m William Brewster I665-17 I 5 (Print supplied by Hereford City Art Gallery.) Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. IP address: 170.106.34.90, on 01 Oct 2021 at 00:57:51, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0025727300029380 DR. WILLIAM BREWSTER OF HEREFORD (I665-I715) A BENEFACTOR TO LIBRARIES* by F. C. MORGAN LITTLE has been written about Dr. William Brewster, who in 1715 bequeathed his then important library to be shared between the Bodleian Library and St. John's College, Oxford, and All Saints' Church, Hereford, with other books to be given to his friends.t He was a grandson ofJohn Brewster, who was sheriffof Gloucester in I6I2 and I617, and mayor of the city in I632. William was baptized at Eardisland on 9 November i665, the only child ofJohn Brewster of Burton Court, by his first wife, Margaret. By his second wife Blanche [Louth?] John had eight children. On the titles of several of his books in All Saints' Church he calls himself 'Pharmacopole Londiniensis'.1 Apparently he left Gloucester, where he was born in St. Michael's parish, went to London and became a successful apothecary, though his name does not appear in the Register of the Apothecaries' Company. Before the birth of William he was living at Burton Court, Eardisland, and became lord of the manor there.2 John Brewster died in I684 and was buried near his first wife in the centre of the chancel floor of Eardisland Church. To William he left in tail all his houses in Gloucester, including the Sword inn with all the goods and implements therein, and houses in Hereford which he had purchased from Thomas Luggar and Thomas Brace. In the event of William not having lawful issue then the property was to go to his half-brother Benjamin in tail. William was to have also some silver, including a cup with lid called the Spanish Goddard [goblet], other household goods, C i,8oo in money, and his best horse, excluding his coach mares, which went to the widow. One thousand pounds was to be paid to William by the overseers of the will when he attained the age of twenty-two, and the remainder when he became twenty-four, or earlier if he married with the consent of the overseers. The annual sum of forty pounds was to be allowed him until the earlier age, and afterwards he was to have fifty pounds. John's books were to be divided between William and his half-brother Benjamin, who seems to have succeeded to the Burton estate, asJohn's widow, on 29 August i686, married Thomas De la Hay of Urishay Castle, Peterchurch, a widower.3 There were also various legacies to his daughters, to relatives in Gloucester, and to friends. In John Brewster's will (at Somerset House) he urged his overseers to bring up his children 'in the feare of God and nurtrature and discipline according to * A paper read to the Woolhope Club, Hereford, December I963. This club, which is the Hereford Natural History and Archaeological Society, has recently established an annual 'F. C. Morgan Lecture' in recognition of Mr. Morgan's long services to local history and to the Society. t He is not mentioned by W.J. Bishop in his comprehensive account of medical bibliophiles (J. Hist. Med., 1949, 3, 229-62). .137 Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. IP address: 170.106.34.90, on 01 Oct 2021 at 00:57:51, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0025727300029380 F. C. Morgan the orthodox religion of the Church of England', and to see that William was duly confirmed and well settled therein, and that they would 'direct him both as to his studies and educacon untill hee shall attaine unto the age offoure and twenty yeares and assist him in such wayes and employments as shall bee most suitable to his inclinacon and condition'. The will ends asking for forgiveness from anyone Brewster may have injured, seeking a like forgiveness for himself, and a loyal wish for the preservation of the King. 'Amen, Amen, Amen.' John's wishes seem to have been successfully carried out. William Brome,4 one of the overseers of William's will, in a letter to Dr. Richard Rawlinson,5 the Oxford antiquary, dated I3 June I 738, records that Brewster was educated at the free [Cathedral] school, Hereford, when Joseph Harvey (who married Brome's sister) was headmaster. Unfortunately no early records of the school exist, but Brewster must have had unusual ability in learning languages, for Brome also says that he was 'a great master ofthe Greek and Latin tongues and well skilled in modern languages'; he was also well versed in divinity and would have, made 'a considerable figure in any place'. Joseph Harvey had succeeded a Mr. Wakeman, who apparently had been discharged or had resigned owing to non-attendance at communion. The Act Book of the Dean and Chapter records that on 29 September i670,6 Wakeman was ordered to do so on the first Sunday in the following February, but on 6 December the Dean, Thomas Hodges, wrote to Harvey conferring upon him the office of headmaster of the school with all rights and emoluments.7 He resigned the appointment in I685, and the chancellorship ofthe choir and several other preferments in 17I6, upon his refusal to take the Abjuration Oath. His opinions may have influenced William Brewster, who does not appear to have taken an active part in public life in Hereford. From Hereford, Brewster went to St. John's College, Oxford, as a commoner in I683-he would then have been eighteen years old-and took the degree of B.A. (I686/7), M.A. (I689), B.Med. (1692), and D.Med. (i697). He went afterwards to London under 'a Mr. Gibson'* to study anatomy for a year, and later moved to Gloucester and Brecon as a physician (Brome did not know to which place he went first). Not liking either, he settled in Hereford, where he became a successful practitioner. The earliest correspondence relating to Brewster now remaining is a letter from George Piggott8 at Oxford in which is a lengthy, minutely detailed description of the genital organs of a boar. This is addressed to Brewster at Burton, and is dated 9 December i688 (before he qualified). By I697 he had decided to practise in Hereford, for in December ofthat year he and John Maylord purchased for CI,6io the Blewhouse, then in the possession of Lady Throckmorton, and other properties in Widemarsh Street.9 Apparently he also bought adjoining houses for IJ444. These were demolished and a new house built on the site, said by Brome to be the most elegant house in the city.10 A painting of this shows it to have been a well-designed William and Mary residence with a double front and pillared entrance. It was * Thomas Gibson (I647-I722), M. D. Leyden I675; physician-general to the army 1719-22; author of Anatomy ofHuma Bodies epitomized, I682. 138 Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. IP address: 170.106.34.90, on 01 Oct 2021 at 00:57:51, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0025727300029380 Dr. William Brewster ofHereford (1665-1715) bequeathed to William's wife, Susan, for life, and afterwards to William, son of Francis Brydges of Gray's Inn. It remained in the hands of the Brydges family until 1763 when, with a house in Bewell Street, it was conveyed to the Corpora- tion of the city (who then named it the Mansion House), in trust for providing funds for a miniister of the Church of England to attend to the prisoners in the gaols." Shortly after the new Town Hall was built in St. Owen's Street and opened in 1904, a cartway was made through the centre of the house and a small shop opened on each side of it. There was a bowling green, still in use, and a large garden at the back. In this house Brewster lived until his death in I715. Brome records several anecdotes about him. On one occasion he was accused of 'slaying' a patient during the absence of a rival physician by administering a purge for the 'Humour' which the latter had 'chained up by prescribing a cortex'. This led to an angry dispute with Brewster and the deceased's family, and to an argu- ment between the doctors.'1 Brome, who apparently was present, states that Brewster baffled his opponent so much that he had not a word to say. The case was taken by Brome and a friend to Dr. Breech of Oxford, who approved of Brewster's action.'3 However the 'Gemini' [unknown], whose acquaintance was coveted by Brewster, had nothing more to do with him, as it was their brother who died. That Brewster was a kindly man is shown by two anecdotes mentioned by Brome who records that he 'askt me after your Rabbi Lees' circumstances', but before he could get an answer Brewster died or 'Dr. Lees had had 20 guineas'. Another story is that seeing meat in a butcher patient's shop going stale, he bought it and sent it to the poor; 'and his advice has been gratis'.'4 Brome states that the doctor was middle-sized, lame and stump-footed, with a quick eye,'5 but an oil painting depicting him clad in the robes of a Doctor of Medicine makes him appear as a good-looking friendly young man with dark eyebrows and well-shaped mouth.