Selected Biographies

Brewster, Cyril George – Born: Stanstead, Suffolk on 22.2.1908.[1]  Parents: Harry George Brewster (Milkman on Farm) [see below for details] and Nellie [née Bird].  Home: 5 Stanstead Great Wood, Long Melford (1911), High Street, Long Melford (1939), 13 Swanfield, Long Melford [1985].  Occupation: House Painter (1939).  Married: Rose Florence Bray in 1947.  Service Record: Cyril joined the Local Defence Volunteers in Long Melford when it was formed in August 1942 as ‘H’ Company, 10^th Battalion, Suffolk Home Guard.  His name is recorded in the official tribute to the organization entitled The Lion Roared his Defiance, photographed in and around Long Melford in 1944.[2]  Died: Long Melford, Suffolk on 17.3.1985 and is buried at Holy Trinity Church, Long Melford.[3] 

Brewster, Ernest – Born: Glemsford, Suffolk on 30.1.1874.[4]  Parents: David Brewster (Coconut Mat Maker) and Sarah [née Gridley] (Silk Weaver).  Family Connections: Brother to William Brewster [b1871], Felix Brewster [b1875], George Brewster [b1881], James Brewster [b1886] and Walter Brewster [b1891]; also, brother-in-Law of Charles Drury of Long Melford [b1874].  Home: Hunts Hill, Glemsford (1881), Chequers Lane, Glemsford (1891), 80 Adelaide Avenue, Lewisham, London (1939), 14 Arica Road, Brockley, London [1958].  Occupation: Shop Keeper (1939).  Married: Violetta Sophia Copsey in 1911.  Service Record: Ernest enlisted in 1892 as Pte.3431 with 1^st Battalion, Norfolk Regiment, having previously volunteered with the Suffolk Artillery Militia.  He was posted to India from 1894 to 1904, transferring to South Africa until 1907 when he was returned to England until his discharge in 1911.[5]  Died: Lewisham Hospital, London on 28.10.1958.[6]

Brewster, Felix – Born: Glemsford, Suffolk on 9.11.1875.[7]  Parents: David Brewster (Coconut Mat Maker) and Sarah [née Gridley] (Silk Weaver).  Family Connections: Brother to William Brewster [b1871], Ernest Brewster [b1874], George Brewster [b1881], James Brewster [b1886] and Walter Brewster [b1891]; also, brother-in-Law of Charles Drury of Long Melford [b1874].  Home: Hunts Hill, Glemsford (1881), Chequers Lane, Glemsford (1891), Bells Lane, Glemsford (1901), Chequers Lane, Glemsford (1911), 5 Broadway, Glemsford, (1921), 34 Fair Green, Glemsford (1939).  Occupation: Coir Yarn Winder (1891), Agricultural Labourer (1901 to 1911), General Labourer (1921 to 1939).  Married: Mercy Brown in 1904 and Elizabeth Brown in 1918.  Service Record: Felix volunteered in 1907 as Pte.7487 with 3^rd [Militia] Battalion, Suffolk Regiment.[8]     Died: Sudbury in 1954. 

Brewster, George – Born: Glemsford, Suffolk on 17.6.1881.[9]  Parents: David Brewster (Coconut Mat Maker) and Sarah [née Gridley] (Silk Weaver).  Family Connections: Brother to William Brewster [b1871], Ernest Brewster [b1874], Felix Brewster [b1875], James Brewster [b1886] and Walter Brewster [b1891]; also, brother-in-law of Charles Drury of Long Melford [b1874].  Home: Chequers Lane, Glemsford (1891), Military Barracks, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk (1901), Bells Lane, Glemsford (1911), 11 Chequers Lane, Glemsford (1939).  Occupation: Agricultural Labourer (1911 to 1939).  Married: Alice Oakley in 1912.  Service Record: George was a Private with the Suffolk Regiment in 1901.  Died: Sudbury, Suffolk in 1974. 

Brewster, Harry George – Born: Glemsford, Suffolk on 21.6.1885.[10]  Parents: Harry Brewster (Coconut Mat Maker) and Mary Ann Emily [née Plume].  Family Connections: Father to Cyril George Brewster [b1908]; also, brother-in-law of James Brewster [b1886] and Joseph Pearman [b1898].  Home: Bells Lane, Glemsford, Suffolk (1891 and 1901), 5 Stanstead Great Wood, Long Melford (1911), 59 High Street, Long Melford (1939).  Occupation: Coconut Yarn Winder (1901), Agricultural Labourer (1911), Stockman and Ploughman [1917], Cowman (1939).  Married: Nellie Bird in 1907.  Service Record: At the Melford Military Service Tribunal in February 1917 George applied for exemption from conscription, which was granted on the condition his situation remained unchanged.[11]  It is not known if Brewster’s certificate remained valid until the end of hostilities, however no definitive military record has been found to suggest otherwise.  Died: Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk in 1966.

Brewster, James – Born: Glemsford, Suffolk on 24.3.1886.[12]  Parents: David Brewster (Coconut Mat Maker) and Sarah [née Gridley] (Silk Weaver).  Family Connections: Brother to William Brewster [b1871], Ernest Brewster [b1874], Felix Brewster [b1875], George Brewster [b1881] and Walter Brewster [b1891]; also, brother-in-law of Charles Drury of Long Melford [b1874] and Harry George Brewster [b1885].  Home: Chequers Lane, Glemsford Suffolk (1891), Bells Lane, Glemsford (1901), Chequers Lane, Glemsford (1911), 6 Broadway, Glemsford (1921), Fair Green, Glemsford (1939).  Occupation: Wool Winder (1901), Coconut Mat Maker (1911), Hay Labourer (1921), Farm Carter (1939).  Married: Rose Ellen Polly Brewster in 1910.  Service Record: James had been a volunteer with 3^rd [Militia] Battalion, Suffolk Regiment for five years before being conscripted on 14.12.1915 as Pte. G38170 with 16^th [Home Service] Battalion, Queen’s [Royal West Surrey] Regiment.  On 16.6.1917 he was posted to Belgium, joining 11^th [Service] Battalion, Queen’s as part of 123^rd Brigade, 41^st Division, occupying trenches in the Ypres Salient.  On 2.7.1917 he received a gunshot wound to his left arm returning to England the following month and receiving his discharge and a Silver War Badge in November 1917.[13]  Died: Sudbury, Suffolk in 1956. 

Brewster, Walter – Born: Glemsford, Suffolk in 1891.  Parents: David Brewster (Coconut Mat Maker) and Sarah [née Gridley] (Silk Weaver).  Family Connections: Brother to William Brewster [b1871], Ernest Brewster [b1874], Felix Brewster [b1875], George Brewster [b1881] and James Brewster [b1886]; also, brother-in-law of Charles Drury of Long Melford [b1874].  Home: Occupation: Bells Lane, Glemsford (1901), 10 St Stephens Avenue, Walthamstow, Essex (1911).  Service Record: Walter enlisted in 1914 as Pte.18903 with 7^th (Service) Battalion, Suffolk Regiment, being posted to France on 29.12.1915 as part of 35^th Brigade, 12^th (Eastern) Division, occupying front line trenches opposite the German strongpoint known as Hohenzollern Redoubt.  In the weeks leading up to 26.4.1916 over 4,000 casualties were inflicted on Brewster’s Division in its attempt to neutralise this bastion.[14]  Died: of wounds at N^o.10 Stationary Hospital at St Omer on 26.4.1916 and is buried in Longuenesse (St. Omer) Souvenir Cemetery [grave ref: III.B.6], Pas de Calais, France.[15]

Brewster, William – Born: Glemsford, Suffolk on 4.3.1871.[16]  Parents: David Brewster (Coconut Mat Maker) and Sarah [née Gridley] (Silk Weaver).  Family Connections: Brother to Ernest Brewster [b1874], Felix Brewster [b1875], George Brewster [b1881], James Brewster [b1886] and Walter Brewster [b1891]; also, brother-in-law of Charles Drury of Long Melford [b1874].  Home: Hunts Hill, Glemsford (1871 to 1881), Chequers Lane, Glemsford (1891), 5 Mount Road, Haverhill, Suffolk (1911).  Occupation: Coconut Mat Maker (1891) to [1915].  Married: Kate Sarah Clarke in 1893.  Service Record: William enlisted on 16.3.1915 as Pte.276151 with 581^st [Home Service Employment] Company, Labour Corps, receiving his discharge in April 1919.[17]

Related Biographies

Drury, Charles – Born: Long Melford, Suffolk on 4.6.1874.[18]  Parents: Amos Drury (Coconut Mat Maker) and Jane [née Grimwood] (Coconut Mat Binder).  Family Connections: Brother to George Drury [b1876] and Robert Drury [b1890]; also, cousin of Frederick Drury [b1884] and Lawrence Drury [b1889], brother-in-law of Alfred Jackson [b1878] and Bertie Charles Gardiner [b1880], and father-in-law of Arthur Root [b1901]. Brother to William Brewster [b1871], Ernest Brewster [b1874], Felix Brewster [b1875], George Brewster [b1881], James Brewster [b1886] and Walter Brewster [b1891]. Home: The Green, Long Melford (1881 to 1901), Bull Lane, Long Melford (1911), Cordell Cottages, High Street, Long Melford (1921 to 1939).  Occupation: Wool Winder at George Whittle’s Coconut Mat Factory (1891), Coconut Mat Maker (1901 to 1939).  Married: Mary Ann ‘Polly’ Brewster in 1901.  Service Record: From 1897 to 1908 Charles was a member of 2^nd [Volunteer] Battalion, Suffolk Regiment and from 1908 to 1913 served as Pte.263 in 5^th Battalion, Suffolks, [Territorial].  He was mobilised on 5.8.1914 but was discharged after six months as ‘no longer physically fit for war service’.  Charles re-enlisted on 28.6.1915 as Pte.20681 with 1/5^th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment, transferring as Pte.22318 to 1^st Garrison Battalion, Essex Regiment before being posted to Anzac Cove in Gallipoli on 19.9.1915.  As Lines of Communications troops, the Battalion’s War Diary shows that the men were employed in a support role as ammunition carriers, bomb makers, telephone, and wireless operators etc.[19]  In December 1915 he was evacuated to Egypt, transferring on 12.5.1916 as Pte.30010 to 2^nd [Home Service] Garrison Battalion, Suffolk Regiment.  Private Drury was issued with a Silver War Badge and discharged on 13.10.1916 due to a knee injury.[20]  Died: Sudbury, Suffolk in 1949.

Pearman, Joseph – Born: Glemsford, Suffolk on 25.8.1898.[21]  Parents: William Jeremiah Pearman (Blacksmith) and to Jane [née Brewster].  Family Connections: Brother-in-law of Harry George Brewster of Long Melford [b1885].  Home: Tye Green, Glemsford, Suffolk (1901 to 1911), Pannels, Workhouse Lane, Glemsford (1939), 46 Tye Green, Glemsford [1965].  Occupation: Maintenance Smith and Fitter (1939).  Married: Ethel Brewster in 1920.  Service Record: Joseph was serving with the Royal Engineers when he was transferred as Pte.520280 to 332^nd [Home Service] Works Company, Labour Corps at Chelmsford in Essex.  Died: Glemsford, Suffolk on 20.12.1965. 

Notes – [1] 1939 Register.  [2] Published by Marten & Son, Ltd., of Market Hill, Sudbury, Suffolk in 1946.  [3] National Probate Calendar.  [4] 1939 Register.  [5] [Wo 97] – Chelsea Pensioners British Army Service Records 1760-1913.  [6] National Probate Calendar.  [7] 1939 Register.  [8] Wo 96 – Militia Service Records 1806-1915.  [9] 1939 Register.  [10] Baptism Register 25.4.1886, St Marys Church, Glemsford, Suffolk. [11] For the Tribunal’s ruling see Suffolk and Essex Free Press 28.2.1917.  [12] 1939 Register.  [13] Soldiers’ Documents, First World War ‘Burnt Documents’ [WO 363], Service Medal and Award Rolls 1914-1918 [WO 329], Service Medal and Award Rolls Index Cards 1914-1922 [WO 372] and Silver War Badge [ref: 280153].  [14] Service Medal and Award Rolls 1914-1918 [WO 329] and Service Medal and Award Rolls Index Cards 1914-1922 [WO 372]. MR, MC, Pension Card [ref: DP/B87].  [15] Commonwealth War Grave Commission record and British Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects, 1901-1929 [ref: 274681]. [16] Baptism Register of 6.10.1872 for St Marys Church, Glemsford, Suffolk.  [17] Soldiers’ Documents, First World War ‘Burnt Documents’ [WO 363].  [18] Baptism Register of 7.2.1875 for Holy Trinity Church, Long Melford.  The 1939 Register for Long Melford records his birth date as 28.5.1874. [19] For details of 1^st Garrison Battalion’s movements see War Diary [WO 95/4356]. [20] Service and Soldiers’ Documents and Pension Claims, First World War [WO 364], Service Medal and Award Rolls, First World War, Silver War Badge [WO 329] record [ref: 147711], Service Medal and Award Rolls 1914-1918 [WO 329] and Service Medal and Award Rolls Index Cards 1914-1922 [WO 372].  Charles Drury is recorded as a Soldier at the christening of his son see Baptism Register 7.11.1915 of Holy Trinity Church, Long Melford.  [21] 1939 Register.