William Brewster of the Mayflower
William Brewster b abt 1500, of Bentley cum Arksey, West Riding, Yorkshire, England. He md Maud Mann abt 1525, prob Yorkshire, England. She was b abt 1506.
Child of William Brewster and Maud Mann was:

William Brewster b abt 1535, of Scrooby, West Riding, Yorkshire, England, d 1590, Scrooby, Yorkshire, England. He md Mary Smythe bef 1558, daughter of William Smythe. She was b abt 1536, of Stainforth, Hatfield, West Riding, Yorkshire, England.
Child of William Brewster and Mary Smythe was:

William Brewster [a] b 1566/67, Scrooby, West Riding, Yorkshire, England, d 10 Apr 1644, Plymouth, MA. He md Mary [b] abt 1583, Scrooby, West Riding, Yorkshire, England. She was b abt 1569, Yorkshire, England, d 17 Apr 1627, Plymouth, MA.
Children of William Brewster and Mary were:
  • Jonathan Brewster b 12 Aug 1593, Scrooby, West Riding, Yorkshire, England, d 7 Aug 1659, Norwich, CT; md Lucretia Oldham 10 Apr 1624.
  • Patience Brewster b abt 1603.
  • Fear Brewster b abt 1605, Scrooby, West Riding, Yorkshire, England, d 12 Dec 1634. She md Isaac Allerton bef 22 May 1627.
  • Love Brewster b abt 1607, Scrooby, West Riding, Yorkshire, England, d abt Jan 1649/50, Duxbury, Plymouth, MA; md Sarah Collier 15 May 1634, Duxbury, Plymouth, MA.
  • Wrestling Brewster b abt 1611, Leiden, Holland, d bef 1651; unmd.

Patience Brewster b abt 1603, Scrooby, West Riding, Yorksire, England, d bef 12 Dec 1634, Plymouth, MA. She md Gov. Thomas Prence 5 Aug 1624, Plymouth, MA, son of Thomas Prence and Elizabeth Tolderby.


NOTES:
a. A printer by occupation, he was one of the original members of the separatist congregation at Scrooby in Yorkshire, which became the nucleus of the Pilgrim church. In 1608, he emigrated with his congregation to Holland, where he became the elder and teacher of their new church in Leiden. When he arrived aboard the Mayflower in 1620, Plymouth colony, having no minister, appointed him their lay leader, a capacity he held for most of his life in the colony. As a passenger on the Mayflower he was given six acres of land. He later removed to Duxbury, where he died intestate. Only two of his children, sons Jonathan and Love, were still living, and they requested William Bradford, Edward Winslow, Thomas Prence, and Myles Standish to assist in coming to an agreement over the division of their father's estate.

b. Much research and speculation has been focused on the identity of William Brewster's wife, Mary. For many years it was generally accepted that Mary was a Wentworth, which subsequently was disproved. Hunt claimed her surname to be Wyrrall, but no definitive record has been found which might illuminate this oft-debated issue.

SOURCES:
ANC: The Great Migration Begins, by Robert Charles Anderson, ongoing research project under the auspices of NEHGS, profile of William Brewster; Caleb Johnson's Mayflower Page.

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