He was born in Norwich, the son of a Baptist schoolmaster. He was educated at Queen's College, Oxford, ordained in the Church of England in 1837, and became chaplain to a central London workhouse. In 1839 he was appointed lecturer in classical literature at King's College, London, and in 1855 he became professor of English language and literature and lecturer in modern history, succeeding FD Maurice.
From 1854 onwards, he combined these duties with journalistic work on the Morning Herald, Morning Post and Standard. In 1856 he was commissioned by the Master of the Rolls to prepare a calendar of the state papers of King Henry VIII, work demanding a vast amount of research. He was also made reader at the Rolls, and subsequently preacher. In 1877 Benjamin Disraeli obtained for him the crown living of Toppesfield, Essex. There Brewer had time to continue his task of preparing his Letters and Papers of the Reign of King Henry VIII, the Introductions to which (published separately, under the title The Reign of Henry VIII, in 1884) form a scholarly and authoritative history of Henry VIII's reign. New editions of several standard historical works were also produced under Brewer's direction.
This entry was originally from the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.