Church of Great St Helen, Bishopgate, London - burial place of Edward Brerewood (below in three portraits), my 12x great uncle.
Born in Chester in 1565 to three times Mayor of Chester Robert Brerewood ( - 1600) and his wife Elizabeth Horton ( - 1580), Edward was a scholar, antiquity, mathematician, logical and astronomer. Educated at the King's School, Chester, and from 1581 at Brasenose College, Oxford, in 1596 he was chosen as the first Gresham Professor of Astronomy in London. He was also a member of the Old Society of Antiquaries. Edward died on 4 November 1613 and was buried in the Church of Great St Helen, London( next to the modern day St Mary Axe (Gherkin)). His nephew, Sir Robert Brerewood (1588 – 1654) published his books posthumously. Some of these are listed here:
In his book Enquiries touching the diversity of languages and religions, through the chief parts of the world, published in 1614 and still in print, he proposed that native Americans were descendants of the Tartare. Influentially, he also tried to quantify Christians of the world, giving figures of 19 parts heathen, 6 parts Muslim, and 5 parts Christian by population of 30 parts total. This was still quoted by John Wesley over a century later.
Published in 1630, A learned treatise of the Sabbath took up criticisms of strict Sabbatarianism against Nicholas Byfield, a preacher in Chester.
Published in 1614, De ponderibus st pretils veteran nummorum, eorumque dun recentioribis collatione.
Published in 1614/15, Elementa logical, in gratiam studiosae juventutis in academia Oxoniensi.
Published in 1628, Tractatus quidem logical de praedicabilibus et proedicamentis.
Published in 1640, Commentarii in Ethica Aristotelis
Published in 1641, A declaration of the Patriachal Government of the Ancient Church.
