terians in reference to a form of prayer. At length a section of the Liverpool laity, holding what they termed 'free' views in theology, built a chapel in Temple Court, printed a 'Form of Prayer and a new Collection of Psalms,' 1763, and secured a minister from London. The leading spirit in this movement was Thomas Bentley (1731-1780) [q. v.], Wedgwood's partner. His manuscript correspondence deals pretty freely with Brekell, whom he treats as representing 'the presbyterian hierarchy.' Brekell did all he could by pamphlets in 1762 to show the inexpediency of forms of prayer. The new chapel 'was sold to a Liverpool clergyman on 25 Feb. 1776.' Meantime Brekell was publishing a dissertation on 'Circumcision,' 1763, a volume of sermons, 'The Grounds and Principles of the Christian Revelation,' 1765, 8vo,and 'A Discourse on Music,' 1766. He died on 28 Dec. 1769. He married, on 11 Nov. 1736, Elizabeth _____, and had five children. Toulmin gives the titles of sixteen of his publications. To complete it should be added: 'All at Stoke: or an Earnest Persuasive to a Vigorous Self-defence, &c. By J. B., author of the Christian Warfare, &c.,' Liverpool, 1745, 16mo (a sermon (Luke xxii. 36) dedicated 'more especially to the Gentlemen Volunteers of Liverpool, and the Regiment of Blues raised at their own expence by that Loyal Town and Corporation. At the end is a warlike 'Hymn suitable to the Occasion of the general Fast to be observed with a view to the present War, both Foreign and Domestic'); also a 'Sermon (Phil. i. 11) on the Liverpool Infirmary,' 1769, 8vo (his last publication). The signature to his papers in the 'Theol. Repos.,'vol. i. 1769, and vol. ii. 1771, is 'Verus.'
[Thom's Liverpool Churches and Chapels, 1854, pp. 2, 7, 69, 71; Carpenter's Presbyterianism in Nottingham (1861?), p 126 seq.; Jones's Hist. Presb. Chapels and Charities, 1867. pp. 664, 669; Toulmin's Mem. of Rev. S. Bourn, 1808, pp. 177, 182; Lathbury's Hist. of the Nonjurors, 1846, p. 390; Halley's Lancashire, its Puritanism and Nonconformity, 1869, ii. 324, 410; Rutt's Memo. and Corresp. of Priestley, 1831, i. 60; Armstrong's Ordination Service for James Martineau, 1829, p. 83; Monthly Repository, 1822, p. 21, 1831, p. 789; Winder's Manuscripts, Manuscripts relating to Octagon Chapel, and Family Register in Brakell's Bible, all in Renshaw Street Chapel Library, Liverpool.]
BREMBRE, Sir NICHOLAS (d. 1388), lord mayor of London, was the chief supporter among the citizens of Richard II. The ‘worthie and puissant man of the city’ of Grafton (who wrongly terms him a draper), and ‘the stout mayor’ of Pennant, he was a son of Sir John Brembre (Hasted, ii. 258), and, becoming a citizen and grocer of London, purchased in 1372–3 (46 Ed. III) from the Malmains family the estates of Mereworth, Maplescomb, and West Peckham, in Kent (ibid. i. 290, ii. 258, 264). He first appears as an alderman in 1372 (Letter-book H, f. 293b), sitting for Bread Street Ward, in which he resided (Herbert, i. 328). The citizens were at this time divided into two factions, the party under John of Northampton supporting John of Gaunt and Wycliffe, while that headed by Walworth and Philipot supported the opposition and Courtenay. On the fall of John of Gaunt and his partisans at the close of Edward III's reign (1377), Staple, the then lord mayor, was deposed and replaced by Brembre, who belonged to the opposite party. He took his oath at the Tower 29 March 1377 (Stow, Annals), and was also re-elected for the succeeding year (1377–8). His ‘Proclamacio .... ex parte .... Regis Ricardi’ in this mayoralty (as shown by the sheriffs' names) is given in the ‘Cottonian MSS.’ (Nero, D. vi. fos. 177b–9). In the parliament of Gloucester (1378) Thomas of Woodstock, the king's uncle, demanded his impeachment as mayor for an outrage by a citizen on one of his followers, but the matter was compromised (Riley). He now became for several years (at least from 1379 to 1386) one of the two collectors of customs for the port of London, with Geoffrey Chaucer for his comptroller, his accounts being still preserved (Q. R. Customs Bundle, 247). The party to which Brembre belonged had its strength among the greater companies, especially the grocers, then dominant, and the fishmongers, whose monopoly it upheld against the clamours of the populace (ibid.). It was oligarchical in its aims, striving to deprive the lesser companies of any voice in the city (Norton), and was consequently favourable to Richard's policy. At the crisis of the rising of the commons (15 Jan. 1381) Brembre, with his allies Walworth and Philipot, accompanied the king to Smithfield, and was knighted with them for his services on that occasion (Letter-book H, f. cxxxii; Froissart, cap. 108). He is mentioned as the king's financial agent on 21 Dec. 1381 (Issues of Exchequer), and as one of the leading merchants summoned ‘a treter and communer’ with parliament on supplies, 10 May 1382 (Rot. Parl. iii. 123). His foremost opponent, John of Northampton (T. Wals. ii. 111), held the mayoralty for two years (1381–3) in succession to Walworth, but at the election of 1383 Brembre, who had been returned to parliament for the
