(1)  William Brewster, taxed 1524, Bently cum Arksey, York, England; married Maude Man before 1535.  Parents of:

1. William, mentioned below
2. Henry

        (2) William Brewster, born about 1535, died 1590, living in Scrooby, York, England in 1564; married Mary, daughter of William Smythe of Stainforth, Hatfield, England, widow of John Simkinson of Doncaster, York, England.  William was postmaster at Scrooby, an appointment later bestowed on his son.
 
 
 

        (3)  William Brewster, passenger on the Mayflower, was born about 1566/7, probably at Doncaster, Yorkshire, England.  William Brewster was the Reverend Elder of the Pilgrim Church at Plymouth, since their pastor, John Robinson, remained behind in Leyden, Holland, with the majority of the congregation which planned to come to America at a later time. William was a member of the Separatist Church movement from its very beginning, and was the oldest Mayflower passenger to have participated at the First Thanksgiving, in his early fifties.
        After graduating from Cambridge University, William was employed by Sir William Davison, Secretary of State to Queen Elizabeth I, thus becoming an official in her Court.  Davison was the center of a plot designed by Sir William Cecil, Lord Burghley, and Elizabeth to absolve her from responsibility for the execution of her sister, Mary Queen of Scots, and Davison and his staff were expelled from the court and many imprisoned or hacked to pieces.  William Brewster retreated to the manor house at Scrooby where he inherited from his father the office of postmaster.  In those days, a postmaster was an official of extreme importance, responsible for the care and supply of horses for royal messengers and for passing on royal correspondence.  Letters from common folk were not yet carried by a government service.
        William was later a fugitive from King James I of England because he published a number of religious pamphlets while in Leyden which were directly critical of the King and opposed the tenets of the Church of England.
 

The "Brewster Bear" woodcut identified books printed by William Brewster.

        William Bradford, Brewster's adoptive son, wrote a lot about William Brewster in his contemporary history of the Colony entitled Of Plymouth Plantation, some of which follows:

        "After he had attained some learning, viz. the knowledge 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 Countries . . . And, at his return, the States honored him with a gold chain, and his master committed it to him, and commanded him to wear it when they arrived 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 furthering religion not only by his practise and example, and provocating and encouraging 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. . . . They 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 provision for them to his great charge.  He was the chief of those that were taken at Boston, and suffered the greatest loss; and of the seven that were kept 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 great charge, and many children; and, in regard of his former breeding and course of life, not so fit for many employments as others were, especially as were toilsome and laborious.  But yet he ever bore his condition with much cheerfulness and contention.
        Towards the later part of those 12 years spent in Holland, 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 printing, by the help of some friends . . . and by reason of many books which would not be allowed to be printed in England, they might have had more then they could do. . . . And besides that, he would labor with his hands in the fields as long as he was able; yet when the church had no other minister, he taught twice every Sabbath . . . For his personal abilities, he was qualified above many; he was wise and discreet and well spoken, having a grave and deliberate utterance, of a very cheerful spirit, very sociable and pleasant amongst his friends, of an humble and modest mind, of a peaceable disposition, undervaluing himself and his own abilities . . . inoffensive and innocent in his life and conversation . . . he was tender-hearted, and compassionate of such as were in misery, but especially of such as had been of good estate and rank, and were fallen into want and poverty, either for goodness and religions sake, or by the injury and oppression of others; . . . "

William Brewster's chest, brought from England and now in the possession of Pilgrim Hall, Plymouth, Massachusetts, was constructed of six planks and served as his bed, storage space and as a writing desk.  In fact, tradition has it that the Mayflower Compact was drafted and signed atop it.

        The maiden name of William Brewster's wife Mary has not been proven.  The claim it was Mary Wentworth rests solely on the fact that Mary Wentworth happened to live somewhat close to William Brewster in Scrooby, Nottingham.  That is very shaky evidence to say the least.  Further, it has been proposed that William Brewster may have married Mary Wyrall, but the evidence is just as flimsy for that marriage.  There are no fewer than seven marriages from 1590-1610 that have been located in parish registers showing a William Brewster marrying a Mary.  All, however, have been satisfactorily eliminated as possible candidates for the William and Mary (Brewster) who came on the Mayflower.  So at present, there is no evidence to identify she who was William Brewster's wife.

1. Jonathan, mentioned below
2. Patience, born about 1600, probably at Scrooby, Nottinghamshire, England,  died before 12 December 1634, Plymouth, Massachusetts;  married Thomas  Prence, 5 August 1624, Plymouth
3. Fear, born about 1606, probably in Scrooby, Nottinghamshire, England, died  before 12 December 1634, Plymouth, Mass.;  married Isaac Allerton, died after 10  July 1623, Plymouth
4. child, name unknown, born probably about 1609, Leyden, Holland, died about  1609, Leyden, Holland
5. Love, born about 1611, probably Leyden, Holland, died between 6 October  1650 and January 1650/1;  married Sarah Collier, 15 May 1634, Plymouth
6. Wrestling, born about 1614, probably Leyden, Holland, died before 1644  unmarried

        (4)  Jonathan Brewster, born 12 August 1593, Scrooby, Nottinghamshire, England, died 7 August 1659, New London, Connecticut;  married in Plymouth, Massachusetts, 10 April 1624 Lucretia Oldham, baptized in Derby, England 4 January 1600, died in Norwich (now Preston), Connecticut.  She was the daughter of William Oldham and Phillipa Sowter. Jonathan and Lucretia  are both buried in Brewster Cemetery, Brewster’s Neck, Preston, Connecticut, where a monument has been erected to their memory by their descendants.
        Jonathan’s name was recorded in the Leyden records several times.  He became a Dutch citizen 30 June 1617.  He was a witness to the reading and signing of the will of Thomas Brewer and his wife Anna Offley on 7 December 1617.  He also was a witness to the betrothal banns of John Reynolds entered 28 July 1617 and to the betrothal banns of Edward Winslow entered 27 April 1618.  Styled “Lintwercker” or ribbon maker, he lived in Pieterskerhof while in Holland.
        Jonathan arrived at Cape Cod on the Fortune 9 November 1621, and Lucretia came over on the Anne with her brother, John Oldham, arriving about 10 July 1623.  It was the murder of fiesty John Oldham that precipitated King Phillip's War.  Jonathan was also one of the men who undertook to discharge the debts of Plymouth Colony.  A freeman in 1633, he was active in the settlement of the town of Duxbury, incorporated 7 June 1637.  Records indicate that he served as a surveyor, laid out highways, practiced as an attorney, and was styled a “gentleman.”  Jonathan served as a military commissioner in the Pequot War in 1637, was on a committee to raise forces during the Narragansett Alarm of 1642, and was a member of Captain Myles Standish’s Duxbury Company in 1643.  He served several terms as Deputy to the General Court of Plymouth Colony in 1639, and from 1641 through 1644.
        In 1638 Jonathan Brewster established a ferry service to transport passengers and cattle across the North River.  In 1641, he sold this to Messrs. Barker, Howell and others.  Then, as the master of a small trading vessel, he plied the coast from Plymouth to Virginia.  This was evidently unprofitable, according to a letter written by Roger Williams to John Winthrop, Jr.:

 “Sir, (although Mr. Brewster write me not a word of it) yet in private I am bold to tell you that I hear it hath pleased God greatly to afflict him in the thorne of his life:  He was intended for Virginia, his creditors in the Bay came to Portsmouth and unhung his rudder, carried him to the bay, where he was forced to make over house, land, cattle, and part with all to his chest.  Oh how sweet is a dry morsel and a handful, with quietness from earth & heaven.”

“ April 1650, I, Unquas, Sachem of Mauhekon, doe give freely unto Jonathan Brewster of  Pequett, a tract of land, being a plaine of arable land, bounded on the south side with a  great Coave called Poccatannocke, on the north with old Poccatuck path that goes to the  Trading Coave, &c.  For, in consideration thereof, the said Jonathan Brewster binds  himself and his heirs to keep a house for trading goods with the Indians.”

Children:

1. William, born 9 March 1625
2. Mary, born 16 April, 1627;  married 10 or 12 November 1645 John Pickett.
3. Jonathan, born 17 July 1629
4. Ruth, born Jones River, 3 October 1631;  married 14 March 1651 John Turner, married second Charles Hill.
5. Benjamin, born 17 November 1633
6. Elizabeth, born 1 May 1637
7. Grace, born 1 November 1639;  married Daniel Witherell.

Hannah, born 3 November 1641