John, an industrious historian, son of Thomas Stow, merchant-tailor, of St Michael's, Cornhill, in London, was born about the year 1525. Of the early part of his life we know very little, except that he was bred to his father's business, which in the year 1560 he relinquished, devoting himself entirely to the study of our ancient historians, chronicles, annals, charters, registers, and records. Of these he made a considerable collection, travelling for that purpose to different parts of the kingdom, and transcribing such manuscripts as he could not purchase. But this profession of an antiquary being attended with no present emolument, he was obliged for subsistence to return to his trade. It happened, however, that his talents and necessities were made known to Dr Parker, archbishop of Canterbury; who being himself an antiquary, encouraged and enabled Stow to prosecute his darling study. In those times of persecution, though Elizabeth was then upon the Wold throne, honest John Stow did not escape danger. His collection of popish records was deemed a cause of suspicion. His younger brother Thomas preferred no less than 140 articles against him before the ecclesiastical commission; but the proof being insufficient, he was acquitted. In 1565 he first published his Summary of the Chronicles of England. About the year 1584 he began his Survey of London. In 1585 he was one of the two collectors for a great muster of Limestreet ward. During the same year he petitioned the corporation of London to bestow on him the benefit of two freemen, to enable him to publish his Survey; and in 1589 he again petitioned for a pension. Whether he succeeded is not known. He was principally concerned in the second edition of Holinshed's Chronicle, published in 1587. He also corrected and twice augmented Chaucer's Works, published in 1581 and in 1597. His Survey of London was first published in 1598. To these laborious works he would have added his large Chronicle, or History of England; but he lived only to publish an abstract of it, under the title of "Flores Historiarum, or Annals of this Kingdom, from the time of the Ancient Britons to his own." This work was printed in 1600. The folio volume which was printed after his death, with the title of Stow's Chronicle, was taken from his papers by Edmund Howes. Having thus spent his life and fortune in these laborious pursuits, he was at last obliged to solicit the charitable and well-disposed for relief. For this purpose, King James I granted him in 1603 a brief, which was renewed in 1604, authorizing him to collect in churches the benefactions of his fellow-citizens. He died in April 1603, aged eighty; and was buried in his parish church of St Andrew's Undershaft, where his widow erected a decent monument to his memory. John Stow was a most indefatigable antiquary, a faithful historian, and an honest man.