Who is Eleanor Brewer, Wife of Michael Hawkins

The following was received from Jaime Hawkins. I hope someone can help.

I was wondering if you could help me out? Perhaps you could post the below info on your Brouwer Genealogy Blog?

Looking for any information on Eleanor (Elinor)(Laney) Brewer born ABT 1763 in New Jersey, died ABT 1837 Douglas, New Brunswick, Canada. Eleanor was married to (John) Michael Hawkins, Loyalist from New Jersey born ABT 1750, died ABT 1845 Douglas, New Brunswick, Canada. 

Possible parents of Eleanor Brewer are:

Father:

1.    Adolph Brewer (Brouwer)
                         Born: ABT 1749-1750 Pookeepsie, Dutchess, New York, USA

·         Death: ABT 1799-1800 New Brunswick, Canada

2.    Isaac Adolphus Brewer

·         Born: ABT 1749-1750 Pookeepsie, Dutchess, New York, USA

·         Death: ABT 1799-1800 New Brunswick, Canada

3.    Adolf Brouwer

·         Born: ABT 1725 Hackensack, Bergen County, New Jersey, USA

·         Death: ABT 1779 Dutchess, New York, USA

Mother:

1.    Martjen (Mary) Allen

·         Born: 01 Jan, 1741 Hackensack, Bergen County, New Jersey, USA

       Death: ABT 1832 Douglas, York County, New Brunswick, Canada

2.    Mary (Maria) Allen

·         Born: 04 Mar, 1755 Bergen County, New Jersey, USA

·         Death: ABT 1832 Douglas, York County, New Brunswick, Canada

3.    Elizabeth Lassing

·         Born: ABT 1733

·         Death: ABT 1785 

The confusion in my research stems from an old family paper found amongst James Hawkins, who was the grandson of Michael Hawkins. The paper reads as follows:

“Your grandfather died about 1845, about 95 years old; grandmothers name Eleanor Brower died about 1837, age 74 years.”

Thus if the information is correct we can place the birth of Michael Hawkins at about 1750. In Michael Hawkins’s Land Petition in New Brunswick he claims to be a Loyalist and a native of New Jersey. His wife Eleanor (Laney) Brewer (Brower) was born about 1763. Therefore, I would assume Eleanor’s parents should have been born before 1745. However, who her parents truly are is a mystery. There are lots of family trees out there that have different parents for Eleanor and with no critical thinking to the age because the majority of parents I am seeing on family trees for Eleanor has her father at 13 yrs of age. 

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated as this will help me solve the puzzle of who Michael Hawkins truly. Michael's parents are a mystery as well.

Regards,

Jaime Hawkins

My input: We presently have Eleanor on the Brouwer Genealogy Database, as Lanny Brewer (wife of Michael Hawkins), and tentatively placed as a daughter of Adolf Brouwer (1725-1780) and Elizabeth Lassing (b. 1733). But this placement is based solely on the fact that Lanny appears in Keswick, New Brunswick, Canada, at the same time that known children of Adolf Brouwer and Elizabeth Lassing do. Of course we all know that simply appearing in the same place as another with the same last name does not prove a relationship. We're looking for proof as to who Eleanor/Lanny's correct parents are, whether they be Adolf and Elizabeth, or some other couple, perhaps one of those that Jaime has suggested.

Any help is appreciated, and please do so by contacting Jaime directly.

BGB 450