My father had a small estate in Nottinghamshire: I was the third of five sons. He sent me to Emanuel College in Cambridge at fourteen years old where I resided three years and applied myself close to my studies; but the charge of maintaining me although I had a very scanty allowance being too great for a narrow fortune I was bound apprentice to Mr. James Bates an eminent surgeon in London with whom I continued four years. My father now and then sending me small sums of money I laid them out in learning navigation and other parts of the mathematics useful to those who intend to travel as I always believed it would be some time or other my fortune to do. When I left Mr. Bates I went down to my father: where by the assistance of him and my uncle John and some other relations I got forty pounds and a promise of thirty pounds a year to maintain me at Leyden: there I studied physic two years and seven months knowing it would be useful in long voyages.