Bruté was born on March 20, 1779, at Rennes, France. His father, Simon-Guillaume-Gabriel Bruté de Remur, served as Superintendent of the Royal Domains in Brittany, but died when the boy was only six years old. During the French Revolution, young Bruté helped his mother operate a print shop, learning to composite type and set pages. Despite his mother's efforts to shield him from the Reign of Terror and other horrors, the aristocratic youth still witnessed many disturbing scenes, including the trials and executions of priests and nobles. He frequented the prisons and made friends with the guards, who admitted him to the cells, where he received and delivered letters for the clergy incarcerated there. Disguised as a baker's assistant, Bruté would bring the Eucharist to imprisoned priests. The baker was, in reality, a priest in hiding.