Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

surround the story of the passage and
landing of the gallant little "Mayflower."
A line of honor in its own right, the relationship
that thus follows is one lending
additional distinction to a proud family
history.
(I) Richard Sparrow died in Eastham,
Massachusetts, January 8, 1660. He came
to America in 1632, settling at Plymouth,
and removed to Eastham in 1653. He
married Pandora and among their chil-
dren was Jonathan, of whom further.
(II) Captain Jonathan Sparrow, son of
Richard and Pandora Sparrow, was of
Eastham, Massachusetts. He was captain
of a train band, served in early Indian
wars, and was Representative to the Gen-
eral Court in 1668 and for eighteen years
following. He married (first), October
26, 1654, Rebecca Bangs, daughter of Edward
Bangs. He married (second) Hannah
(Prince) Mayo, daughter of Govern-
or Thomas Prince, a leading figure in
Plymouth, and granddaughter of William
Brewster, mentioned below. He married
(third), in 1698, Sarah (Lewis) Cobb.
Children of first marriage: i. Rebecca,
married Thomas Freeman. 2. John, of
whom further. 3. Priscilla, married Edward
Gray. 4. Lydia, married (first) William
Freeman, and (second) Jonathan
Higgins. 5. Elizabeth, married Captain
Samuel Freeman. 6. Jonathan. Children
of the second marriage: 7. Richard, mar-
ried Mercy Cobb. 8. Patience, married
Joseph Paine.
Of the children of Jonathan Sparrow of
his first marriage were Priscilla, who married
Edward Gray, who was a grandson
of James Chilton, of the "Mayflower,"
whose death took place on board that ves-
sel ; and Lydia, who married Jonathan
Higgins, the grandson of Thomas Rogers,
of the "Mayflower." Thomas Rogers was
a native of England, and a member of the
Leyden congregation. He was accom-
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
SO
panied on the "Mayflower's" voyage by
his son, Joseph, who became a resident
of Duxbury, and afterwards lived in Eastham,
Massachusetts, on Cape Cod. He
was, in 1647, appointed lieutenant of the
military company at Nawsett. The father,
Thomas Rogers, died in the first sickness
in 1621, and Joseph received his allotment
of lands in the division at Plymouth in
1623. Thomas Rogers' other sons, John,
William, and Noah, afterwards emigrated
from England to the Plymouth Colony
and settled at Duxbury, Massachusetts.
William Brewster, who was justly
named the "Patriarch of the Plymouth
Colony," was the moral, religious, and
spiritual leader of the Colony, and until
his death its trusted guide. His early en-
vironments were of wealth and prosperity,
therefore he was not brought up to arduous
labors. The surname is derived from
Brewer, Brewster, Brewister, meaning a
brewer of malt liquors, and appears among
the old families in the reign of Edward
III as ranking among "the English landed
gentry." The Suffolk branch of the fam-
ily, through Robert Brewster, of Mutford,
became established in the fifteenth cen-
tury at Castle Hedingham, located in Essex,
and marriage relations were formed
with several knighted families. It is from
this branch that Elder Brewster was de-
scended, his coat-of-arms being identical
with the Suffolk family.
His father, William Brewster, was appointed
in 1575-76 receiver of Scrooby and
bailiff of the Manor House there, belong-
ing to the Archbishop Sandys, of the Diocese
of York. He had a life tenure of both
these oflSces. Between 1583 and 1588 he
was made postmaster, and became known
as the "Post of Scrooby"; he was master
of the court mails, accessible only to those
connected with the court. The office of
postmaster in those days was filled by ?j