Born 1566 - Died 1625 • King of England and Scotland

Tennyson considered Bible reading "an education in itself", while Dickens called the New Testament "the very best book that ever was or ever will be known in the world."

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Known as the King of Great Britain, the 1st King to rule over both Scotland and England. Under one flag, the Union Jack. More a scholar than a man of action, eloquent on matters as diverse as theology, witchcraft and the abuses of tobacco. He achieved great acclaim for the translation of the Bible, the King James version. He survived the Gunpowder Plot. But his attitude to the English parliament sowed the seeds of the division that would eventually split the country in civil war.

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In 1620, the Mayflower pilgrims set sail from Portsmouth, England, bound for the New World and a new life. Many were fleeing religious persecution under King James and searching for freedom to worship God in the way their conscience told them was right. Yet their journey was not easy. Half of them died during the first winter in America. Whilst their dream may not have been realised, their self-determination would inspire generations of aspiring migrants the world over.

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"Smoking is hateful to the nose, harmful to the brain, and dangerous to the lungs.”  King James I

Photo: Dulwich Picture Gallery/Wikimedia • Believed to be in the Public Domain (Age - Copyright expired)