h/o Lucretia Oldham; s/o William & Mary Brewster

Burial: Brewster Cemetery, Brewster's Neck, Preston, CT

Citizen: 30 June 1617, Became Dutch Citizen

Immigration: 09 November 1621, On "Fortune"

"Lintwerker" or ribbon maker in Pieterskerhof, Holland

Surveyor (laid out highways)

Military commissioner in the Pequot War in 1637

Tradesman

Started a Ferry company

Lawyer

JONATHAN BREWSTER was born 12 August 1593 at Scrooby, Nottinghamshire, England the son and eldest child of elder William Brewster and his wife, Mary. He had two younger sisters, Patience and Fear, and two younger brothers, Love and Wrestling along with an unnamed sibling who was buried, 20 June 1609 at Leyden, Holland.

He accompanied his family to Leiden in Holland around 1608 and accepted citizenship on 30 June 1617. Jonathan Brewster was "Lintwerker" or ribbon maker in Pieterskerhof, Leyden, Holland, and in 1617 he formed a partnership with Thomas Brewer, who later became one of the Adventurers in Plymouth. He was married to his first wife, Betje Rabnitz, on 27 April 1618.

Jonathan did not join his family on the Mayflower in 1620. Instead, he remained in Leiden with his wife, who was expecting at the time. She and their infant son died around 1620.

Jonathan came to America on the ship Fortune which docked at Cape Cod on 9 Nov. 1621. He was 27 years old at the time.

Jonathan married Lucretia Oldham, 10 Apr. 1624 in Plymouth. Lucretia was chr. 1 Jan. 1600/1, the daughter of William Oldham and Phillipa Sowter, of Derby, Derbyshire, England. and her brother John Oldham arrived in aboard the ship Ann in 1623; her brother was Captain John Oldham, whose slaying led to the Pequot Indian war. They had eight children.

He moved to Duxbury, Massachusetts around 1630. Jonathan was also one of the men who undertook to discharge the debts of Plymouth Colony. A freeman in 1633,

In 1635 he was in charge of a trading post in Connecticut on behalf of Plymouth Colony In a letter written 18 June 1636 Jonathan gave notice to John Winthrop, Governor of the fort at Saybrook, of the evil designs of the Pequots. On his return to Duxbury, he was active in the settlement of the town. 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." He served as a military commissioner in the Pequot War of 1637. He 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 as Deputy to General Court 1639, 1641, 1643-1644.

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. He also practiced as an attorney and was the master and owner of a coasting vessel plying as far south as 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."

Sometime before Sept 1649 he moved to Connecticut, being appointed town clerk of Pequot (New London) and obtained a grant of land from the Mohegan Sachem, Uncas, in that town, still known as Brewster's Neck, from which he operated a trading post with the Indians." (Brewster Book, by Milton Terry, 1985.) Because Jonathan had set up his trading post without the authority of the local government, he was censured, but the deed was confirmed by the town on 30 November 1652.

He died 7 Aug. 1659 in New London, Connecticut. His widow, Lucretia died at Parston, New London, Connecticut 4 Mar 1678. Jonathan and Lucretia are both buried in Brewster Cemetery, Brewster's Neck, Preston, Connecticut. A monument was erected there in their memory by their descendants.

Children of Jonathan Brewster and Luretia Oldham:

1. WILLIAM BREWSTER, born 9 March 1625, at Plymouth and married Mary Peame,

2. MARY BREWSTER, born 16 April 1627, at Plymouth and married John Turner, 10 Nov. 1645 at Plymouth

3. JONATHAN BREWSTER, born 17 July 1629 at Plymouth

4. RUTH BREWSTER, born 3 October 1631, married John Pickett, 14 March 1651, at New London, Connecticut. She died 30 Apr. 1677, at New London, Connecticut.

5. BENJAMIN BREWSTER, born 17 November 1633. At Duxbury, Plymouth and married Ann Adis, 23 Feb 1660, at Norwich, New London, Connecticut. He died 14 Sep. 1710, at Preston, New London, Connecticut.

6. ELIZABETH BREWSTER, born 1 May 1637, at Duxbury, Plymouth. She married 1st Peter Bradley, 7 Sep. 1653 at New London, New London, Connecticut and 2nd Thomas Bowen, abt. 1677 at New London, New London, Connecticut. She died Feb. 1708 at New London, New London, Connecticut.

7. GRACE BREWSTER, born 1 November 1639. At Duxbury, Plymouth and married Daniel Wetherell, 4 Aug. 1664, at New London, New London, Connecticut. She died 22 Apr. 1684, at New London, New London, Connecticut.

8. HANNAH BREWSTER, born 3 November 1641, at Duxbury, Plymouth and married 1st Samuel Starr, 23 Dec. 1664, at New London, New London, Connecticut and 2nd James Morgan Jr., abt. 1690, at New London, New London, Connecticut. She died 11 Dec. 1711, at Gorton, New London, Connectikcut.