General Notes

BREWSTER   Samuel Richardson and Josiah Ellsworth


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In the early days, transportation was difficult and Archdioces were large so it was necessary for the Archbishops to have numerous homes scattered over their regions. They were allowed to rent these as it was a source of income for them. The one stipulation was that they be housed and fed when they made their Episcopal visit in the vicinity.

Scrooby Manor was one of six owned by the Archbishop of York. Elder William Brewster was appointed stewart and bailiff of the Manor of Scrooby. His grandfather and father had held the position before him. Elder William Brewster held this post for 18 years.

He was born in the Manor in 1566 and brought up in the pleasant little village of Scrooby on the Great North Road. He was educated at the Cambridge University. His father was Master of the Queen's Post and was responsible for the safe and speedy passage of royal messages and personages as far south as Tuxford and as far north as Doncaster. For 12 years Elder Brewster was Postmaster at Scrooby.

The Congregational Church met at the Old Manor House, but having broken from the established church, Brewster could no longer live in the Manor and the church could no longer meet there for services. Consequently, Brewster moved into a cottage just north of St. Wilford's Church and the Separatists went into hiding.

William Brewster escaped to Amsterdam with the other Pilgrims. After a year there they moved to Leyden where John Robinson became a professor of Divinity at the University and William Brewster opened a school for boys and taught English.

He came to America on the MAYFLOWER and was fortunate enough to escape the terrible epidemic of the first winter. He worked unceasingly with Myles Standish to care for the sick. He was one of the drafters and the fourth signer of the Mayflower Compact.

   I. William Brewster 1566/67-1644 m 1st Mary Wentworth(?) 1569-April
      17, 1627 dau of Thomas, 2nd Prudence Peck dau of Robert.
      Known to have five children, perhaps more.
      1. son
      2. Jonathon 1593-1689 m 1624 Lucretia Oldham d 1678/9; came on
         FORTUNE.
    X 3. Patience b abt 1600-1634 m 1624 Thomas Prence (Gov.) 1600-1673
      4. Fear b 1634(?)
      5. Love d 1650/1 m 1634 Sarah Collier
  II. Patience Brewster abt 1600-1634 m August 5, 1624 Gov. Thomas Pren??
      1. Thomas went to England
    X 2. Rebecca m Edmond Freeman April 22, 1646
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       3. Hannah 1629-1697 m 1st Nathaniel Mayo, 2nd Capt. Jonathon
         Sparrow
      4. Mercy 1631-1711 m 1649 Major John Freeman 1627-1719
III. Rebecca Prence m April 22, 1646 Edmond Freeman
  IV. Edmond Freeman m Alice Cole
   V. Ann Freeman m Edward Beauchamp
  VI. Elizabeth Beauchamp m Zacarriah Goodell
VII. Thomas Goodell 1676-1750 m 1698 Sarah Horrell
VIII. David Goodell 1721-1786 m 1747 Ann Gally 1721-1775
  IX. Richard Goodell 1750-1826 m 1777 Mercey Parkhurst 1759-1808
   X. Nathan Goodell 1798-1883 m 1825 Hannah Moseley Weeks
  XI. Mary Elizabeth Goodell 1828-1902 m 1851 Dr. Albert Hayden Ellsworth
XII. Frank Hopkins Ellsworth 1862-1959 m 1889 Annie Leola Chapman
      1865-1924
XIII. Ruth Chapman Ellsworth 1890-  m Hibbard Elliot Richardson
      1882-1938
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William Brewster was born about the year 1560, and was well educated at Cambridge, from whence he entered the public service as above mentioned. He lived at Scrooby some fifteen or twenty years, and held the office of post of Scrooby for about fourteen years, occupying the manor house pertaining to the Archbishop of York, and associating with the "good gentlemen of those parts." Here was gathered a little band that afterwards constituted the Plymouth Pilgrims. Mr. Brewster became a nonconformist, and in 1607 was imprisoned at Boston, Lincolnshire. He was liberated with great expense and difficulty and went to Leyden with a company of sympathizers, and shared their troubles, after losing most of his possessions, including valuable and choice books, through the treachery of a ship's captain who had engaged to transport the company from England. He supported himself by teaching English, and in 1620 was with them on their pilgrimage in the "Mayflower" and continued with them as their elder, preaching frequently, but not administering the sacraments. He was loyal to the home government, and reluctantly accepted the fact that his conscientious scruples required his separation from the established church. Until his death, April 16, 1644, he was the acknowledged leader of the Plymouth dispensation, and was greatly venerated. He had by his wife Mary three sons: Jonathan, Love and Wrestling; and two daughters: Patience, married Thomas Prince, in 1624, afterwards governor of Plymouth; and Fear, married Isaac Allerton, first assistant to the governor.