William Brewster (1567-1644)

Pilgrim Colonist of the Mayflower

Vital Statistics

 * Son of William Brewster (1527-1590) and Prudence Peck
 * Born about year 1566 in Scrooby, in north Nottinghamshire, England
 * First trip to Holland (1585)
 * Immigration to Holland with Pilgrims (1609)
 * Immigration to America on the Mayflower (1620)
 * Died 1644 - Plymouth Colony

Biography
He was the son of William Brewster and Mary Smyth and he had a number of half-siblings. His paternal grandparents were William Brewster and Maud Mann. His maternal grandfather was Thomas Smyth. Brewster may have been born in Doncaster.

They were set on a path of separation from the Anglican Church. From about 1602, Scrooby Manor, Brewster's home, became a meeting place for the dissenting Puritans. In 1606, they formed the Separatist Church of Scrooby.

Restrictions and pressures applied by the authorities convinced the congregation of a need to emigrate to the more sympathetic atmosphere of Holland, but leaving England without permission was illegal at the time, so that departure was a complex matter. On its first attempt, in 1607, the group was arrested at Scotia Creek, but in 1608 Brewster and others were successful in leaving from The Humber. In 1609, he was selected as ruling elder of the congregation.

Initially, the Pilgrams settled in Amsterdam, and worshipped with the Ancient Church of Francis Johsonson and Henry Ainsworth. Offput by the bickering between the two, though (which ultimately resulted in a division of the Church), the Pilgrams left Amsterdam and moved to Leiden, after only a year.

In Leiden, the group managed to make a living. Brewster taught English and later, in 1616-1619, printed and published religious books for sale in England though they were proscribed there, as the partner of one Thomas Brewer. In 1619, the printing type was seized by the authorities under pressure from the English ambassador Sir Dudley Carleton and Brewster's partner was arrested. Brewster escaped and, with the help of Robert Cushman, obtained a land patent from the London Virginia Company on behalf of himself and his colleagues.

In 1620 he joined the first group of Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower on the voyage to North America. When the colonists landed at Plymouth, Brewster became the senior elder of the colony, serving as its religious leader and as an advisor to Governor William Bradford.

As the only university educated member of the colony, Brewster took the part of the colony's religious leader until a pastor, Ralph Smith, arrived in 1629. Thereafter, he continued to preach irregularly until his death in April 1644.

Brewster was granted land amongst the islands of Boston Harbor, and four of the outer islands (Great Brewster, Little Brewster, Middle Brewster and Outer Brewster) now bear his name.

Brewster died in 1644 and was likely buried in Miles Standish Burial Ground in Duxbury.

Children of William Brewster and Mary Love
William Brewster married Mary, whose maiden name is unknown. During much of the 20th century she was thought to be the daughter of Thomas Wentworth, however there is no compelling evidence to support this. More recent speculation suggests her maiden name was Wyrall, but again the evidence is weak at best.[3]

The children of William and Mary were:


 * Elder Jonathan Brewster (August 12, 1593 - August 7, 1659) married Lucretia Oldham of Derby on 10 April 1624, eight children.
 * Patience Brewster (c. 1600 - December 12, 1634) married Thomas Prence of Lechlade, Gloucestershire, 4 children
 * Fear Brewster (c. 1606 - before 1634) so called because she was born at the height of the puritans' persecution. Married Isaac Allerton of London, 2 children.
 * Unnamed son (born and died 1609)
 * Love Brewster (c. 1611 - c. 1650) came over on the Mayflower married Sarah Collier of London, 4 children
 * Wrestling Brewster (c. 1614 - between 1627 and 1644)
 * (possibly) Captain Edward Brewster - traveled to Virginia with Thomas West, Lord Delaware.