▁father ▁was ▁a ▁desc endant ▁of ▁May flow er ▁Pil gr ims ▁ ▁Love ▁B rew ster , ▁a ▁founder ▁of ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁Bridge water , ▁Massachusetts ; ▁E lder ▁William ▁B rew ster , ▁the ▁Pil gr im ▁colon ist ▁leader ▁and ▁spiritual ▁elder ▁of ▁the ▁P ly mouth ▁Col ony ; ▁and ▁John ▁Ald en , ▁who ▁was ▁h ired ▁as ▁a ▁co oper ▁in ▁South am pton , ▁England , ▁just ▁before ▁the ▁voyage ▁to ▁America ▁and ▁who ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁B rew sters ▁were ▁sign ers ▁of ▁the ▁May flow er ▁Comp act . ▁His ▁mother ▁was ▁a ▁direct ▁desc endant ▁of ▁Anthony ▁and ▁Elizabeth ▁Th acher ▁who ▁were ▁the ▁sole ▁surv iv ors ▁of ▁a ▁terrible ▁ship w reck ▁on ▁August ▁ 1 4 , ▁ 1 6 3 5 ▁in ▁which ▁twenty ▁one ▁passengers ▁including ▁their ▁four ▁children ▁were ▁d rown ed . ▁Th acher ▁Island , ▁a ▁small ▁island ▁off ▁Cape ▁Ann ▁on ▁the ▁Massachusetts ▁coast ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁is ▁named ▁after ▁them . ▁ ▁A ▁very ▁bright ▁boy , ▁he ▁was ▁reading ▁at ▁age ▁three ▁and ▁had ▁read ▁the ▁entire ▁Bible ▁by ▁nine . ▁He ▁finished ▁school ▁at ▁age ▁six teen ▁and ▁went ▁to ▁Cambridge , ▁Massachusetts , ▁where ▁he ▁worked ▁for ▁the ▁University ▁Book store ▁that ▁served ▁Harvard . ▁By ▁age ▁twenty - n ine ▁he ▁owned ▁the ▁store . ▁Kn own ▁for ▁his ▁memory ▁for ▁quot ations ▁and ▁t riv ia , ▁" A sk ▁John ▁Bart lett " ▁became ▁a