born 1468?, Odiham, Hampshire, Eng.
died Feb. 25, 1522, London
English Renaissance scholar and classical grammarian.
Having made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and visited Greece and Italy, he became a pioneer of Greek learning in England and was appointed master of the school of St. Paul's in 1510. His grammar, which actually consisted of two books, one in English and the other in Latin, first appeared about 18 years after his death. Its use by royal order in all English grammar schools won it the name "the King's Grammar." With corrections and revisions, it continued to be used as late as the 19th century and influenced generations of English people's views of all languages, including English.