Born ca 1566 in Doncaster, Yorkshire, Eng.17 William died on 10 Apr 1644 in Duxbury, MA.3 Occupation: printer.
William Brewster, who came later to America, was for many years postmaster at Scrooby, a little village on the great North road about fifty miles from London. Nowadays a postmaster has mainly to do with letters and parcels and money orders, but three hundred years ago he had to do almost entirely with horses. Letters then posted were mainly governmental correspondence, sent by members of the Court. He did not live in a little house on a side street, but had a grand mansion called Scrooby Manor with a large brick stable and his duty was to supply horses to all travelers who desired to hire them. He was appointed by the government and had what 300 years ago was considered a handsome salary, namely 2 shillings a day, besides what travelers used to pay him if they stayed for a night or so at Scrooby Manor on their journey. He was also responsible for the relays of horses on the post road. He held the position of postmaster from 1590 to 1607.
About 1602 his neighbors began to assemble at the Manor house for worship, where Brewster, "did much good in promoting and furthering religion." He was opposed to the laxness and excess of the clergy, and favored greater strictness of morals and doctrine. He and his friends organized a branch of the Separatists, or those who preferred the congregational system, whereby each charge would be responsible to itself alone. In the face of persecution, in 1607 he with his friends chartered a Dutch boat to take them to Holland, but through the treachery of the Captain they were seized and imprisoned for a time. A year later they reached The Hague, where Brewster spent most of his means in providing for his family. At Leyden, in 1609, he was chosen ruling Elder of the Congregation. He remained in Holland twelve years, supporting himself by teaching English and by the use of the printing press. He was engaged in printing secretly religious books proscribed by the English government. In 1619 their types were seized, and his partner was arrested. Brewster, however, escaped and in the same year with Robert Cushman obtained in London on behalf of his associates a land patent from the Virginia Company. In 1620 he was selected to accompany the advance guard to the New World. The Pilgrims sailed from Delftshaven late in July, 1620, from Southampton on the 5th of August, and from Plymouth on the 6th of September, 1620. After a stormy voyage of ten weeks, they anchored in Plymouth Harbor, Nov. 21, 1620, and "there in the cabin of the Mayflower, Elder William Brewster drafted the first written Constitution in the history of the world, --- a marvel of clearness, brevity, and strength." At Plymouth he bore an important part in establishing the Pilgrim Republic, not shrinking from the severest manual labor, and "when the church had no other minister, he taught twice every Sabbath, both powerfully and profitably, to ye great contentment of ye hearers." He took a prominent part in the affairs of the colony, and served in the Indian Wars under Captain Myles Standish. Nearly every ship which came from England brought books to Brewster, and at his death his library inventoried 400 volumes, 62 of which were in Latin. There were 98 commentaries or translations of the Bible.
"He possessed that happy attitude of mind which could accustom itself to all circumstances; destitute of meat, of fish and bread, even with his single meal of clams would return thanks to the Lord that he could suck of the abundance of the seas and the treasures hid in the sands."
He was accompanied by his wife Mary, and two sons, Love and Wrestling; also, a boy called Richard More. The rest of his children came over afterward. (The Pilgrims purposely chose such names as peace, love, and patience, for their children, to emphasize their separation from the established church, which perpetuated the saints of the church calendar in naming children.)
During their first winter in America, the Pilgrims buried half their number, leveling the graves and sowing grain over them in the Spring, in order to conceal their misfortunes from the Indians. He enjoyed a healthy old age and was sick but one day, when he died on the 10th of April, 1644, 78 years of age. His wife, Mary, fourth signer of the Mayflower Compact, died April 17th, 1627. He survived all his daughters, leaving only two sons, Jonathan and Love.