| John Robinson was born at Sturton-le-Steeple, Nottinghamshire and graduated from Corpus Christi College, Cambridge in 1595. He was elected a Fellow two years later, becoming Dean of his college in 1600.
But he was compelled to resign his fellowship after choosing to marry Bridget White, also of Sturton-le-Steeple, in 1604. Married men weren't allowed to hold that position and instead, the couple moved to Norwich. His first appointment was at a church where his outspoken sermons attracted the attention of the authorities. He was soon to be amongst the 100 clergy sacked for non-compliance of James I rules. Robinson was converted to Separatism on hearing sermons at Cambridge by Puritan professors Lawrence Chaderton and Paul Baynes. A friend of the charismatic John Smyth, Robinson fled to Holland with the Scrooby congregation in 1608. When they moved to Leiden, he was chosen Pastor. In 1620, when the "Mayflower" took the first settlers to New England, he stayed with the larger group still in Leiden, expecting to accompany them to New England later. Before that could happen, he died in Leiden in 1625. Several of his books and other writings have survived.
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