You might recognize some town names as you explore locations to book a vacation rental on Cape Cod. Places like Chatham, Falmouth, and Truro are named after towns and cities in England, likely because many of the region’s first settlers arrived from that part of the world.

Brewster is a bit different, though, because it’s named after a person. William Brewster was a passenger on the Mayflower who played a prominent role in the formation and growth of the Plymouth Colony during the early years of European settlement. When Brewster was incorporated in 1803, the townspeople named the community after him, even though he had died nearly 160 years earlier.

William Brewster’s story is interesting because he was present for so many historic events and played a significant part in them, as well. Here’s a look at William Brewster’s life and his leadership role in the early days of the American Colonies.

Brewster’s Early Days

Although we don’t know for sure, it’s believed William Brewster was born sometime between June 1566 and June 1567 in Scrooby, Nottinghamshire, England, to parents William Sr. and Mary Brewster.

In December 1580, at the age of 14, the younger William Brewster went to Peterhouse College at Cambridge University. He didn’t graduate but later became a secretary to William Davison and spent time in the Netherlands. During this time, Brewster became a Puritan under the teachings of Davison, which would have a significant influence on the rest of his life.

By 1603, Queen Elizabeth I had died, and King James had taken the throne. King James reestablished religious rule in England and imprisoned reformers who opposed the Church of England.

Brewster, now an elder and leader of the separatist Brownist church, was summoned by the courts for religious disobedience for conducting private religious ceremonies. However, he fled to Amsterdam and later Leiden, where he and other Puritans started planning their relocation to the New World aboard the Mayflower.

The Mayflower

The Puritans needed to escape the Church of England and decided the New World was the best place to do so.

On September 16, 1620, the ship left Plymouth, England, and set sail for what is now the United States of America. Many of the Pilgrims aboard the vessel were from Brewster’s Brownist church, and as one of the highest-ranking officials in the group, the other passengers requested his presence.

The Mayflower only had 102 passengers and 30 crew members when it left England, and only about half of them survived the first winter. Despite being in his 50s at this point, Brewster managed to get through the winter and would become one of the most respected individuals in this new colony.

The Plymouth Colony

As the church’s senior elder, William Brewster became the Plymouth Colony’s religious leader. He was also the only university-educated settler to arrive on the Mayflower, so the people would go to him for advice.

Brewster was an advisor to William Bradford, the Governor of the Plymouth County for most of the period between 1621 and 1657. This role made him a very powerful man, but he was known to be a kindhearted and tender individual who didn’t take advantage of his rank.

Eventually, Brewster was given land among the islands of Boston Harbor and another plot in present-day Duxbury. Brewster lived on this land in Duxbury, where he died in 1644.

Events Brewster Witnessed

Brewster was present for many significant moments in early American history. First, he was there for the signing of the Mayflower Compact, which created legal order in the Plymouth Colony. In fact, Brewster is one of the 41 people to sign the Compact, one of the most important documents in the country’s history.

Brewster was also around for the First Encounter when the Pilgrims first saw members of the Nauset tribe from the Wampanoag Nation. Although Brewster wasn’t part of the party that left the Mayflower to explore Cape Cod, he certainly heard stories of the First Encounter and had encounters of his own in later years.

Finally, Brewster was present for the first Thanksgiving in the Plymouth Colony. After the first harvest in the New World in October 1621, the Pilgrims invited the Wampanoag people, who had helped them survive their first winter, over for a feast. This feast lasted for three days and was the start of an alliance lasting more than 50 years.

Brewster Today

Today, Brewster, Massachusetts, is home to beaches, golf courses, parks, and a fantastic dining scene. It has a full-time population of about 10,000, but that number swells to 30,000 in the summer and creates a bustling vacation spot to check out.

It’s also a historic community because of its location on the Old King’s Highway and the plethora of old mansions and other buildings that remain.

There’s no record of William Brewster ever visiting the community that now shares his name, but that doesn’t make him any less vital to the early days of European settlement. And while Brewster doesn’t have a direct connection to this part of the Cape, there’s still a lot of history to experience.

Book your vacation rental in Brewster to experience everything this Cape Cod community has to offer.