January, born in London near Charing Cross and was baptized at St Martin-in-the-Fields

Attended Westminster School

10 November, matriculated at Christ Church, Oxford, possibly taught by Edward Pococke, whom he later corresponded with

28 January, graduated with BA

17 July, graduated with MA

By March was in Rome, travelled around Europe before that and was captured by pirates

Returned to Oxford

March, sent to Paris with the embassy of Ralph Montagu

in Paris, two brief visits to England in 1670 and 1671; his chief responsibility was to keep track of the movement of British visitors, report to London any noteworthy incidents in which they were involved (crime and court cases being the most common), and render to well-connected travellers such assistance as they might require; in active contact with the Royal Society, became a member in 1672; in correspondence with Henry Oldenburg, Pococke and John Collins

Left England for the Ottoman Empire for private travels; planned journey through France to Italy, down the Dalmatian coast via Greece to Smyrna, and thence to Persia; a journal of travels through Greece survives

January, in Smyrna/Izmir, consulted the East India Company library and was an active part of the local social circles, discussing books at dinners

Reached Persia, killed in a quarrell near Isfahan, buried there