596327

[2655.ftw]

[Brøderbund WFT Vol. 2, Ed. 1, Tree #2655, Date of Import: Nov 10, 1998]

William and his wife Mary came to the Colonies aboard the "MAYFLOWER" to escape Religious persecution in September 1620 landing in Cape Cod Harbor on September 20,1620 and then at Plymouth,Massachusetts on December 16,1620. Of their five children, only Love and Wrestling came with their parents.

[phelps.FTW]

[Brøderbund WFT Vol. 1, Ed. 1, Tree #0988, Date of Import: Oct 22, 1998]

William Brewster (1566)

It is not definitely known from which of the many famous
lines of the family in England the first emigrants of the name to
America were descended. The name is an old one, and is said to
have been derived from the occupation of its first bearers as
brewers.
Elder William Brewster's father, William Brewster, was
appointed by Archbishop Sandys, in Jan., 1575-76, "receiver of
the town of Scrooby and bailiff of the manor house in that place
belonging to the Archbishop, to have life-tenure of both
offices."
The William Brewster who later came to America was for many
years postmaster at Scrooby, a little village on the great North
road about fifty miles from London. Nowadays a postmaster has
mainly to do with letters and parcels and money orders, but three
hundred years ago he had to do almost entirely with horses.
Letters then posted were mainly governmental correspondence, sent
by members of the Court. He did not live in a little house on a
side street, but had a grand mansion called Scrooby Manor with a
large brick stable and his duty was to supply horses to all
travelers who desired to hire them. He was appointed by the
government and had what 300 years ago was considered a handsome
salary, namely 2 shillings a day, besides what travelers used to
pay him if they stayed for a night or so at Scrooby Manor on
their journey. He was also responsible for the relays of horses
on the post road. He held the position of postmaster from 1590
to 1607.
About 1602 his neighbors began to assemble at the Manor
house for worship, where Brewster, "did much good in promoting
and furthering religion." He was opposed to the laxness and
excess of the clergy, and favored greater strictness of morals
and doctrine. He and his friends organized a branch of the
Separatists, or those who preferred the congregational system,
whereby each charge would be responsible to itself alone. In the
face of persecution, in 1607 he with his friends chartered a
Dutch boat to take them to Holland, but through the treachery of
the Captain they were seized and imprisoned for a time. A year
later they reached The Hague, where Brewster spent most of his
means in providing for his family. At Leyden, in 1609, he was
chosen ruling Elder of the Congregation. He remained in Holland
twelve years, supporting himself by teaching English and by the
use of the printing press. He was engaged in printing secretly
religious books proscribed by the English
government. In 1619 their types were seized, and his partner was
arrested. Brewster, however, escaped and in the same year with
Robert Cushman obtained in London on behalf of his associates a
land patent from the Virginia Company. In 1620 he was selected
to accompany the advance guard to the New World.
The Pilgrims sailed from Delftshaven late in July, 1620,
from Southampton on the 5th of August, and from Plymouth on the
6th of September, 1620. After a stormy voyage of ten weeks, they
anchored in Plymouth Harbor, Nov. 21, 1620, and "there in the
cabin of the Mayflower, Elder William Brewster drafted the first
written Constitution in the history of the world, --- a marvel of
clearness, brevity, and strength."
At Plymouth he bore an important part in establishing the
Pilgrim Republic, not shrinking from the severest manual labor,
and "when the church had no other minister, he taught twice every
Sabbath, both powerfully and profitably, to ye great contentment
of ye hearers." He took a prominent part in the affairs of the
colony, and served in the Indian Wars under Captain Myles
Standish.
Nearly every ship which came from England brought books to
Brewster, and at his death his library inventoried 400 volumes,
62 of which were in Latin. There were 98 commentaries or
translations of the Bible.
"He possessed that happy attitude of mind which could
accustom itself to all circumstances; destitute of meat, of fish
and bread, even with his single meal of clams would return thanks
to the Lord that he could suck of the abundance of the seas and
the treasures hid in the sands."
He was accompanied by his wife Mary, and two sons, Love and
Wrestling; also, a boy called Richard More. The rest of his
children came over afterward. (The Pilgrims purposely chose such
names as peace, love, and patience, for their children, to
emphasize their separation from the established church, which
perpetuated the saints of the church calendar in naming
children.) During their first winter in America, the
Pilgrims buried half their number, leveling the graves and sowing
grain over them in the Spring, in order to conceal their
misfortunes from the Indians. He enjoyed a healthy old age and
was sick but one day, when he died on the 10th of April, 1644, 78
years of age. His wife, Mary, fourth signer of the Mayflower
Compact, died April 17th, 1627. He survived all his daughters,
leaving only two sons, Jonathan and Love.

Source:
Brewster Cousins by Carl M. Brewster (1937). FHL 929.273 B758
Note:For more sources consult the family group sheets in the
Archive section of the FHL in Salt Lake City.