Mark and Mariah's Family Tree
consisting, at present, of 166 generations
1 _FACT1
2 DATE 1620
2 PLACE "Mayflower" passenger
A deposition of his at Leyden finally settles the dispute about the dateof his birth and fixe
s it in the winter of 1566/67, probably in January.He came to Scrooby in 1571 with his fathe
r and mother. The boy wassomehow prepared for the university and entered Peterhouse, Cambrid
ge, inDecember 1580, and after he had attained some learning, viz. theknowledge of Latin tong
ue, and some insight in the Greek, and then beingseasoned with the seeds of grace and virtu
e he himself later declaredthat he acquired his first Separatist ideas there. He did not tak
e adegree and perhaps remained at Cambridge only a few months.
He went to the court, and served that religious and godly gentleman,Mr. Davison, diver
s years, 1541?-1608, when he was Secretary of State,who found him so discreet and faithful a
s he trusted him above all otherthat were about him, and only employed him in all matters o
f greatesttrust and secrecy . . . he attended his mr. when he was sent in ambassageby the Que
en into the Low Countries . . . And, at his return, the Stateshonored him with a gold chain
, and his master committed it to him, andcommanded him to wear it when they arrived in Englan
d, as they
rid through the country, till they came to the court.
Afterwards he went and lived in the country, and he lived at agreat manorhouse, locate
d beside Ryton in the northern tip ofNottinghamshire, halfway between London and the Scottis
h border on theRiver Ryton, owned by the Archbishopric of Yorke from 1589 to 1600. Hedid muc
h good in the country where he lived, after 1590 he was bailiffand postmaster in Scrooby,
in promoting and furthering religion not only by his practise andexample, and provocating an
d encouraging of others, but by procuring ofgood preachers to the places thereabouts, and dra
wing on of others toassist and help forward in such work; he himself most commonly deepest in
the charge, and sometimes above his ability. There he organized a groupof religious dissenter
s, often called the Pilgrims, who in 1606 separatedfrom the Church of England. They ordinaril
y met at this house on theLord's day, (which was a manor of the bishops) and with great lov
e heentertained them when they came, making provision for them to his greatcharge. He was t
he chief of those that were taken at Boston, andsuffered the greatest loss; and of the seve
n that were kept longest inprison, and after bound over. After some investigation of theirpr
oceedings by the High Commission of York, which
certainly did not amount to persecution, they decided to leave so ungodly
a land and finally succeeded in emigrating to Holland in 1608.
Finding Amsterdam also uncongenial, they settled at Leyden in 1609.Here, if not earlier
, Brewster became elder and teacher of the newchurch. To earn a living for his family, he bec
ame a printer of Puritanbooks, wirtten by the leaders in England, and shipped back to them fo
rsale and
distribution at home. In 1617 the initiation of the plan for emigrationto America took him an
d others to England where he interviewed officersof the Virginia Company and various royal of
ficials to secure permissionto colonize and a grand of land. Beyond much doubt he was the pri
ncipalenvoy. Returning to Leyden, he printed in 1618 or 1619 a book which gavegreat offense t
o James I. Of this the English government complained tothe Dutch authorities in 1619 with suc
h effect that Brewster felt itwiser to discontinue the press altogether and to return with hi
s familyto England where he seems to have lived unmolested until with anotherPilgrim leader
, William Bradford, he returned to England in 1619 andsecured a patent from the Virginia Co
. for a tract of land in America. Heplayed therefore no part in the final steps at Leyden fo
r the emigrationto America and was not present when the decision was reached, in April1620, t
hat the majority should remain at Leyden with Robinson theirminister, while the minority shou
ld attempt that he played no importantpart in organizing the company which sailed for Americ
a direct fromEngland, being fearful of royal interference with his own emigration.Brewster re
mained in England, until he and his family sailed aboard the"Speedwell" but when she had t
o put back, transferred to the "Mayflower".for the trip to America. He brought one servent, R
ichard More, of London,England.
He wasthe Master of the Mayflower Compact and of the constitution ofPlymouth Colony, an
d he continued as a leader of the colony. Until 1629,when an ordained minister was appointed
, Brewster was the only churchofficer at the Plymouth Colony.
He was the Reverend Elder of the Pilgrim's church at Plymouth, sincetheir pastor John Ro
binson remained behind in Leyden, Holland with themajority of the congregation which planne
d to come to America at a latertime. He was a fugitive from the King of England, because he h
adpublished a number of religious pamphlets whilein Leyden which werecritical or opposed th
e tenets of the Church of England.
He had been a member of the Separatist church movement from itsvery beginning, and wa
s the oldest Mayflower passenger to haveparticipated at the First Thanksgiving, in his earl
y fifties.
At Plymouth, Brewster was the only church officer until 1629, butheld services of praye
r and praise only; he expounded the Scripture atlength, but was forbidden by the rules to pre
ach, baptize, or celebratethe communion. Though he was therefore never a minister in the Pilg
rimsense of the word and though they "called" Smith, Roger Williams,Chauncey, and Reynor as t
heir ministers later, he remained throughout hislife the real leader of the church at Plymout
h and the man chieflyresponsible for its doctrines, observances, and worship. Administrativep
osition was foreclosed to him by his position in the church but he wasactive in counsel and p
layed a part second only to Bradford in alldecisions, great and small. He bought land oin 162
6. He became one of theUndertakers in 1627 who assumed the Pilgrim indebtedness.
His library proves him to have been read in history, philosophy,and religious poetry an
d shows that he continued to buy books throughouthis life.
We have no idea of his personal appearance but we do know from theinventory of his prope
rty that he wore a violet colored cloth coat,black silk stockings, a ruff, and other clothin
g, of impeccable modesty,but less severe than the popular tradition attributes to the Pilgrim
s.Social life at Plymouth was undoubtedly quiet in the extreme but in itBrewster played a ver
y important part.
He died Apr. 10, 1644, at Plymouth, possessed of a house, lands,cattle, and personalt
y worth 107 pounds.
For his personal abilities, he was qualified above many, he was wiseand discreet and wel
l spoken, having a grave and deliberate utterance, ofa very cheerful spirit, very sociable an
d pleasant amongst his friends,of an humble and modest mind, of a peaceable disposition, unde
rvaluing
himself and his own abilities . . . inoffensive and innocent in his lifeand conversatio
n . . . he was tender-hearted, and compassionate of suchas were in misery, but especially o
f such as had been of good estate andrank, and were fallen into want and poverty, either fo
r goodness andreligions sake, or by the injury and oppression of others; . . . "
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