George is described as a farmer in 1821 in The Stamford Mercury and as an agricultural labourer in the 1841 census.
Events
Date of Birth: 8 September 1774.
The date of birth is given in an extraction from the prayer book of Ann Brewster, written by the priest in the Register of Baptisms of the Roman Catholic Chapel of Market Rasen.
Date of Death: 14 December 1850.
Place of Death: 31 Vincent Street, Hull, Yorkshire.
The death and place are recorded on the death certificate.
Date of Burial: 18 December 1850.
Place of Burial: Drypool, Yorkshire (St Andrew's).
The burial is recorded in the parish register.
Relationships
Father: Thomas Brewster (about 1737 - 1815).
Mother: Ann Lilly (about 1749 - 1804).
Many online trees have incorrect parents here. See the Commentary section.
Spouse: Mary Craigs. Married 11 November 1805 in Market Rasen, Lincolnshire.
The parish register records the marriage.
Children:
(Complete source citations for facts about the children on this page are currently outside of the scope of this project.)
George Brewster (born 2 June 1808, baptized the same day in Market Rasen [Roman Catholic]).
Francis Brewster (born 28 March 1810, baptized the same day in Market Rasen RC - buried 10 August 1882 in Immingham, Lincolnshire) married (1) Mary England 14 May 1832 in Normanby le Wold, Lincolnshire; married (2) Susan Dann 22 June 1856 in Market Rasen.
Thomas Brewster (born 11 April 1812, baptized the same day in Market Rasen RC - died 9 January and buried 11 January 1833 in Market Rasen.)
Ann Brewster (born 7 August 1814, baptized the same day in Market Rasen RC) married Thomas Gresham in 1842.
Elizabeth Ann Brewster (born 15 October 1816, baptized the same day in Market Rasen RC - died 1890 in Sunderland, Durham) married Barnabas Houltby 12 June 1843 in Normanby le Wold, Lincolnshire.
Mary Agnes Brewster (born 21 January 1818, baptized the same day in Market Rasen RC - died 24 June 1877 at Hull, Yorkshire) married (1) John Martin Ware 14 September 1839 in Hull, Yorkshire; married (2) Jonathan Hatfield in 1865.
Teresa Brewster (born 21 March 1821, baptized the same day in Market Rasen RC - died 1873) married James Beckworth in 1858.
Charles Brewster (born 22 April 1823, baptized the same day in Market Rasen RC - died 29 September 1877 in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire) married Eliza East 22 June 1851 in Kingston upon Hull.
William Brewster (born 17 September 1825, baptized the same day in Market Rasen RC - died 4 January 1826).
John Brewster (born 28 December 1826, baptized the same day in Market Rasen RC - died 26 December 1911 in Ontario, Canada) married (1) Charlotte Kirton 9 August 1858 in Innisfil, Simcoe, Canada West; married (2) Mary Morley.
Ellen Brewster (born 20 August 1829, baptized the same day in Market Rasen RC - buried August 1883 in Farnworth, Lancashire) married James Page in 1856.
Joseph Brewster (born 23 April 1832, baptized the same day in Market Rasen RC).
Evidence
from the Market Rasen Roman Catholic chapel register:
Extractum E Libro Precum Annae Brewster.
Joseph, born July 23.d 1767.
Charles, born August. 29.th 1768.
Francis Willoughby, born Decemb. 11.th 1770.
John, born August. 19.th 1772
George, born Septemb. the 8.th 1774
Thomas, born August. 14.th 1776.
Edward, born July 15.th 1780 et omnes baptizati a Rev’do Domino Johnson.
June the 2.d 1808, then was baptized, George, the son of George Brewster & Mary Craigs, his Wife, (Born this 2.d inst) God Father W.llm Brewster.-
God Mother Mary Robinson-
March the 28.th 1810. then was baptized, Francis, the son of George Brewster & Mary Craigs, his Wife, (Born this 28.th inst) God Father Julse Champney
God Mother Winifrid Hunt-
April. the 11.th 1812. then was baptized, Thomas the son of George Brewster, & Mary Craigs his Wife. /born this day/ God Father Michael Hunt
God Mother Ann Sharp
August. the 8.th 1814. Then was baptized, Ann the Daughter of George Brewster & Mary Craigs, his Wife, Born the 7.th inst /
God Father Edward Morley.
God Mother Teresia Young.
October the 15.th 1816. then was baptized Elizabeth the daughter of George Brewster & Mary Craigs his Wife /born this day/
God Father Edmund Ward -
God Mother Ann Hunt.
January the 21.st 1818. Then was baptized Mary the daughter of George Brewster & Mary Craigs his Wife /born this day/
God Father Francis Morley.
God Mother Frances Hunt.-
Marth the 21.st 1821. Then was baptized Teresa the Daughter of George Brewster & Mary Craigs his Wife /born this day/
God Father James Danby
God Mother Mary Milson
April the 22.d 1823. Then was baptized Charles the son of George Brewster & Mary Craigs his wife /born this day/
God Father. Thomas Brewster
God Mother. [blank]
September the 17. 1825. Then was baptized William the son of George Brewster and Mary Craigs his Wife /born this day/
God Father [blank]
God Mother [blank]
December the 28.th 1826. Then was baptized John the son of George Brewster & Mary Craigs his Wife /born this day/
God Father John Clark
God Mother Fancisas[?] Hunt
August the 10.th 1829 then was baptized Ellen the daughter of George Brewster & Mary Craig his wife /born this day/
God Father - John Clark
God Mother - Frances Hunt.-
April the 23d 1832. Then was baptized, Joseph the son of George Brewster & Mary Craigs his Wife /born this day/
from the Stamford Mercury (10 August 1821, page 1):
Lincolnshire Assizes:
Watmough (Jonathan the younger) v. Vane (John Henry).
This was an action by a brickmaker at Middle Rasen, to recover the price of a quantity of bricks and tiles sold to the defendant, a respectable attorney at Market Rasen. The question to be decided was, whether at the time of the purchase (June, 1819) the brick-yard belonged to the plaintiff or to his father. The plaintiff’s case was supported by the testimony of George Brewster, a farmer, who fetched the goods for Mr. Vane; by Wm. Brumby, foreman in the brick-yard, who stated that Watmough the younger was master there at the time in question, and that the old man had nothing to do with the yard; by Mr. John Cragg, agent to the Hon. W. H. Cust (landlord of the premises), who proved that old Watmough applied to him at Lady-day, 1817, to have his son’s name substituted for his own as tenant of the brick-yard; by Mr. Wm. Cragg, son of the last witness; and by Mr. Anthony Thornton, keeper of the excise-office at Rasen, who proved that in 1817 the excise entry of the brick-yard, which up to that time had been in the name of the elder Watmough, was alterer to that of Watmough the younger.--Mr. Reader, for the defendant, maintained that this was an attempt by a young man to cheat his father and his father’s creditors, and that even if the change of tenancy could be supposed to be established, it would not alter the ownership of the capital employed in the trade, and the property upon the premises, for which the son had never paid the father any consideration whatever. The learned counsel called Jonathan Watmough the elder, who stated that he had been a bankrupt and had obtained his certificate. He had occupied the brick-yard at Middle Rasen for more than 40 years, his son acting for a great part of the time as his book-keeper and managing the business. Witness called on Mr. Cragg at Lady-Day, 1817, and told him that he was going to London about a cause pending between him and Mr. Turner, and that if he was unsuccessful in the suit, he should be under the necessity of assigning over his property; and he therefore wished that his two sons should be accepted as tenants in his stead. Mr. Cragg said the matter must be enquired into, and appointed to meet him at Boston fair, when, if all parties agreed, the change might be made; but the parties did not meet and witness never gave up the tenancy to his son. Witness had received some trifling sum of money in the business since, though his son was more active in the management of it. It was witness’ capital that was employed; there were many book-debts and buildings, and the business had all gone on as usual. Witness’ estate owed money to Mr. Vane, to a larger amount than that of the bricks which had been delivered. Witness had discharged Mr. Vane, as well as several other persons, from paying any money to his son, the plaintiff. [The written discharge to the defendant was then put in.]-- Mr. Denman, in reply, said that instead of this being an attempt by the son to cheat the father, it was an attempt of the father to cheat the son, who had been endeavouring to support his family when the father had abandoned them. The Jury would perceive the spirit in which this solitary witness for the defence had given his evidence, and bear in mind that Mr. Vane was the clerk to the commission of bankruptcy which had issued against him.--The Judge observed, that the single question for the Jury was whether the bricks had been the property of the plaintiff or not. -- The Jury returned a verdict for the Plaintiff, damages 54l. 6s. 6d.
from the "Died" section of the Stamford Mercury of 18 January 1833 (page 3):
At Market Rasen, on Wednesday the 9th inst., Thomas third son of Mr. George Brewster, in his 20th year.
1841 Census (Swan Yard, Market Rasen)
Geo: Brewster, 70, Ag. Lab., Y [“Y” means born in Lincolnshire]
Mary - Do -, 55, Y
Helen - Do -, 11, Y
George’s death certificate:
no. 274
Fourteenth December 1850. 31 Vincent Street, Hull
George Joseph Brewster
Male
76 years
Labourer
Old Age. No Medical Attendant
Mary Ware Present at the Death 31, Vincent Street, Hull.
Seventeenth December 1850.
J M Fullane Registrar.
from the Drypool parish register:
Name: George Joseph Brewster
Abode: West Sculcoates
When buried: December 18.th [1850]
Age: 76 years
By whom the Ceremony was performed: T. Morton
Commentary
George’s parentage
The register for the Market Rasen Roman Catholic chapel contains contains a list of birthdays of George and his siblings under the title “Extractum E Libro Precum Annae Brewster” (“Extracted from the Prayer Book of Ann Brewster”). The eldest child, Joseph, was born in 1767. The Market Rasen register records the marriage of Thomas Brewster and Ann Lilly in 1766. Thomas Brewster left a 1816 will in which he named several of the children.
In addition, there is supporting DNA evidence for this parentage. I am paper trail descendant of George Brewster. I share DNA with three descendants (by well researched paper trail) of George’s brother Thomas (2 by 9 cM over 1 segment and 1 by 18 cM over 1 segment). From looking at the trees, I see no plausible path to account for the matches apart from the Brewster descent.
There is no reasonable doubt that George’s parents were Thomas Brewster and Ann Lilly.
Mistaken parentage
Several online trees give George the incorrect parents Richard Brewster and Dorothy Willoughby, who were married in West Rasen in 1767. This appears reasonable: one of George’s brothers was named “Francis Willoughby Brewster”, and Dorothy’s surname explains this. However, in addition to the evidence cited in the section above, several facts show that this cannot be true. Dorothy is recorded as a widow in the 1767 marriage, and thus “Willoughby” was not her maiden name but the surname of her first husband. Also, the marriage bond shows that Dorothy was aged 48 at the time of the 1767 marriage, making her clearly too old the be George’s mother. Furthermore, Dorothy died in 1778, before the birth of one of George’s brothers.
The true origin of Francis’s middle name “Willoughby” appears to be that Willoughby was the maiden name of Ann Lilly’s mother.
References
“AncestryDNA ThruLines for Thomas Brewster” database report, AncestryDNA. Accessed 19 February 2025.
Drypool parish registers, digital images on Findmypast.co.uk, accessed 31 July 2019.
George Brewster record of birth, Register of Births and Baptisms at the Roman Catholic Chapel in the parish of Market Rasen, Lincolnshire from 1765 to 1840, RG4, piece 1318, folio 11; digital image thegenealogist.co.uk (accessed 29 March 2014). Extracted from the prayer book of the mother, Anna Brewster.
George Brewster - Mary Craggs marriage record, Bishop’s transcripts for Market Rasen, 1561 - 1837. Church of England. Parish Church of Market Rasen. FHL film 504738 Item 2. [The witnesses were John Booth and John Lancaster.]
Geo: Brewster household, 1841 census of England, Lincolnshire, Caistor. Piece 642, Book/Folio 7/12, Page 16; digital image Findmypast.co.uk (accessed 29 March 2014).
"Lincolnshire Assizes", in The Lincoln, Rutland, and Stamford Mercury (Stamford, 10 August 1821).
Lincolnshire Chronicle (12 November 1847). (Digital image on Findmypast.co.uk accessed 16 March 2015).
Market Rasen parish registers, digital images on Findmypast.co.uk, accessed 28 December 2015.
Market Rasen Catholic Chapel registers, 1799-1840 [digital images on Ancestry.com, accessed 23 January 2016]. Originals: Registers of Births, Marriages and Deaths surrendered to the Non-parochial Registers Commissions of 1837 and 1857. Records of the General Register Office, Government Social Survey Department, and Office of Population Censuses and Surveys, Registrar General (RG) 4. The National Archives, Kew, England. Piece 1318.