John Stow

An English historian and antiquarian born in London around 1525, he is best remembered for A Survey of London (first published in 1598), a careful and lively account of the city's buildings, neighborhoods, and traditions. Before devoting himself fully to scholarship, he worked as a tailor, and his deep local knowledge gave his writing a grounded, observant quality.

He also spent years collecting manuscripts and studying the past of England with unusual seriousness for his time. That patient research fed into other major works, including historical chronicles and annals, and helped establish him as an important early historian.

He died in 1605, but his reputation has lasted because his books do more than list facts: they capture everyday London as a living place. For readers interested in the city's past, his writing remains one of the richest surviving windows into Tudor London.