William Brewster (c. 1566/1567 – 1644) was an English official and religious leader who became a central figure in the colonization of New England. A passenger on the historic 1620 voyage of the Mayflower, Brewster was a key member of the Puritan Separatist movement, also known as the Brownists, who sought to establish a community free from the state-run Church of England.\n\nFollowing the migration, Brewster rose to prominence as the senior elder and leader of the Plymouth Colony. His leadership was underpinned by his formal education and the significant stature he had already achieved among the Separatists who had previously immigrated from the Netherlands. Through his guidance, he helped shape the early administrative and spiritual life of the Plymouth settlement.
