Wrestling Brewster

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: LZ6P-FPT
• Initiatory (LDS): 20 Apr 1922, SLAKE

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: L5BC-FV2
• Initiatory (LDS): 19 Jun 1895, SGEOR

Notes:

Mayflower - Pilgrim

SOURCE: Jones, Emma C. Brewster (The Brewster genealogy, 1566-1907)

SOURCE: Robert Charles Anderson, (New England Historic Genealogical Soci e ty, Boston, MA).

SOURCE: Barbara Lambert Merrick, (General Society of Mayflower Descendan t s).

Love Brewster was born in Leiden, Holland, to parents William and Mary B r ewster. His father William was the Elder of the congregation, and in Le id en was a teacher of English and also published books on religion and t heo logy (most of which were illegally sent into England).
At the age of about 9, he came with his father and mother on the Mayflow e r to Plymouth. He married Sarah Collier in Plymouth on 15 May 1634. Sar a h was the daughter of William Collier, one of the investors, or Mercha n t Adventurers: a shareholder in the Plymouth Plantation. Love becam e a fr eeman (able to vote and hold land) in the Plymouth Colony on 2 Mar ch 1635 /6, and was a volunteer to fight in the Pequot War of 1637, but P lymout h Colony's volunteers were not needed. He raised his family in th e town o f Duxbury, volunteered for the militia under Captain Myles Stand ish, an d lived out his life in the town. His wife Sarah survived him fo r about t hirty more years, dying on 26 April 1691.

Love married Sarah Collier on 15 May 1634 in Plymouth, Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States. Sarah (daughter of William Collier and Jane Curtes Clark) was born on 30 Apr 1616 in Southwark, Surrey, England; was christened on 30 Apr 1616 in St. Olave's Church, Southwark, Surrey, England; died on 26 Apr 1691 in Plymouth, Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States; was buried on 6 May 1691 in Burial Hill, Plymouth, Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: L5R2-GBK
• Initiatory (LDS): 21 Jun 1922

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: LH2V-RD6
• Initiatory (LDS): 7 Sep 1894, SGEOR

Notes:

Mayflower - Pilgrim

SOURCE: Jones, Emma C. Brewster (The Brewster genealogy, 1566-1907)

SOURCE: Robert Charles Anderson, (New England Historic Genealogical Soci e ty, Boston, MA).

SOURCE: Barbara Lambert Merrick, (General Society of Mayflower Descendan t s).

William Brewster was born about 1566, the son of William Brewster. He w a s educated in both Greek and Latin and spent some time at Cambridge Uni ve rsity, although he never completed a full degree. He went into the ser vic e of William Davison, then Secretary of State, while his father bac k hom e maintained a position as the postmaster of Scrooby, Nottinghamshi re. Un der Davison, Brewster first traveled to the Netherlands. After Dav ison wa s removed as Secretary of State by Queen Elizabeth, Brewster work ed himse lf into his father's postmaster duties and maintained Scrooby Ma nor. Brew ster was instrumental in establishing a Separatist church wit h Richard Cl yfton, and they often held their meetings in the Manor house . Brewster an d the others were eventually found and forced out, and flee ing prosecutio n and persecution they headed to Amsterdam in 1608, and mo ved to Leiden , Holland in 1609. Brewster became the church's Elder, resp onsible for se eing that the congregation's members carried themselves pr operly, both he lping and admonishing them when necessary.

In Leiden, Brewster working with Thomas Brewer, Edward Winslow, and othe r s, began working a printing press and publishing religious books and pa mp hlets that were then illegally conveyed into England. Brewster also em plo yed himself teaching University of Leiden students English. By 1618 , th e English authorities were onto him and his printing press, and ha d the D utch authorities in pursuit of him. Thomas Brewer was arrested an d held i n the University of Leiden's prison, but Brewster managed to eva de the au thorities and went into hiding for a couple years.
When the Leiden church congregation decided to send the first wave of se t tlers to establish a colony that everyone could eventually move to, the i r pastor John Robinson decided to remain behind in Leiden with the majo ri ty of the congregation, intending to come later. The smaller group tha t w ent on the Mayflower desired the next highest ranking church official , El der Brewster, to go with them; so he agreed. He brought his wife Mar y an d two youngest children, Love and Wrestling, on the Mayflower with h im.

Brewster continued his work as Church Elder throughout his life at Plymo u th Colony. His wife Mary died in 1627, and he never remarried. He live d t o be nearly 80 years old, dying in 1644. His estate inventory lists t he t itles of several hundred books that he owned. Shortly after he died , Will iam Bradford wrote a short but concise biography of Brewster in hi s histo ry of Plymouth Plantation, though he erroneously filed it under 1 643 inst ead of 1644.

William married Mary before 1593 in Scrooby, Nottinghamshire, England. Mary was born about 1569 in Scrooby, Nottinghamshire, England; died on 17 Apr 1627 in Plymouth, Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States; was buried in Burial Hill, Plymouth, Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: LH5W-4T5
• Initiatory (LDS): 24 Nov 1922, SLAKE

Notes:

Mayflower - Pilgrim

SOURCE: Jones, Emma C. Brewster (The Brewster genealogy, 1566-1907)

SOURCE: Robert Charles Anderson, (New England Historic Genealogical Soci e ty, Boston, MA).

The English origins of Mrs. Mary Brewster are not known. A number of the o ries have been proposed over the years, including maiden names such a s We ntworth, Love, Wyrall, and others. However, no proof to support an y of th ese hypotheses has been found.

We know that Mary was born about 1569 because she stated she was 40 yea r s old in an affidavit filed in Leiden, Holland on 25 June 1609. She wa s p resumably from the vicinity of Doncaster, Yorkshire or Scrooby, Notti ngha mshire, as she married William Brewster in that area about 1592 an d had t heir first son Jonathan in Scrooby a year later. She next had a d aughte r Patience, born about 1600 or somewhat earlier. About 1606, the c hurch c ongregation began more formally meeting at the Scrooby manor, whe re she a nd husband William resided. About this time, pressure from the E nglish au thorities was mounting, and the meetings became more and more s ecretive . She gave birth to another daughter at this time, which they na med Fear . The couple fled just over a year later for Holland with the ot her membe rs of the congregation, and in Leiden they buried an unnamed ch ild: presu mably one that had died in infancy. In 1611, she gave birth t o a son the y named Love, and two or three years later gave birth to thei r last son , whom they named Wrestling.

Mary came to Plymouth on the Mayflower in 1620 with husband William, a n d her two youngest children Love and Wrestling. Mary was one of only fi v e adult women to survive the first winter, and one of only four wome n t o survive to the so-called "First Thanksgiving" in 1621. Son Jonatha n Bre wster joined the family in November 1621, arriving at Plymouth on t he shi p Fortune. Daughters Patience and Fear came on the ship Anne in 16 23. Mar y died in 1627 at Plymouth, having reached about the age of 60. H usband W illiam survived her, and would live another 17 years before he d ied.

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: LYJW-Z23
• Initiatory (LDS): 11 Mar 1932, LOGAN

William married Jane Curtes Clark on 16 May 1611 in Southwark, Surrey, England. Jane was born on 20 Oct 1591 in Sutton Courtenay, Berkshire, England; was christened on 24 Oct 1591 in London, Middlesex, England; died on 2 Dec 1661 in Plymouth, Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States; was buried in Duxbury, Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: LBWM-7Q4
• Initiatory (LDS): 19 Apr 1929, SLAKE

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: LB4N-BQH
• Initiatory (LDS): 19 Jan 2013, LOGAN

William married Mary Smythe in 1567 in St. Wilfrid's Church, Scrooby, Nottinghamshire, England. Mary (daughter of William Smythe and Agnes Simkinson) was born in 1535 in Scrooby, Nottinghamshire, England; died on 17 Apr 1627 in Scrooby, Nottinghamshire, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: LYGP-7HV
• Initiatory (LDS): 21 Apr 1922