was he involved in any controversy?
Yes, the Antinomian controversy.
John Winthrop
 This religious rift is commonly called the Antinomian Controversy, and it significantly divided the colony; Winthrop saw the Antinomian beliefs as a particularly unpleasant and dangerous heresy. 
who was the original leader of the puritans in the colonies and what was his famous quote John Winthrop. His quote was "bear one another's burdens". who was he? An English Puritan lawyer. was he a writer? Yes. can you name some of his works? : "A Modell of Christian Charity" and "The History of New England".
wiki:5301784
John Winthrop [SEP] Religious controversies
Winthrop was then out of office, and he had a good relationship with Williams. The magistrates ordered Williams' arrest, but Winthrop warned him, making possible his flight which resulted in the establishment of Providence Plantations. Winthrop and Williams later had an epistolary relationship in which they discussed their religious differences.