At this time of celebration of our national day of Thanksgiving, it is fitting to give a grateful tribute to one of the most influential marriages in American history. Four hundred years ago, an aging couple in their fifties left behind all that they had known and loved to journey to the rocky, untamed wilderness of North America. William and Mary Brewster, in spite of their advancing ages, were among the brave Pilgrims that boarded the Mayflower to sail to the New World.

Unlike most Pilgrims, William Brewster had a family heritage among the landed gentry of England. He had been educated at Cambridge University and held the public office of Postmaster while living in his manor house in Scrooby. Courageously turning from the ceremonies and formalism of the established church, he chose to cast his lot with the Separatists. He opened his stately home to meetings of the Separatists when they were not allowed to meet in a parish church. As a respected leader of the Separatist community, he held an important role as a church elder, and all the other Pilgrim men looked to him as an example of Godliness and faithfulness.

Information about Brewster’s wife, Mary, remains largely unknown. In spite of the most diligent searches by skilled historians, even her maiden name remains hidden in the mists of obscurity. Facts that are available include that she was born in 1569, and that she was married to William Brewster around 1592. She showed great sacrifice in leaving behind her comfortable home in England to take up the life of a religious fugitive. Her five surviving children were named Jonathan, Patience, Fear, Love, and Wrestling. Mary Brewster was one of only five adult women who survived the first heartrending winter in Plymouth Colony, and her service to the other ladies was loved and emulated.

The Brewsters valued hospitality.

A very significant fact about William and Mary Brewster is that, while still living in England, they opened their home to a young orphaned lad named William Bradford. The friendship was forged by a simple act of kind hospitality and formed a bond that lasted a lifetime and helped in building a new civilization in North America.

The Brewsters led graciously.

As leaders, the Brewsters humbly and graciously set an example. Elder Brewster did not exert his authority as a petty lord over God’s heritage but was an “example to the flock” (I Peter 5:3). Despite their advanced age and place of leadership, Elder Brewster planted corn and lifted logs alongside the other men. Mary Brewster was one of the few women well enough to prepare the first Thanksgiving meal for fifty Pilgrims, plus a band of Indians!

The Brewsters served humbly.

During the dire days of sickness, very few people remained who were healthy enough to care for the sick and bury the dead. William Bradford made special mention of the Brewsters in his writings. He commended their willingness to do “all the homely and necessary offices which dainty and queasy stomachs cannot endure . . . and all this willingly and cheerfully.” The couple’s faithfulness has inspired countless others, and their children and grandchildren lived on to follow in their steps.

The direct descendants of William and Mary Brewster today number more than one million souls. They include such significant names as President Zachary Taylor and hymn writer Fanny Crosby. The couple’s faith in the eternal God and their willingness to courageously follow Him is worthy of our commendation and gratitude this Thanksgiving.