one city. Smyth, however, broke away from Brownism to form the first Baptist church, Robinson responded by removing his church to Leiden, while Johnson and Ainsworth quarrelled with each other and formed congregations. Johnson took his faction to Virginia, but few survived the journey. Smyth's church joined the Mennonites, while a group of Baptists returned to London led by Thomas Helwys. Half of Robinson's church sailed on the Mayflower to New England. Shakespeare The Brownists are mentioned in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, believed to have been written around 1600–02, in which Andrew Aguecheek says, "I had as lief be a Brownist as a politician" (III, ii). The Browne family seat of Tolethorpe Hall is now home to the Stamford Shakespeare Company. See also Pilgrim (Plymouth Colony) References Thorne, J. O., ed. Chambers Biographical Dictionary (1969) Stamford Shakespeare Company history. External links English dissenters – Brownists — this ExLibris article has details about the Brownists 1581 establishments in England English Dissenters English Reformation Religious organizations established in the 1580s Protestant denominations established in the 16th century History of Norwich Puritans