General Notes

REFN: 6506AN
Passenger on the Mayflower.
(1) William Brewster, taxed 1524, Bently cum Arkse y, York, England; m.
MauDe Man bef. 1558; children: William and Henry.
(2) W illiam Brewster II, b. c1535, d. 1590, living in Scrooby, York,
England in 15 64; m. Mary (Smythe) Simkinson, dau. of William Smythe of
Stainforth, Hatfiel d, England, widow of John Simkinson of Doncaster,
York, England.
(3) William Brewster of the Mayflower
On 12 June 1609, a Leyden record shows that William Brewster and Ann Peck
gave power of attorney to Thomas Simkinson, merchant o f Hull.  Presumably
Thomas Simkinson has some relation to Brewster's mother's first husband
John Simkinson.
Will of Love Brewster
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BIOGRAPHICAL SUMM ARY:
William Brewster was the Reverend Elder of the Pilgrim's church at
Plym outh, since their pastor John Robinson remained behind in Leyden,
Holland wit h the majority of the congregation which planned to come to
America at a late r time.  Brewster was a fugitive from the King of
England, because he had pub lished a number of religious pamphlets while
in Leyden which were critical or opposed the tenets of the Church of
England.  He had been a member of the Se paratist church movement from its
very beginning, and was the oldest Mayflowe r passenger to have
participated at the First Thanksgiving, in his early fift ies.
William Bradford wrote a lot about William Brewster in Of Plymouth
Plan tation, some of which follows:
After he had attained some learning, viz. the k nowledge of Latin tongue,
and some insight in the Greek, and spent some small time at Cambridge,
and then being first seasoned with the seeds of grace and virtue, he went
to the court, and served that religious and godly gentleman, Mr. Davison,
divers years, when he was Secretary of State; who found him so discreet
and faithful as he trusted him above all other that were about him, and
only employed him in all matters of greatest trust and secrecy . . . he
attended his mr. when he was sent in ambassage by the Queen into the Low
Cou ntries . . . And, at his return, the States honored him with a gold
chain, an d his master committed it to him, and commanded him to wear it
when they arri ved in England, as they rid through the country, till they
came to the court . . . Afterwards he went and lived in the country, in
good esteem amongst his friends and the gentlemen of those parts,
especially the Godly and religious .  He did much good in the country
where he lived, in promoting and furtherin g religion not only by his
practise and example, and provocating and encourag ing of others, but by
procuring of good preachers to the places thereabouts, and drawing on of
others to assist and help forward in such work; he himself most commonly
deepest in the charge, and sometimes above his ability. . . . T hey
ordinarily met at this house on the Lord's day, (which was a manor of the
bishops) and with great love he entertained them when they came, making
pr ovision for them to his great charge.  He was the chief of those that
were ta ken at Boston, and suffered the greatest loss; and of the seven
that were kep t longest in prison, and after bound over . . . After he
came into Holland he suffered much hardship, after he had spent the most
of his means, having a g reat charge, and many children; and, in regard of
his former breeding and cou rse of life, not so fit for many employments
as others were, especially as we re toilsome and laborious.  But yet he
ever bore his condition with much chee rfulness and contention.  Towards
the later part of those 12 years spent in H olland, his outward condition
was mended, and he lived well and plentifully; for he fell into a way to
teach many students, who had a desire to learn the English tongue, to
teach them English; . . . He also had means to set up prin ting, by the
help of some friends . . . and by