Mary (Unknown) (mtDNA)

Status summary

As of November 9, 2016

Page created for Mary (Unknown), wife of Elder William Brewster
recruitment of individuals who are mtDNA descendants of Elizabeth (Tilley) Howland. Folks who are mtDNA descendants are encouraged to contact Raymond T. Wing (email: wing_genealogist AT yahoo DOT com)

Background

Biography

Not much is currently known about Mary, wife of Elder William Brewster. She filed an affidavit at Leydon (with her husband and eldest son Jonathan) on 25 Jun 1609 stating she was then aged 40, so she was born circa 1569.^[1] It is likely she was from either the Scrooby, Nottinghamshire area (where Elder Brewster was from) or the Doncaster, Yorkshire area (which is where the Brewster family is believed to have originated).^[2] She is believed to be the only wife of Elder Brewster, and the mother of all of his children. They were probably married about 1592 (as their oldest child was born in Aug 1593). ^[3] She died 17 Apr 1627 which was shortly before the 1627 Division of Land.^[4]

↑ NEHGReg. 18:20
↑ Caleb Johnson's MayflowerHistory.com
↑ Brewster Book, written by her son Jonathan, see the Mayflower Descendant 1:1 and ff.
↑ ibid.

mtDNA Results

We are currently looking for volunteer who are matrilineal descendants of Mary to take a full mtDNA test.

mtDNA Descendants

Mary & William had two daughters (Patience & Fear). Fear married Isaac Allerton ad died before 12 Dec 1634. Fear had one daughter, Sarah, born before the land division at the end of April 1627. It is believed Sarah died, presumably unmarried, before 1651 so the matrilineal descendants of Mary are limited to descendants of Patience.

SECOND GENERATION Patience Brewster was born, presumably at Scrooby, Nottinghamshire about 1600. She married Thomas Prence on 5 Aug 1624, being called the "ninth marriage at New Plymouth". They had one son, Thomas (III) (1627-1672) and two daughters.

THIRD GENERATION Rebecca Prence was born about 1625. She married Edmund Freeman (III) at Sandwich 22 Apr 1646 and she was buried there on 23 Mar 1647/8. In this short time span, Rebecca had two daughters (Patience & Rebecca).

Hannah Prence was born in Plymouth about 1632. She married twice, first to Nathaniel Mayo at Nauset (now Eastham) on 13 Feb 1649/50. They had six children (4 boys & 2 girls [Hannah & Bathsheba]) before his death which occurred circa Feb 1662. The widow then married (Capt) Jonathan Sparrow at Eastham about 1668 and they had two sons & a daughter (Patience).