that he had improperly withdrawn the 14th; that he had refused to give Cornet Kelson the needful orders, and had neglected to take advantage of the arrival of the yeomanry. On Friday, the fifth day of the trial, the proceedings were stopped by the news of Brereton's death: he had shot himself in his bed early that morning. The verdict at the inquest was that 'he died from a pistol-wound, inflicted on himself while under a fit of temporary derangement.' His unfortunate errors seem to have been the fruit of undecided character rather than of any deliberate neglect. On 4 May 1782 he had married Olivia Ross, daughter of Hamilton Ross, formerly of the 81st regiment and then a merchant at the Cape. Mrs. Brereton died on 14 Jan. 1829, leaving two daughters, who survived their father.
[Colburn's United Service Journal, 1831, pt. iii. 433, 1832, pt. i. 257; Monthly Repository (new series), v. 840, vi. 130; Somerton's Narrative of the Bristol Riots; Court-martial on Lieutenant-colonel Brereton in Somerton's Bristol Riots Tracts; Trial of C. Pinney, late Mayor of Bristol; Gent. Mag. 1832, i. 84.]
BRERETON, Sir WILLIAM (1604–1661), parliamentary commander, son of William Brereton of Handforth, Cheshire, and Margaret, daughter and coheiress of Richard Holland of Denton, Lancashire, was baptised at the collegiate church, Manchester, in 1604. On 10 March 1626-7 he was created a baronet. In 1634-5 he travelled through a large part of Great Britain and Ireland, and crossed over into Holland and the United Provinces. He kept a 'Diary' of his travels, which was published by the Chetham Society in 1844, and affords various interesting information regarding the social condition of Scotland and England; it also manifests a serious and religious cast of thought. Brereton's natural bias towards puritanism was doubtless further confirmed by his marriage to Susanna, fourth daughter of Sir George Booth of Dunham Massey, and by intercourse with his near neighbours, Henry Bradshaw and Colonel Dukenfield. He was elected to represent his native county in parliament in 1627-8 and 1639-40. The name of William Brereton occurs in the parish register of Wanstead, Essex, attached to a document signed by fifty of the principal inhabitants, expressive of their attachment to the church of England and abhorrence of papal innovations, but there is no evidence to support the supposition of Lysons (Environs of London, iv. 243) that the name was that of Sir William Brereton of Handforth. According to Clarendon, he was 'most considerable for a known averseness to the government of the church' (History, vi. 270). On the first symptoms of the approaching civil war he put himself at the head of the movement in Cheshire. In August 1642 the houses of parliament drew up instructions to him as one of the deputy-lieutenants of the county (Advice and Directions of both Houses of Parliament to Sir William Brereton and the rest of the Deputy-lieutenants of the County of Chester, published at London on 19 Aug. 1642). Subsequently he was appointed commander-in-chief of the forces in Cheshire and the neighbouring counties to the south. Having entered Cheshire from London with one troop of horse and a regiment of dragoons, Brereton, after a severe conflict, completely defeated Sir Thomas Aston near Nantwich on 28 Jan. 1642-3, the accidental explosion of a piece of the royalists' cannon greatly aiding his victory. This enabled him to occupy Nantwich, which became the headquarters of the parliamentary party, while Chester was fortified by the royalists. From these places the two parties 'contended,' in the words of Clarendon, 'which should most prevail upon, that is, most subdue, the affections of the county to declare for and join them' (History, vi. 270). Clarendon states that the lower orders were specially devoted to Brereton, and that he obtained much advantage from their readiness to supply him with intelligence. For a considerable time it required his utmost energy to enable him to hold his own. He again inflicted a severe defeat, 13 March 1642-3, on Sir Thomas Aston, who attempted to hold Middlewich on behalf of the king, but after the royalists had been strengthened by troops from Ireland, Brereton was himself worsted at the same place. Meanwhile, in the summer of 1643, he captured successively Stafford, Wolverhampton, and Whitchurch, besides various strongholds. During his absence Nantwich, while held by Sir George Booth, was closely besieged by Lord Byron, but, with the assistance of Sir Thomas Fairfax, Brereton, on 14 Feb. 1643-4, totally routed the besieging forces, the greater part of them escaping to Chester, while large numbers surrendered. Having parted from Sir Thomas Fairfax, he proceeded towards Chester, and in August 1644 defeated at Tarvin Prince Rupert, who was marching to its relief. Following on this came the capture of the town and castle of Liverpool, and the town and castle of Shrewsbury. After their defeat at Rowton Heath in September 1645, the royalists could make no further stand in Cheshire, and Beeston Castle and Chester were closely invested. Brereton obtained a complete victory over the king's forces under Sir William Vaughan on 1 Nov. at Denbigh, and all hope of succour being cut
