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View Tree for William IlI Elder BrewsterWilliam IlI Elder Brewster (b. January 24, 1559/60, d. April 10, 1644)

William IlI Elder Brewster (son of William Sr Brewster and Mary Smythe) was born January 24, 1559/60 in Scrooby, Nottinghamshire, England, and died April 10, 1644 in Plymoth, Mass. He married Mary Wentworth on Abt. 1590 in Scrooby, Nottinghamshire, England.

 Includes NotesNotes for William IlI Elder Brewster:
SCROOBY--AUSTERFIELD--BREWSTER--BRADFORD.
At Scrooby lived William Brewster, afterwards the famous Elder Brewster of Plymouth Colony, and at Austerfield, a neighboring Yorkshire village, resided William Bradford, the historian and future Governor of Plymouth Colony. William Brewster was born in 1569, attended Cambridge University, and was appointed in 1590 to keep the post station at Scrooby. Brewster became greatly interested in religious matters and was industrious in building up the Episcopal or Puritan congregations in the wide region around Scrooby. He was assisted by young William Bradford of Austerfield. In 1606 came a rude change. Persecution had become active at Scrooby. The Puritan reformers at Scrooby were repelled and became Separatists. A Separatist congregation was gathered from the remnants of the Gainsborough congregation. Brewster and Bradford joined the movement. Richard Chilton became the pastor. As junior pastor came John Robinson, a graduate of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, formerly a clergyman in the established church near Norwich--a learned, liberal, cultivated man. In 1607 the determination was formed to escape further persecution by flight to Holland. A large ship was hired to take them at Boston forty miles from Scrooby. Through the treachery of the officers of the ship, the fugitives were robbed of their effects, and Bradford, Brewster and others were imprisoned.
In 1608 after severe trials, in various ways, the constant ones escaped to Holland under the care and guidance of Clifton, Robinson and Brewster, and in August were reunited on the banks of the Zuyder Zee at Amsterdam in Holland.
IN HOLLAND
At Amsterdam were two Separatist congregations; one banished from London in 1593 after the execution of its teacher, Greenwood; the others escaped from Gainsborough in 1605-1606. The Gainsborough society was at variance with its pastor John Smyth, and its division was affecting the elder and larger church. To escape these dissensions the new comers from Scrooby, in May, 1609, removed to Leyden. Clifton, now an old man, remained at Amsterdam. The Scrooby band at its removal to Leyden numbered one hundred persons. At Leyden the Scrooby Separatists lived peaceably and busily. Brewster, after several years, was employed at the University to teach English to the students. He wrote and published several text books. Subsequently he set up as a printer and published several theological works. In 1619 the English Government complained that Brewster's books were "vended underhand" in England and asked that Brewster be delivered up for trial in England. The Dutch, anxious to strengthen their English alliance against Spain, promptly attempted to arrest Brewster. William Brewster, however, escaped to London, where he remained concealed until the sailing of the Mayflower, which he helped to fit out. At Leyden, under the leadership of their pastor, John Robinson, a sagacious, untiring and wise leader, the Separatist community moved quietly along. As years passed many changes came to the people. Births, marriages, deaths followed from year to year. As they increased in numbers more continuous labor was necessary to earn even a comfortable living. The young were becoming attached to the Dutch ways. They feared that soon they would become Dutch in tastes and habits, and that their descendants would be likely not only to lose the English language and character, but to allow the precious fire to die out on the Separatist altar. A removal seemed to be demanded. The resolution to settle in North America became fixed.
EMIGRATION TO NEW ENGLAND
Finally June 29, 1619, a patent was issued by the English Government of land near the northern limits of the Virginia territory, not to the Separatists who were non-residents, but to John Wincob. Early in 1620 one Thomas Weston, a merchant of London, came to Leyden offering to furnish the funds required. He connected with himself some seventy English merchants who took stock at 10 pounds per share for promoting this emigration, on the basis of a division of the Colony's possessions and earnings at the end of seven years between the stockholders and the inhabitants. February 12, 1620, the Wincob patent was succeeded by one running to John Pierce, which conveyed, with self-governing powers, a tract of land to be selected by the planters near the mouth of the Hudson.
A sixty ton pinnance the "Speedwell," was purchased by the adventurers as the London merchants were called, and was fitted out in Holland. She was to take the Leyden people to Southampton. The "Mayflower," a hundred and sixty ton ship, had been selected to bring the English comrades from London to Southampton, whence the "Mayflower" and "Speedwell" were to sail for America.
July 31, 1620, the Leyden people kept a farewell feast. John Robinson, their pastor, preached the farewell sermon. On the evening of the same day they left Leyden by the canal for Delfthaven, some fourteen miles distant. Bradford says: "So they left that goodly and pleasant city which had been their resting place near twelve years; but they new they were Pilgrims and looked not much on those things but lifted up their eyes to the heavens, their dearest country and quieted their spirits."
The next morning, after a touching farewell (which Weir's famous painting in the United States Capitol has reproduced), the Pilgrims sailed from Delfthaven in the "Speedwell" for Southampton. At Southampton the "Mayflower" had been receiving her stores and outfit for a week when the "Speedwell" arrived. The two vessels left Southampton August 15, 1620, but put back to Dartmouth about August 23rd, on account of the alleged leakage of the "Speedwell." The voyage was resumed about September 2d. When about three hundred miles off Land's End, the Captain of the "Speedwell" again reported his craft leaking. After consultation they put back to Plymouth. Here the "Speedwell" was returned to the Adventurers, and eighteen of her passengers went back in her. The remainder of the Pilgrims, one hundred and two in numbers, sailed from Plymouth for the New World in the "Mayflower" September 16, 1620.
SOURCE: The Tucker Genealogy, A Record of Gilbert Ruggles and Evelina Christina (Snyder) Tucker; by Tyler Seymour Morris; Chicago 1902; pp. 138-142; citing "Authority: The Pilgrim Republic, Boston, 1893. John A. Goodwin, 662 pages."


Brookhaven, Suffolk Co, NY
According to An Historical Account of Brookhaven, Suffolk County, NY by Researcher Stu Hotchkiss, the settlement of Brookhaven "was first called Setauket, and the first settlement was made at Setauket (then called "Cromwell Bay"), in 1655, by a colony of immigrants from Boston, MA and vicinity. The family names of those settlers were Woodhull, Hawkins, Whitchaire, Jenner, Perring, Gibb, Satterly, Biggs, Tooker, Rogers, Fancy, Longbotham, Lane, FLOYD, Muncy, Seward, Wade, Sayler, Smith, Avery, Dayton, Davis, Frost, Thomas, Baylis, Thomson, Ward, ROE, Budd, BROOKS, WILLIAMS, Woolley, Akerly, COMBS, Waring, Mapes, Thorp, Eburne, BREWSTER, Poole, Sharpe, Burnet, Helme, Garlick, Moger, PIERCE, and WARE.... The first minister was Rev. Nathaniel BREWSTER who settled here in 1655. He was a grandson of Elder William BREWSTER, one of the founders of the Plymouth colony, who came over in the May Flower, in 1620. Mr. BREWSTER died in 1690."
Nathaniel BREWSTER'S Aunt Feare BREWSTER m Isaac ALLERTON, Sr. whose sister, Sarah, m ca 1630, Plymouth Colony, John COMBE.

Separatist Church, established in 1606, by William Brewster at Scrooby Manor





More About William IlI Elder Brewster and Mary Wentworth:
Unknown-Begin: Abt. 1590, Scrooby, Nottinghamshire, England.

Children of William IlI Elder Brewster and Mary Wentworth are:
  1. +Jonathan Brewster, b. August 12, 1593, Scrooby, Nottinghamshire, England, d. August 07, 1659, Norwich, New London Ct..
  2. Parience Brewster.
  3. Fear Brewster.
  4. Love Brewster.
  5. Wrestling Brewster.
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