Andrewes was born in London in 1555. He won one of the first scholarships to Pembroke College, and came up in 1571. He graduated in 1575 and was elected to a Fellowship. In 1581 he became Senior Treasurer of the College. In 1589, he was elected Master of Pembroke, a role he would hold until 1605. Outside of Cambridge, he was appointed to the deanery of Westminster in July 1601. In 1605 he was raised to Bishop of Chichester. He was translated to the diocese of Ely as Bishop in 1609 (having previously turned down the role under Elizabeth I). He moved again in 1618, this time to Winchester, and was confirmed as Bishop of Winchester in 1619. He died in 1626. Andrewes worked on the creation of, what is now termed, the King James Bible. He particularly focussed on the first books of the Old Testament (Genesis to 2 Kings).