Elder William BREWSTER

Male 1567 - 1644  (77 years)


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  • Name William BREWSTER  [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
    Prefix Elder 
    Birth 1566/7  Doncaster, Yorkshrie, England Find all individuals with events at this location  [3, 4, 6
    Gender Male 
    Death 10 Apr 1644  Plymouth, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [4, 6
    Death 16 Apr 1644  Plymouth, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [3
    Death 20 Apr 1644  [5
    Fact Son of William Brewster and Mary Smythe Find all individuals with events at this location  [3, 8
    Burial Buriel Hill, Plymouth, Mass. Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Notes 
    • Elder William was educated at Cambridge University and became an attach, in the suite of William Davidson the English Ambassador to the Court of Holland, and afterwards with him suffered the displeasure of Queen Elizabeth. After spending some time in Leyden, he came to America in the MAYFLOWER, which landed at Plymouth Rock on December 21, 1620. His wife's name was Mary and she was known as "Dame Brewster."
      The following interesting account is from Governor Bradford's list of Mayflower passengers:
      "The names of those which came over first in ye year 1620 and were (by the blessing of God) the first beginners and (in a sort) the foundation of all the plantations and Colonies in New England (and their families)."
      "Mr. William Brewster, Mary his wife with 2 sons whose names were Love and Wrasling and a boy was put to him called Richard More and another of his brothers the rest of his children were left behind and came over afterwards."
      Elder William Brewster was Chaplain of the first Military Company organized at Plymouth under command of Captain Myles Standish. He served in the Indian wars. His son Jonathan Brewster was a member of the same company and took part in the Pequot War.

      Abstract of his will:

      Letters of administration on the estate were granted to his sons, Jona, and Love, June 5, 1644
      Wearing apparell, household utensils & appraised by Capt STANDISH and JOHN DONE. May 10, 1644
      Articles at his house in Duxbury, by STANDISH & PRENCE, May 18.
      His Latin books by MR. BRADFORD, MR. PRENCE and MR. REYNER, May 18, sixty three volumes
      His English books by MR. BRADFORD and MR. PRENCE. Between three and four hundred volumes

      Excerpt from "Dawes-Gates Ancestral Lines": William Brewster, son of William and Prudence (--) Brewster of Scrooby, England, lived a life of amazing variety, of infinite loyalty to principle, of marvelous endurance, and of great meekness and righteousness. He was born about 1566-1567, probably at or near Crooby, where his family certainly lived by the time he was five years old. As a youth, having prepared himself by the study of Latin and Greek, he matriculated on December 3, 1580, at St. Peter's more commonly called Peterhouse, the oldest of the courteen colleges which at that time formed the University of Cambridge. He did not complete the course (which then required seven years, sometimes twelve, fourteen, or more), and, indeed, he probably left the university by 1583-4, for about that time he entered the employ of William Davison, then an ambassador for, and later Secretary of State to, Queen Elizabeth. Inregard to this relation, it is said of William Brewster that Davison "trusted him above all other that were aboute him, and only imployed him in all matters of greatest trust and secrecie. He esteemed him rather as a sonne then a servante...... With Davison, William Brewster went into Holland in August, 1585, on a diplomatic mission, returning soon after January 22, 1585-6. Davision was presently deliberately and wrongfully accused by the Queen with responsibility for the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots, and in consequence was, on February 14, 1586-7, thrown into the Tower. Wiolliam Brewster remained near for some time to comfort and, if possible, to aid his friend and patron, but this occurrence definitely colsed his career in the political or diplomatic field. "Afterwards he wente and lived in ye country....," which doubtless meant at Scrooby.
      It is recorded of him that "He did much good in ye countrie where he lived, in promoting and furthering religion, not only by his practiss & examply, and provoking and incouraging of others, but by procuring of good preachers to ye places theraboute, and drawing on of others to assiste & help forward in such a worke; he him selfe most comonly depest in ye charge, & some times above his abilities... After they were joyned togither in communion, he was a spetiall stay & help unto them. They ordinarily mett at his house (Scrooby) on ye Lords day, (which was a manor of ye bishops,) and with great love he entertained them when they came, making provission for them to his great charge." It seems, therefore, to have been the income from his interests and services at Scrooby which enabled William Brewster to entertain and aid the Separatists as he did.
    Person ID I07775  Main Tree
    Last Modified 22 Feb 2022 

    Family Mary ?,   b. Between 1565 and 1569, England Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 17 Apr 1627, Plymouth, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 62 years) 
    Married Between 1585 and 1586  [5
    Marriage Abt 1590  Scrooby, Nottinghamshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location  [3
    Children 
     1. Jonathan BREWSTER,   b. 12 Aug 1593, Scrooby, Nottinghamshire, England Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 07 Aug 1659, Norwich, New London, Conn. Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 65 years)  [Birth]
     2. Patience BREWSTER,   b. Bef 1600, Scrooby, Nottinghamshire, England Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 12 Dec 1634, Plymouth, Plymouth Co., Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this location (Age > 34 years)  [Birth]
     3. Fear BREWSTER,   b. Bef 1606, Scrooby, Nottinghamshire,England Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Bef 12 Dec 1634, Plymouth, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age < 28 years)  [Birth]
     4. Child BREWSTER,   b. Bef 1609, Holland Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 20 Jun 1609 (Age > 0 years)  [Natural]
     5. Love BREWSTER,   b. Bef 1611, Holland Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Between 06 Oct 1650 and Jan 1651, Duxbury, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age > 39 years)  [Birth]
     6. Wrestling BREWSTER,   b. Bef 1614, Leyden, Holland Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Between 22 May 1627 and 05 Jun 1644 (Age > 13 years)  [Birth]
    Family ID F04627  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 29 Jan 2018 

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsBirth - 1566/7 - Doncaster, Yorkshrie, England Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsBurial - - Buriel Hill, Plymouth, Mass. Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth 

  • Sources 
    1. [S02171] Distinquished Families in America Descended From Silgelmus Beekman and Jan Thomasse Van Dyke, pg 53.

    2. [S02728] The New England Historical and Genealogical Register 1850, Vol. 4 No. 2 April.

    3. [S02658] Mayflower Increasings 2nd Edition by Susan E. Roser.

    4. [S03585] Barbara Lambert Merrick/ E. Virginia Hunt, Mayflower Families in Progress: William Brewster of the Mayflower & His Descendants for 4 Generations , (General Society of Mayflower Descentants - Revised 3rd Edition 2000).

    5. [S02361] Genealogical Records: Pilgrim Genealogies and Histories, 1600s-1900s, Sons & Daughters of Pilgrims, Vol III.

    6. [S02018] Mary Walton Ferris, Dawes-Gates Ancestral Lines Vol. II.

    7. [S9214] Richard Anson Wheeler, History of the Town of Stonington, County of New London, Connecticut.

    8. [S03436] The Brewster Genealogy 1566-1907 vol. 1.