Edward Brerewood
Encyclopedia
Edward Brerewood (c. 1565–1613) was an English
scholar and antiquary. He was a mathematician and logician, and wrote an influential book on the origin of language
s.
, and was born and educated there. In 1581 he was sent to Brasenose College, Oxford
, he graduated B. A. 15 February 1587, M.A. 9 July 1590. Then he migrated to St. Mary Hall, and on 26 September 1592, when Queen Elizabeth was at Oxford, he replied at a disputation in natural philosophy. In March 1596 he was chosen the first Gresham Professor of Astronomy
in London.
Brerewood, who was a member of the Old Society of Antiquaries, died on 4 November 1613, and was buried in the church of Great St. Helen. His library he bequeathed with his other effects to his nephew Robert Brerewood
, a son of his elder brother, John Brerewood.
He is related to Thomas Brerewood
(c.1670 - 22 December 1746), the grandson of Sir Robert Brerewood.
.
He proposed in it that the Native Americans
were descendants of the Tartars; with that, he rejected the theory of Guillaume Postel
identifying the Tartars as descending from the Lost Tribes. Influentially, he tried to quantify Christians in the world, giving figures 19 parts heathen, 6 parts Muslim and 5 parts Christian by population, from 30 parts in all. These figures were still being quoted by John Wesley
, well over a century later.
A learned treatise of the Sabbath took up a criticism of strict Sabbatarianism against Nicholas Byfield
. According to Christopher Hill
, “No one penetrated so deeply into the social issues involved in the Sabbatarian controversy.”
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
scholar and antiquary. He was a mathematician and logician, and wrote an influential book on the origin of language
Origin of language
The origin of language is the emergence of language in the human species. This is a highly controversial topic. Empirical evidence is so limited that many regard it as unsuitable for serious scholars. In 1866, the Linguistic Society of Paris went so far as to ban debates on the subject...
s.
Life
He was son of Robert Brerewood, a wetglover, three times mayor of ChesterChester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
, and was born and educated there. In 1581 he was sent to Brasenose College, Oxford
Brasenose College, Oxford
Brasenose College, originally Brazen Nose College , is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. As of 2006, it has an estimated financial endowment of £98m...
, he graduated B. A. 15 February 1587, M.A. 9 July 1590. Then he migrated to St. Mary Hall, and on 26 September 1592, when Queen Elizabeth was at Oxford, he replied at a disputation in natural philosophy. In March 1596 he was chosen the first Gresham Professor of Astronomy
Gresham Professor of Astronomy
The Professor of Astronomy at Gresham College, London, gives free educational lectures to the general public. The college was founded for this purpose in 1596 / 7, when it appointed seven professors; this has since increased to eight and in addition the college now has visiting professors.The...
in London.
Brerewood, who was a member of the Old Society of Antiquaries, died on 4 November 1613, and was buried in the church of Great St. Helen. His library he bequeathed with his other effects to his nephew Robert Brerewood
Robert Brerewood
Sir Robert Brerewood was an English lawyer and politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1640.Brerewood was the son of John Brerewood who had been Sheriff of Chester. The Brerewood family over several generations filled many public offices in Chester. In 1605 Brerewood was sent to Brasenose...
, a son of his elder brother, John Brerewood.
He is related to Thomas Brerewood
Thomas Brerewood
Thomas Brerewood , was a 'Gentleman Entrepreneur & Fraudster'. He was deeply involved in the "Pitkin Affair" of 1705, a bankruptcy fraud that was only surpassed in scale by the South Sea Bubble of 1720...
(c.1670 - 22 December 1746), the grandson of Sir Robert Brerewood.
Writings and influence
Enquiries touching the diversity of languages and religions, through the chief parts of the world (1614) was published after his death by Robert Brerewood. There was a French translation in 1640 that attracted the attention of Richard SimonRichard Simon
Richard Simon was a French Oratorian, influential advanced biblical critic, orientalist, and controversialist.-Early years:...
.
He proposed in it that the Native Americans
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
were descendants of the Tartars; with that, he rejected the theory of Guillaume Postel
Guillaume Postel
Guillaume Postel was a French linguist, astronomer, Cabbalist, diplomat, professor, and religious universalist.Born in the village of Barenton in Basse-Normandie, Postel made his way to Paris to further his education...
identifying the Tartars as descending from the Lost Tribes. Influentially, he tried to quantify Christians in the world, giving figures 19 parts heathen, 6 parts Muslim and 5 parts Christian by population, from 30 parts in all. These figures were still being quoted by John Wesley
John Wesley
John Wesley was a Church of England cleric and Christian theologian. Wesley is largely credited, along with his brother Charles Wesley, as founding the Methodist movement which began when he took to open-air preaching in a similar manner to George Whitefield...
, well over a century later.
A learned treatise of the Sabbath took up a criticism of strict Sabbatarianism against Nicholas Byfield
Nicholas Byfield
Nicholas Byfield was an English clergyman, a leading preacher of the reign of James I.-Life:He was a native of Warwickshire, son by his first wife of Richard Byfield, who became vicar of Stratford-on-Avon in January 1597...
. According to Christopher Hill
Christopher Hill (historian)
John Edward Christopher Hill , usually known simply as Christopher Hill, was an English Marxist historian and author of textbooks....
, “No one penetrated so deeply into the social issues involved in the Sabbatarian controversy.”
Works
His works are:- De ponderibus et pretiis veterum nummorum, eorumque cum recentioribus collatione, London, 1614. This was first published by his nephew, and afterwards inserted in the 'Apparatus' of the Biblia Polyglotta, by Brian Walton, and also in the Critici SacriCritici sacriCritici sacri was a compilation of Latin biblical commentaries published in London from 1660, edited by John Pearson. The publisher was Cornelius Bee. The work appeared in nine volumes, and collected numerous authors, both Protestant and Catholic, of early modern critical work on the Bible...
, vol. viii. - Enquiries touching the Diversities of Languages and Religions through the chief parts of the world, London, 1614, 1622, 1635, 1647, &c. This was likewise published by his nephew, and afterwards translated into French by J. de la Montagne, Paris, 1640, and into Latin by John JohnstonJohn JohnstonJohn Johnston was a Scottish-American farmer. He is credited with the first public introduction of agricultural drainage in the United States. He did so in 1838....
. Richard SimonRichard SimonRichard Simon was a French Oratorian, influential advanced biblical critic, orientalist, and controversialist.-Early years:...
made some remarks on Brerewood's work, under the pseudonym of le Sieur de Moni, in a treatise entitled Histoire critique de la créance et des coûtumes des nations du Levant, Frankfort (really printed at Amsterdam), 1684. In 1693 it was reprinted, and again since that date with the following alterations in the title:—Histoire critique des dogmes, des controverses, des coûtumes, et des ceremonies des Chretiens orientaux. - Elementa Logicæ, in gratiam studiosæ juventutis in academia Oxoniensi, London, 1614, 1615, &c.
- Tractatus quidam logici de prædicabilibus, et prædicamentis, Oxford, 1628, 1637, &c. This book was first published by Thomas Sixesmith, M. A., fellow of Brasenose College, Oxford. A manuscript of it is preserved in Queen's College library in that university. The work is sometimes quoted as 'Brerewood de moribus.'
- 'Tractatus duo: quorum primus est de meteoris, secundus de oculo,' Oxford, 1631, 1638. These two tracts were also published by Sixesmith.
- A Treatise of the Sabbath, Oxford, 1630, 1631. This book was written as a letter to Nicholas ByfieldNicholas ByfieldNicholas Byfield was an English clergyman, a leading preacher of the reign of James I.-Life:He was a native of Warwickshire, son by his first wife of Richard Byfield, who became vicar of Stratford-on-Avon in January 1597...
, preacher at Chester, having been occasioned by a sermon of his relating to the morality of the Sabbath. It is dated from Gresham House 15 July 1611. Richard ByfieldRichard ByfieldRichard Byfield was an English clergyman, Sabbatarian controversialist, member of the Westminster Assembly, and ejected minister.-Life:...
, Nicholas's brother, wrote a reply to it. - Mr. Byfield's Answer, with Mr. Brerewood's Reply, Oxford, 1631. These were both printed together, with the second edition of the former.
- A second Treatise of the Sabbath, or an Explication of the Fourth Commandment, Oxford, 1632.
- Commentarii in Ethica Aristotelis, Oxford, 1640. These commentaries relate only to the first four books, and were published by Sixesmith.
- A Declaration of the Patriarchal Government of the antient Church, Oxford, 1641, London, 1647, Bremen, 1701. The Oxford edition is subjoined to a treatise called 'The original of Bishops and Metropolitans, briefly laid down by Archbishop Ussher,' &c.