John Eliot was baptised in this church in 1604 and died in 1690. He travelled to America with the Puritans and made a new life for himself there. He became known as the ‘Apostle to the Indians’ because he translated the Bible into their language and taught them the gospel in their native tongue, Algonquin. He was one of the founders of both Harvard University and Roxbury Latin School.
The East Window is marked in his memory. It was presented to the church by his American descendants in 1894.