William Brewster and Separatist Pilgrims’ Immigration to America William Bradford wrote of his close friend and mentor, “[Elder William Brewster] 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, and both powerfully and profitable, to the great contentment of his hearers” (qtd. in Gragg 291). This hard work and dedication of my ancestor, Brewster, was greatly admired. The work ethic he exhibited made the Pilgrims’ situation in Plymouth more compliant (Bradford and Morison). Brewster, along with William Bradford, led the Separatists on a challenging journey from Leiden, Holland, to America (Gragg 132). My ancestors’ immigration to North America in the 1600s
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They had multiple reasons for leaving: religious persecution, economic gain, escape from jail time, and enslavement. The southern colonies were primarily settled by people arriving in America for economic gain, and the northern colonies were mainly settled by people who had escaped religious persecution (Wandrei). One group fleeing religious persecution was the Separatists: people who broke away from the Anglican church (the official of England) because of their aversion for Queen Elizabeth’s 39 Articles of Religion (McDougall 52; Gragg 3). The Separatists were viewed as threats to authority by the English government (Gragg 8). In Scrooby, one of the English towns, much of the Separatist population left England due to religious persecution from the government and to escape threats from Archbishop Matthew, who enforced King James’ suppression of Separatism (68). One of the Scrooby Separatist leaders and my ancestor, William Brewster, held secret, illegal meetings and worshipped in the Scrooby Manor by night (Gragg 64). By day, Brewster worked as an English postmaster and a royal bailiff (63). In the Scrooby Manor, a large home with a chapel and nearly forty rooms, worship services focused on Scripture and lasted almost all day (Gragg 59-60, 63). In 1607, the Scrooby Separatists, Brewster and his wife, Mary, chose to leave England and move to Leiden, Holland to practice their beliefs
They had multiple reasons for leaving: religious persecution, economic gain, escape from jail time, and enslavement. The southern colonies were primarily settled by people arriving in America for economic gain, and the northern colonies were mainly settled by people who had escaped religious persecution (Wandrei). One group fleeing religious persecution was the Separatists: people who broke away from the Anglican church (the official of England) because of their aversion for Queen Elizabeth’s 39 Articles of Religion (McDougall 52; Gragg 3). The Separatists were viewed as threats to authority by the English government (Gragg 8). In Scrooby, one of the English towns, much of the Separatist population left England due to religious persecution from the government and to escape threats from Archbishop Matthew, who enforced King James’ suppression of Separatism (68). One of the Scrooby Separatist leaders and my ancestor, William Brewster, held secret, illegal meetings and worshipped in the Scrooby Manor by night (Gragg 64). By day, Brewster worked as an English postmaster and a royal bailiff (63). In the Scrooby Manor, a large home with a chapel and nearly forty rooms, worship services focused on Scripture and lasted almost all day (Gragg 59-60, 63). In 1607, the Scrooby Separatists, Brewster and his wife, Mary, chose to leave England and move to Leiden, Holland to practice their beliefs