must either comply or be burned. This powerful argument had the desired effect; Sir John Cheke formally complied, and his lands, upon certain conditions, were restored; but his remorse soon put an end to his life. He died in September 1557, at the house of his friend Mr Peter Osborne, in Wood Street, London, and was buried in St Alban's church. He left three sons, the eldest of whom, Henry, was knighted by Queen Elizabeth. He wrote, 1. A Latin translation of two of St Chrysostom's homilies, Lond. 1543, 4to; 2. A Latin translation of six homilies of the same Father, Lond. 1547; 3. The Hurt of Sedition, Lond. 1549, 1576, 1641; 4. A Latin translation of the English Communion Service, printed among Bucer's Opuscula; 5. De Obitu doctissimi et sanctissimi theologi Domini Martini Bucerii, &c. Lond. 1551; 6. Carmen Heroicum, or Epitaphium, in Antonium Deneium clarissimum virum, Lond. 4to; 7. De Pronunciatione Graecae, Basel, 1555, 8vo; 8. De Superstitione ad Regem Henricum; 9. Several letters published in his life by Strype; 10. A Latin translation of Archbishop Cranmer's book on the Lord's Supper, 1553; 11. Translation of Leo de Apparatu Bellico, Basel, 1554. Sir John Cheke left also a great many unpublished writings, which are most probably lost.