Unplaced Brewer of Western Pennsylvania and Westward

This post continues the post of November 16, 2013, "Some Unplaced Brewers of Western Pennsylvania and Kentucky." Examined here are four BREWERs, in two groups. They are John Brewer and Samuel Brewer of Perry, Fayette County, Pennsylvania, sons of a Richard Brewer; and David Brewer, son of a Dirck Brewer, and Elias Brewer, of Menallen and Redstone, Fayette County, Pennsylvania. David and Elias are suspected to be brothers, and both moved westward from Fayette County in the very early 1800s. As of now, there is no evidence that supports the possibility that all four (John, Samuel, David and Elias) are brothers. Currently they must be treated as separate families. Information found on the current edition of the Brouwer Genealogy Database regarding the above mentioned is partially incorrect and will be changed with the next update. The links provided for each of the four will take you to a page at Ancestry.com where additional descendants have been researched. [This "tree" at Ancestry.com has since been removed].

- John Brewer was born 25 March 1761 (location not certain) and died 6 June 1848 at Perry Twp., Fayette County, Pennsylvania. He served during the Revolutionary War, in the place of his father, Richard Brewer, while living at Winchester, Frederick Co., Virginia. He had a younger brother named Samuel Brewer. His wife was Mary Martin and they were married on 22 Nov 1790 at Winchester, Virginia. John and Mary had six children, four daughters named Martha, Elizabeth, Mary and Sarah, and two sons, Richard and John. We know all of this from the Revolutionary War pension file of John Brewer, which also includes the petition of his widow, Mary, who died in July 1860. The file for John Brewer's Revolutionary War pension application can be found at Heritage Quest online. However, the file that is available there is incomplete. Ancestry.com has the complete file, which includes an additional 60 pages over and above what is available at Heritage Quest. The additional 60 pages are referred to as "unselected pages," and it is within these pages that we discover John's brother Samuel, and the names of his children, including his daughter's husbands.
     The current addition of the Brouwer Genealogy Database places John Brewer as a possible son of Dirck Brouwer (bapt. 15 Aug 1732) and as a brother of Elias Brewer (b. 1755) and David Brewer (b. 1762). I believe it is prudent to change this. John Brewer, and his brother Samuel Brewer, are sons of a man named Richard Brewer. However, this Richard Brewer may not be the same as Dirck Brouwer, who is possibly the father of Elias Brewer and David Brewer. Evidence that John Brewer is a brother to Elias and David, has not been found. John and Samuel Brewer remained in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, while David and Elias left for West Virginia and Ohio, and finally Indiana. The given names David and Elias are not found in John's family or among his immediate descendants.
     I have begun tracing descendants of John Brewer through the use of Ancestry.com. Thus far it can be stated that John's son, John Brewer (wife, Elizabeth) had descendants, and there may be a few direct male descendants living today. His son Richard is less certain. Although named in the pension file (John's original application was from 1831, while his wife's requests date from 1849), no other record has been located for him. He does not appear as a head of household in any census in Fayette County from 1810 through 1850. It is possible, however, that Richard and his own family was enumerated in the household headed by his father. For example, the 1840 census (Perry Twp.), in which John Brewer is head of household, includes a male aged 60-70, who would be John (with his age understated by ten years) but  also includes a male age 40-50, a female 30-40 (in addition to a female 60-70) and numerous children below age 20 who can not be children of John. The 1850 census includes a Mary Brewer, age 42 (so born about 1808) with five children (John, Richard, Mary, Sarah, and Aaron) born between 1828 and 1845. This Brewer family (which is not headed by a male) is enumerated in the household of Isaac and Sarah (Brewer) Gary. Sarah (Brewer) Gary, was Richard's sister. I suspect that this family belongs to Richard, but have been unable to locate them with certainty after 1850.
     In John Brewer's Revolutionary War pension file, is a letter from a Mrs. M. N. Amsburgh of Newark, Licking Co., Ohio, dated October 30, 1876. She is inquiring into land that she believes was granted to John Brewer, and states that her mother (name not given) was John Brewer's daughter. She calls her grandfather, "John Andrew Brewer," and suggests that when looking for him, his name might be "in German."
     The fact that John Brewer's father's name was Richard, could imply that he is descended from Jan Brouwer of Flatlands, and that was assumed with the earlier placement of John as a brother of Elias and David Brewer. That may still be the case. But, he may be only be a cousin to Elias and David, and not necessarily a brother. And still, John (and his father, Richard) may not be descended from Jan Brouwer at all. Hopefully a descendant can be found who will be interested in taking a Y-DNA test. That may well be the last hope available for correctly discovering the ancestry of John Brewer.

- Samuel Brewer, is a brother of the above, John Brewer. Samuel died in October 1849 at Perry, Fayette Co., Pennsylvania, age stated as 76, therefore he was born about 1773, and would be about 12 years younger then his brother. Samuel can be found on the U. S. census in Fayette County in 1810, 1820 and 1830 at Washington Twp., and in 1840 at Perry Twp. His death is recorded on the U. S. Census Mortality Schedule for 1850. Samuel was deposed in May 1849 for Mary Brewer's request for a widow's pension. Although he does not state that he was John's brother, is is called such by others in other documents in the file. Samuel signed his deposition with a mark (X). Samuel Brewer's wife was named Nancy Murphy and nine children have been found including five sons named, Jacob, Henry, Richard, John, and Samuel. A tenth child, who would be an eldest son named Aaron (b. 15 May 1797), is also claimed to be son of Samuel Brewer. Thus far, descendants have been found for the sons, Jacob, Henry and Richard, and it is hopeful that a living direct male descendant can be found and will be interested in Y-DNA testing. An unconfirmed source has stated that Samuel was "possibly" born in Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania.

- David Brewer, was born in 1762 in New Jersey, and died by 4 August 1853 in Jennings Co., Indiana. The year and location of his birth is taken from the 1850 U. S. census taken at Geneva, Jennings Co., Indiana. Prior to living at Geneva, David had been at Tyler County, Virginia (now in West Virginia), and previous to that at Menallen and Redstone, Fayette Co., Pennsylvania. A direct descendant of David Brewer has taken a Y-DNA test with the Brewer DNA Project, and the results demonstrate that the descendant, and therefore David Brewer, are descended from Jan Brouwer of Flatlands, Long Island (see #163954). David Brewer's ancestry back to Jan Brouwer, however, has not been proved by traditional genealogical research. He has been placed tentatively as a son of Dirck Brouwer, baptized in 1732, a son of Elias Brouwer and Helena Willemse. This tentative placement is based upon the fact that David's grandson, Jacob Jennings Warner Brewer (1815-1905) left a memoir in which he states that his great-grandfather (who would be David's father) was named Derrick Brewer, and he was of "Holland descent." Coupling this with the knowledge that Elias Brouwer and Helena Willemse, in addition to naming a son Dirck, also named a son, David, leaves us with the opinion that the best placement for David Brewer is as a grandson of Elias Brouwer and Helena Willemse.
     David Brewer's wife was Euphema Warner, and they were members of the Big Redstone Baptist Church in Franklin, Fayette Co., Pennsylvania, in 1791. David Brewer is found on the 1800 census at Menallen, Fayette Co., Pennsylvania, and in 1810 he is at Elizabeth, Ohio Co., Virginia. David Brewer and his wife are believed to have had eight children, and named his sons, Benjamin, Samuel, Jacob and Elias. Research on David Brewer's descendants was first conducted a number of years ago by Nita Pugh and Marie Fawcett. They had given me their research and I have tried to confirm and possibly expand upon it. Their work was conducted prior to the days when many records from varied locations like western Pennsylvania, Virginia/West Virginia, Ohio and Indiana were easy to locate in one place, and online, as they are today. Some descendants can be found on the Brouwer Genealogy Database website, and I've begun using the resources at Ancestry.com to update and locate additional descendants. The current edition of the BGD, includes John Brewer and Samuel Brewer (above) as possible brothers of David Brewer. Although John and Samuel Brewer's father was named Richard (the English equivalent of Dirck), I believe it is prudent to separate John and Samuel from David, until more evidence (including Y-DNA evidence) can be found to confirm a relationship between the three. The next updated BGD will separate John and Samuel, from David.

- Elias Brewer, died in October 1842 at Washington Co., Indiana, age 87, which places his birth at about 1755. Elias is found at Menallen, Fayette Co., Pennsylvania in 1790 with a household of one male over the age of 16 and one female. He had married Mary Cadwalder on 29 September 1790 at the Westland Monthly Meeting in Fayette County. Elias and Mary were Quakers. In 1800 Elias was at Redstone in Fayette Co., and in 1805 was granted land in Steubenville, Ohio. Elias Brewer's movements have been traced through Quaker Monthly Meeting records and U. S. census records. He was in Harrison Co., and Tuscawaras Co., Ohio, before reaching Vernon Twp. in Washington Co., Indiana. As with David Brewer (above) initial research on Elias Brewer was conducted by Nita Pugh and Marie Fawcett. Additional and confirmatory research continues at Ancestry.com. Elias Brewer is tentatively placed as a brother of David Brewer (above). The basis, is simply based on the fact that they both appear on the 1800 census at Menallen, Pennsylvania (the census is, unfortunately, recorded alphabetically, rather than in order of household visited). Unlike David Brewer, we have not yet heard from a direct male descendant who would like to take a Y-DNA test. Such a person could help to determine whether or not this tentative placement is correct. Elias, is however, named ELIAS, and that fact in itself gives a high probability that he is a descendant of Jan Brouwer of Flatlands, L. I. Elias had eight children, but only two sons, named Richard and John. The naming of a son, Richard, gives us the possibility that Elias' own father was named Richard, which is the English equivalent of Dirck. Elias' son John Brewer (or John Cadwalder Brewer) was also a Quaker and was apparently married three times. John had at least three sons, but one died at age three. Perhaps descendants can be found from one of the other two, whose names were Morris W. Brewer and Jason W. Brewer. Elias' son Richard Brewer died in 1877 in Washington Co., Indiana. He apparently had three sons, Edmund Brewer, Elisha Brewer and Walter Brewer, and perhaps a living male descendant can be found among their descendants.

Any direct male descendants of any of the BREWERs described above, who is interested in confirming their BREWER ancestry through a Y-DNA test, can contact us through the Brewer DNA Project.

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The Historic Hendrick I. Lott House in Brooklyn

Although this has nothing to do with Brouwers, here is a nice article on what has become of and what is going on with an historic Dutch house in Brooklyn.

"Keeping House, At the edge of the city, an old Dutch mansion awaits its day in the sun," by Amanda Gutterman, with photos by Emily Frances Olsen.

The article appears online at BKLYNR, a site dedicated to journalism regarding Brooklyn. A subscription is required, but non-subscribers get one free article a month, so the link should get you there.

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Discounts on Upgrades at Family Tree DNA

Family Tree DNA is currently running sales on many of their DNA tests, and on upgrades for those who have already joined. The sale prices are good until December 31, 2013.

As of this writing we have twenty-six members of the Brewer DNA Project who belong to the Adam Brouwer sub-group within the project. That is, each of the twenty-six either can confirm, with traditional genealogical research, their direct ancestry back to Adam Brouwer of Gowanus, Long Island, or, if they cannot demonstrate their complete direct ancestry, are close genetic matches to those who can, to the degree that it is certain that they too, descend from Adam Brouwer. Of the twenty-six, only seven have been tested to the 67 marker level with their Y-DNA test. The other nineteen have been tested at the 37 marker level or lower. We would like very much to have more of the Adam Brouwer sub-group members test up to at least the 67 marker level. We believe that having more data, from as many individuals as possible, will help us narrow down the possible ancestral lines for those who have not yet been able to complete their direct ancestry back to Adam Brouwer.

The same can be stated for the Jan Brouwer of Flatlands, L. I. sub-group. Here we also have twenty-six participants who are descendants, plus two others from Europe who are apparently related to the Jan Brouwer descendants but in a generation that pre-dates Jan Brouwer himself. Of the twenty-six descendants, thirteen have already tested at 67 markers.

Additionally, we are still looking for our first direct descendant of Willem Brouwer of Beverwijck, and one for Hubert Brower, immigrant to Philadelphia, to join the project.

(See the Y-DNA test results page at the Brewer DNA Project website).

The regular price for an upgrade from the 37 marker level to 67 markers is $99. Currently, Family Tree DNA is offering the upgrade for $79. This is good until December 31, 2013. This presents an opportunity for us to get more current members up to speed with the others who are already at 67 markers. It is also a terrific opportunity for new members to join. The Y-DNA 67 marker test for new members, regularly priced at $268, is now on sale, until December 31, 2013, for $189. We would especially like to see more direct descendants of Adam Brouwer and Jan Brouwer, who already can confirm their direct ancestry to either Adam or Jan, join the project. The more confirmed lineages that we have, the better chance we will have of finding the missing links for those who can not yet prove their direct ancestry.

For existing members to order an upgrade, first log into your personal account at Family Tree DNA. Click on the "Order an Upgrade" button in the top right hand corner. Next, select "Order a Standard Test." From the drop-down menu next to "Products," select "Y-refine37to67." The sales price of $79 will automatically appear in the field.

We hope to see some upgrades, and we hope to see more new members. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact either myself or Richard Brewer, through the e-mail links at the Brewer DNA Project's main page. Thank you.

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Recent News Highlights from the Brewer DNA Project

The purpose of this post is simply to steer anyone and everyone interested in the genetic genealogy aspect of Brouwer, Brower and Brewer family research to our News page at the Brewer DNA Project site.

The News features the announcement by Family Tree DNA of a new DNA test named "Big Y." There are a couple of links provided that I strongly recommend for those who wish to learn more.

In addition we have the announcement of the addition of a new Co-Administrator for the Brewer DNA Project. Terry White, whose primary area of interest is with researching the "Lanier-Brewer" sub-group. The "Lanier-Brewer" sub-group has the largest number of members among those who have joined the Brewer DNA Project and having someone on board who has a great deal of experience with this family is long overdue. Just as a reminder, the post from November 16, 2011 features some links that will be of interest to those who find themselves in this sub-group.

See the Recent News Highlights page for more.

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John Johnston to Elias Brewer Deed

The final item, No. 25 from Abstracts of Early Monmouth County Court Papers (Part I), is a deed dated 10 February 1725.

No. 25. John Johnston to Elias Brewer, Deed. This image will have to be downloaded and rotated to be viewed. Some time back I had placed another image of this same document up online, and here is the link for that earlier image, John Johnston to Elias Brewer.

The indenture, as it is called, is recorded in Monmouth County, Deeds, Book H, pages 5-6.

There is no doubt that the Elias Brewer in this indenture is the Elias Brouwer, probably born about 1699, on Long Island, the son of Derck Brouwer and Hannah Daws. He would be a grandson of Jan Brouwer of Flatlands, L. I.

In the indenture, both parties, John Johnston and Elias Brewer, are "of Freehold." John Johnston is referred to as "John Johnston, Junr." The image does appear to be of the original indenture, and not a much later copy or transcription of the original. It is somewhat difficult to read, and I have not attempted a full transcription myself. The property is in Freehold, New Jersey, and the indenture describes its boundaries. Much of the rest of the document consists of the requisite "legalize" of the time period. It was recorded on 5 March 1727.

Elias Brouwer/Brewer was married to Helena Willemse. Beginning in 1732, and ending in 1744, they had five children baptized at either Harlingen in Somerset County, or Readington in Hunterdon County.

This post concludes the descriptions and images of the files that were abstracted in Abstracts of Early Monmouth County Court Papers, Part I.

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Joseph Brewer, Administrator of the Estate of Peter Brewer

Item no. 24 from Abstracts of Early Monmouth County Court Papers (Part I), is from the Monmouth County Orphans Court, Book F, and took place during the April 1825 term. It is the application of Joseph Brewer for an order to sell real estate that was inventoried in the preceding January term.

No. 24. Joseph Brewer, Administrator of the Estate of Peter Brewer

The property that Joseph wishes to sell was six acres in Howell Township, adjoining the Methodist Meeting House. From the description of the real estate being sold, the Joseph Brewer and Peter Brewer in this document are most likely the Joseph, baptized 19 April 1778 at Freehold-Middletown, son of Hendrick Brower and Abigeltje Hunt, and this Joseph's brother, Petrus, baptized 19 March 1770, also at Freehold-Middletown.

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Some Unplaced Brewers of Western Pennsylvania and Kentucky

There are a number of unplaced Brewer families found in Western Pennsylvania and Kentucky, specifically in Hardin County and Larue County, Kentucky, who are best presented as a group. Descendants of two of these Brewer family's earliest known ancestors are confirmed, through Y-DNA testing, to be descendants of Adam Brouwer of Gowanus, Long Island. The testing was done through the Brewer DNA Project.

The Brewers featured in this post lived during the later half of the 1700s and the first half of the 1800s. They were among the earlier settlers of what was then the western frontier of colonial America and the early United States. This large location, which would encompass western Virginia, including the area that would become West Virginia; southwestern Pennsylvania, especially the counties of Westmoreland, Fayette, Green and Washington; the panhandle of Maryland (Garret, Allegany and Washington Counties); what is now Kentucky, originally a western county of Virginia, and granted separate statehood in 1792; and the surrounding Ohio Valley region which includes the present states of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. The earliest settlers to this area began to arrive, in small numbers, in the years just prior to the American Revolutionary War. Settlements and the arrival of more families increased tremendously in the years after the Revolution. New settlers came, not only from the northeast states of New York and New Jersey, but also from Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and the Carolinas. This created something of a mixing pot, and many unrelated families named BREWER are found a wide range of origins. The fact that these numerous, and unrelated families, all named BREWER are found in the same counties and even townships, creates a terrific challenge when it comes to trying to sort them all out. Throw into this problem the additional fact that records, especially vital records, from the period of 1790 to 1850 are sparse and often non-existent, and this terrific challenge becomes even more difficult.

There are a handful of BREWER families that we are interested in, and after doing some recent new research, I believe the best way to present them at this time is as a group, with brief descriptions of each family. Recently, Ancestry.com and Family Search, have been introducing new collections of records online. Many of these records were not easy to access just a few years ago. But with this new wave of records and data, I've begun to revisit this group of BREWER families with the hope of gaining some new insight and to find and correct any errors or misplaced family members. The link for each head of a family, below, will take you to their page I created at Ancestry.com under the title of "Unplaced Brouwer Brower Brewer Bruer." Descendants of those featured below can be followed there. Some, but not all, of the descendants on the Ancestry.com site can be found in the Brouwer Genealogy Database. Some will be added with the next update, but others will not be added (it's just too time consuming). This recent research has convinced me that there are errors in what is found in the current edition of the BGD and they will be corrected with the next update. So for now, when a discrepancy is noticed, the rule is, what is found on Ancestry.com in "Unplaced Brouwer Brower Brewer Bruer," trumps what is found on the BGD.  [This "tree" at Ancestry.com has since been removed].

- Henry Brewer / Henrich Bruer (or Brauer) is found at Donegal in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania in 1810 (U.S. Census). The first siting is of "Hary Brewer," on the 1783 tax list at North Huntingdon, Westmoreland Co., Pennsylvania. His year of birth is believed to be 1763, although this has not been confirmed, and he may have been born a bit earlier. The location of his birth may be Pennsylvania or New Jersey. A direct descendant has participated in the Brewer DNA Project and it is clear from the results of the descendant's Y-DNA test, that Henry Brewer is a descendant of Adam Brouwer of Gowanus, Long Island. Henry Brewer's parents and his ancestry back to Adam Brouwer is still unknown. Since he is first found in western Pennsylvania, I suspect that his immediate family was from New Jersey and probably from the area of Hunterdon, Somerset and Sussex Counties. Presently, a "best guess" for an ancestor would be Hendrick Brouwer, baptized in 1699, a son of Adam Brouwer and Marritje Hendricks. If born in 1763, Henry Brewer would likely be a grandson of Hendrick Brouwer (who is found in Somerset Co., New Jersey as an adult). If correct, this would make Henry Brewer a great-great grandson of Adam Brouwer of Gowanus, L. I. Henry Brewer is represented by #32813 at the Brewer DNA Project. Results an also been seen at the DNA Analysis page at the BGD website.

- Peter Brewer was probably born during the decade of 1750 to 1760, and possibly in, or near, Sussex County, New Jersey. He is found on a tax assessment at Huntingdon, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania in 1783, but soon went to Hardin County, Kentucky where he is found in 1810. A descendant has participated in the Brewer DNA Project and the Y-DNA test demonstrates that Peter Brewer is, like Henry Brewer above, a descendant of Adam Brouwer of Gowanus, L. I. He is represented by #28193 at the Brewer DNA Project. The results are also found on the DNA Analysis page at the BGD. The descendant of Peter Brewer, and the descendant of Henry Brewer, match on 36 of 37 markers. The one-step difference occurs in marker no. 5 (allele 385a) of Peter's descendant, and this mutation is unique to Peter's line of descendants. No other tested descendant of Adam Brouwer has this mutation. The comparison of Y-DNA test results, coupled with the fact that both are found in Westmoreland Co., Pennsylvania at about the same time, implies that Peter Brewer and Henry Brewer are closely related. They may be brothers, or perhaps first cousins. Peter Brewer died in Hardin County, Kentucky in late 1840 or early 1841. He left a will dated 2 November 1840, proved 19 April 1841, in which he names his wife Margaret, and children, Samuel Brewer, Valentine Brewer, Elizabeth Howell, Michael Brewer, Benjamin Brewer and John Brewer. A PDF of the will can be accessed at the Ancestry.com page created for Peter Brewer (Media Gallery). Peter Brewer's wife was Margaret Hobach (Hoback).

- Samuel Brewer was born about 1757 in Sussex County, New Jersey and is a brother of the above Peter Brewer. His age, place of birth, and the fact that Peter Brewer is his brother, come from Samuel's application for a pension for service during the Revolutionary War. The file of Samuel's pension application is available online at Heritage Quest, however, the pages available there do not constitute the entire file. The affidavit of Peter Brewer of Hardin Co., which demonstrates that he and Samuel are brothers, is missing from the Heritage Quest collection. It is, however, now available on Ancestry.com, which has complete files for pension applicants. Both can be accessed at the Media Gallery on the Ancestry.com page created for Samuel Brewer. Samuel Brewer is found in Westmoreland Co., Pennsylvania on tax lists in 1783. By 1787 he was in Mercer County, Kentucky, at or near Harrodsburg, which is a location at which other descendants of Adam Brouwer are found. These other BREWER families of Mercer Co., were children of Daniel Brouwer/Brewer and Marietje Koning who were at Bergen Co., New Jersey and then Conewago, Pennsylvania, before coming to the Harrodsburg area with a large emigration of "Low Dutch" families from Conewago. Although they ended up in the same location at the same time, Samuel, came by a different route, and is probably at best, a distant cousin of the other Harrodsburg, Kentucky BREWER families. Samuel Brewer's wife was Rebecca Smith, they were married in Mercer Co. in 1787, and there is one confirmed son (William Brewer) and possibly a daughter named Jerusha.

- Benjamin Brewer was, as per his Revolutionary War pension application, born 24 April 1755. He served while living in Fayette Co., Pennsylvania. He died 6 May 1834 in Washington Co., Indiana. His wife was Catharine Mellinger, and they had nine children. The current edition of the Brouwer Genealogy Database places Benjamin as a possible son of Dirck Brouwer (bapt. 15 Aug 1732, son of Elias Brouwer and Helena Willemse, and a great-grandson of Jan Brouwer of Flatlands). Recent research as now prompted me to change my opinion regarding this placement. I do not believe Benjamin Brewer is a descendant of Jan Brouwer, and therefore cannot be a son of Dirck Brouwer. It is more likely that Benjamin is a brother of Peter Brewer and Samuel Brewer mentioned above (and therefore a descendant of Adam Brouwer of Gowanus, L. I.). Benjamin and Samuel both are found on tax lists in 1783 at Tyrone, and Springhill, in Westmoreland Co., Pennsylvania. Samuel went to Kentucky by 1785, when Benjamin is taxed at Tyrone, now in Fayette County (which was created late in 1783). Benjamin names sons, Peter and Samuel, and does not name sons Dirck (Richard) or Elias, as would be expected if he were in fact a descendant of Jan Brouwer. Benjamin's Revolutionary War file, and additional work on descendants can be found at his page on Ancestry.com. It would be very helpful if a direct male descendant of Benjamin can be found who would be interested in participating in the Brewer DNA Project. If the assumption that Benjamin is a brother of Samuel and Peter is correct, then results of a simple 12 or 37 marker Y-DNA test should match those of Peter Brewer's descendant (#28193). [When the BGD is next updated, Benjamin will no longer be found as a possible son of Dirck Brouwer].

- Mark Brewer was probably born between 1760 and 1765, location not certain, but possibly in Maryland. He is not in anyway related to the BREWERs mentioned above. Mark Brewer is found in 1810 at Elizabethtown, Hardin Co., Kentucky. In 1820 he is at Little York, Hardin Co., and in 1830 the U.S. census records him simply in Hardin County, no township stated. I have been told that Mark Brewer and his family was Catholic, and they were part of a immigration of Catholics from Maryland to Kentucky. I don't doubt this. His wife was named Catharine (her maiden name is unknown to me). I know of one son, John Brewer, but there may well have been other children. John Brewer was born in 1788 and died in 1852. He has been confused, by some, with the above Peter Brewer's son who was also named John Brewer. Mark's John Brewer was married to Matilda Wise in 1818 in Hardin County, and they had nine children. John Brewer left a will in 1852 which names all of his children. His sons John Q. Brewer and James Elias Brewer settled in Nelson Co., Kentucky. John Brewer named one son, Francis Xavier Brewer (a given name that would only be found in a Catholic family), and John and his wife are buried at St. Clare Cemetery, a Catholic Cemetery, in Colesburg, Kentucky.

The research on descendants found on the Ancestry.com pages is not complete, so I recommend re-checking it periodically. It will be continued until all male lines of Henry, Peter, Samuel and Benjamin are as complete as possible. A follow up post will cover four more BREWERs found in western Pennsylvania: John Brewer of Bullskin, Fayette Co.; Elias Brewer who went from Fayette Co. to Harrison Co., Ohio; David Brewer who went from Fayette Co. to Tyler Co., Virginia and then Jennings Co., Indiana; and Aaron Brewer, who is younger then the previous three and went from Fayette Co. to Van Buren Co., Iowa.

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Aaron Brewer to Ann Brewer, Letter of Attorney

Item no. 23 in Abstracts of Early Monmouth County Court Papers, Part I, is a document in which Aaron Brewer, of the City of New York, appoints his wife, Ann Brewer, of the said City of New York, his "true and lawful attorney."

No. 23. Aaron Brewer to Ann Brewer, Letter of Attorney

There are two documents in this file.

The first, a "Letter of Attorney" which was written and sworn to in New York, was dated 7 March 1817, and was recorded, in Monmouth County, New Jersey, on 3 March 1820. Aaron Brewer signed with his mark. In the authorization he mentions, "all the lands and tenements situate in the County of Monmouth, State of New Jersey, which formerly belonged to the father of the said Ann Brewer and which her mother died in possession of and which I am intitled unto or interested in as the husband of the said Ann Brewer."

In the second document, which is dated 13 April 1819, at New York City, Ann Brewer, who signs with her mark, appoints Alexander Fairley of New York City, grocer, as her "lawful attorney and substitute of Aaron Brewer."

Presently, I do not have an identification for this Aaron Brewer or for his wife Ann. As of this post I do not know of a couple found in other records, who I could state to be identified with the couple in these documents. There are three records that may relate to this couple, and in the document itself there may be one additional clue.

- The Reformed Dutch Church of New York records the marriage of Aaron Brewer and Nancy Morrison on 28 April 1799 (Purple, Samuel S. Records of the Reformed Dutch Church in New Amsterdam and New York; Marriages from 11 December 1639 to 26 August 1801. [Bowie, MD: Heritage Books, reprint 2003, original 1890 NYG&BS], page 276). The name, Nancy, was once a common nickname for the name, Ann (although it is less so today).

- The 1800 U.S. Federal census records an Aaron Brower in the 1st Ward of New York City (Manhattan) with a household of 1 male age 16-25, 2 females under 10, and 1 female age 16-25.

Aaron Brower, 1800 NYC 1st Ward (NARA, image downloaded from Ancestry.com)

- The 1810 U.S. Federal census records an Aaron Brewer in New York City's 5th Ward, with a household of 1 male age 26-44, 1 female age 10-15, and 1 female age 26-44.

Aaron Brewer, 1810 NYC 5th Ward (NARA, image downloaded from Ancestry.com)

The documents were recorded in Monmouth County in 1820, but no persons named Aaron Brewer (Brower), or Ann Brewer (Brower), or Nancy Brewer (Brower) are found heading households in New York City. Census records for New Jersey in the year 1820, no longer exist.

In addition, on the document itself, at the top, and apparently when it was recorded in 1820, is written the name, Elizabeth Stout. Those familiar with Monmouth County families will recognize the surname, STOUT. Perhaps there is some relationship between Elizabeth Stout and Aaron Brewer, or his wife, Ann.

Any further knowledge or insight regarding Aaron and Ann Brewer is welcome. Feel free to use the comments option below.

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Annetje Jans / Antje Berge (Part II)

In the post of October 8, 2013, evidence was laid out to support the notion that Annetje Jans, the wife of Pieter Jansz Brouwer, was one and the same with Antje Berge, who was described as the widow of Peter Brouwer in a list of member of the Reformed Dutch Congregations of Freehold and Middletown, from 1731. This post will propose a set of parents and family for Annetje Jans Berge.

We start with the obvious. Assuming that the notion that Annetje Jans and Antje Berge are one and the same (as I believe they are), we have an instance in which she is recorded by her patronymic, "Annetie Jansen," and an instance when she is recorded with her surname, "Antie Berge." This is simple enough and we now have that Annetje/Antie's father was named Jan, and his surname was Berge. The surname "Berge" is a variation on the more commonly seen surname, BERGEN. Instances of the Bergen surname being recorded as"Berge" are numerous. One example being the baptism record of "Annetje, child of Hans BERGE, and Saartje Rapalje, Jur." on 12 March 1710 at the New York Reformed Dutch Church. Now, combining the patronymic with the surname, it is apparent that Annetje Jans/Antie Berge is a daughter of a Jan Bergen.

The marriage banns of Pieter Brouwer and Annetie Jansen was dated 15 February 1687. The couple had at least six children and the eldest, a daughter named Lucretia, was born 12 August 1688. Pieter Brouwer was baptized in October 1660, and so probably age 26 when he was married. A typical age range for a young woman living in the communities of the New York City area in the late 1600s, one in which the Reformed Dutch Church was dominant, to get married, would be between 16 and 25 years. We have no record of baptism for Annetje Jans, but we can certainly state that she was likely born between 1662 and 1671. Of the potential persons named, Jan Bergen, during this time frame (1662-1671), old enough to be a father, there is only one. He would be Jan Hans Bergen, son of Hans Hansen and Sara Rapalje.

Hans Hansen was an early settler at New Amsterdam. He is stated to have been there by 1633, and was a ship carpenter. He married Sarah Rapalje, a daughter of Joris Rapalje and Catalina Trico. Sarah is often claimed to be the first child of European ancestry born in New Netherland. Their marriage likely took place in 1639, probably just before the time that marriage records of the Reformed Dutch Church at New Amsterdam are found. Their first child, daughter Anneken, was baptized 22 July 1640 at the New Amsterdam Reformed Dutch Church. The record records Anneken's father as "Hans Noorman," a name that Hans Hansen was often called. In fact there is no record of Hans, himself, being referred to with the surname, BERGEN. That surname was adopted by descendants later on, well after the English takeover of New Netherland in 1664. The surname, BERGEN, did not become commonplace until about the time when the grandchildren of Hans Hansen became adults. Hans Hansen, often referred to as "Hans de Noorman," or "Hans Hansen de Noorman," died by 30 May 1654, some twenty years before the surrender of New Amsterdam. The Bergen Family or the Descendants of Hans Hansen Bergen one of the Early Settlers of New York and Brooklyn, L.I., by Teunis G. Bergen, was published in 1876. This genealogy can be consulted as a guide to reconstructing the descendants of Hans Hansen, but must be used with caution. There are numerous errors in Teunis G. Bergen's work. (An updated, although unrefined, journal report of three generations of descendants of Hans Hansen is now online).

The first son of Hans Hansen was named, Jan, and he was baptized on 17 March 1644 at the New Amsterdam Reformed Dutch Church. The record names Jan's father as "Hans Hanszen de Noorman." As with the vast majority of baptism records of the New Amsterdam Reformed Dutch Church from this time period, the name of the mother of the child being baptized is not stated. This son, Jan, would be the father of our Annetje Jans/Antie Berge. Jan is most often referred to in records as Jan Hansen. It appears that the first mention of him as "Jan Hansen BERGEN," is with the baptism record of his daughter, Adriaantje, at Brooklyn in 1681. Jan Hansen's wife was Jannetje Teunis. T. G. Bergen incorrectly identified her as "Jannetje Teunis, daughter of Teunis Denyse (Nysen, Nyse, Nyssen) of Gowanus." This incorrect identification was corrected in 1988 by Phyllis J. Miller in, "Jannetje Teunis Nyssen and Jannetje Teunis Covert," New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, vol. 119, no. 1 (1988), page 6. This article correctly identifies Jannetje Teunis, the wife of Jan Hansen, as the daughter of Teunis Covert and Barbara Lucas. Jannetje Teunis Covert would be the mother of our Annetje Jans/Antie Berge.

Assuming this identification of Annetje Jans/Antie Berge as a daughter of Jan Hansen Bergen and Jannetje Teunis Covert is correct (as I believe it is), she would be a previously unknown, or unclaimed child, of this couple. Teunis G. Bergen, in 1876, did not identify a daughter named Annetje, or Antie, for Jan Hansen and Jannetje Teunis. To my knowledge, no other published account places a daughter named Annetje in the family of Jan Hansen. There is no simple direct evidence that supports the idea that Jan Hansen had a daughter named Annetje. There is no surviving record of her baptism. Jan Hansen did not leave a will, and a clear record of the settlement of his estate has not been located (a date of death is not known, but he was deceased by 9 April 1730). In addition, the marriage banns of Annetje Jansen (to Pieter Brouwer) state that at the time they were published, she was living at Amersfoort (in Kings County, on Long Island), while Jan Hansen is not known to have lived there himself (he is found on a rate list at Brooklyn in September 1676 and was living at Jamaica, Queens County, in 1681, where he appears to have remained for the rest of his life). There is no instance in which Annetje/Antie is found as a sponsor for the baptism of a child of one of the known children of Jan Hansen. And there is no instance in which a known child of Jan Hansen is recorded as a baptism sponsor for a child of Annetje Jans/Antie Berge. The placement of Annetje Jans/Antie Berge as a daughter of Jan Hansen Bergen, is based primarily on her very name, "Annetje Jans Berge (Bergen)" which by definition tells us that she is a daughter of Jan Bergen.

There is, however, some supporting onomastic evidence among the names found in the families of Jan Hansen Bergen and Jannetje Teunis Covert, and Pieter Jansz Brouwer and Annetje Jans Berge that can be considered. Pieter and Annetje had sons named Jan and Hans. The older son, Jan, would have course been named for his paternal grandfather (who would be JAN Brouwer). In this case, however, the given name, Jan, would also satisfy the need to name a son for maternal grandfather (who would be JAN Hansen Bergen). A second born son (in the family of Pieter Brouwer and Annetje Jans) would then likely be named for a sibling of one of the parents. In the family of Pieter and Annetje, the second son is named, Hans. He was most likely named for HANS Bergen, the eldest son of Jan Hansen Bergen and Jannetje Teunis Covert, and most probably the oldest brother of Annetje Jans Berge. Pieter Brouwer and Annetje Jans Berge's daughters are named, Lucretia, Jannetje, Catharine and Annatje. The given name, Lucretia, is relatively uncommon among the families of Dutch, Scandinavian or German heritage found in New York in the late 1600s. In this case, "Lucretia" could be a feminine variation of LUCAS*, and the child may have been named in remembrance of the Lucas ancestry of Jannetje Teunis Covert who's mother was, Barbara LUCAS. Hans Bergen (the son of Jan Hansen and Jannetje Teunis) named one of his own sons, Lucas (b. 1715). The daughter Jannetje, would have been named for both her maternal grandmother, Jannetje Teunis Covert, and for her paternal grandmother, Jannetje Jans. It is presumed that Pieter Brouwer and Annetje Jans Berge had a daughter named Catharine. The basis of this belief, and thus far the only evidence of her existence, is the presence of a Catharine Brewer as a witness (with a Peter Johnson) at the baptism of Lucresia (Lucretia) the daughter of Abraham Lane and Annatje Brouwer (the Harlingen Reformed Dutch Church records the parents as "Abraham Lowe and Hannah Brewer"). Jan Hansen Bergen and Jannetje Teunis Covert had a daughter named Catlyn (Catlyntie) who is also referred to as Catharine, or Catherine.

Jan Hansen Bergen and Jannetje Teunis Covert had four known children baptized (either at Brooklyn or New York) between 1677 and 1685. In addition, they had a daughter named Sarah, who, since she would have been named for her paternal grandmother, Sarah Rapalje, was likely born prior to 1677 (no record of baptism is found for Sarah). As mentioned above, Jan Hansen Bergen's older sister, Anneken (Annatje, Antie) was baptized in 1640. She had been married first, in 1661 to Jan Clercq (no known children) and second, in 1662, to Dirck Jansen Hoogland. Anneken Hanse (Bergen) and Dirck Jansen Hoogland had three known children. There are no records of baptisms for the three, but the youngest, William Hoogland, was born by 1669 (he took the oath of allegiance in September 1687 at Flatbush). Dirck Jansen Hoogland married as his second wife, some time between 1670 and 1677, Annetje Feddens. It is probable, although not documented, that Anneken Hanse (Bergen) died at about the time her youngest child was born, probably around 1669. It was mentioned above that Annetje Jans Berge, based on the date of her marriage banns, was probably born between 1662 and 1671. If correct, this would place her as one of the first, and possibly the first, child of Jan Hansen Bergen and Jannetje Teunis Covert. If born around 1669, she may well have been named for her father's recently deceased older sister, Anneken Hanse (Bergen).

The evidence derived from the comparison of names in the associated families is not claimed to be sufficient for conclusive proof with regards to the idea that Annetje Jans Berge is a previously unknown daughter of Jan Hansen Bergen. However, it can be considered as evidence that somewhat supports the idea. We are very much handicapped in this analysis by incomplete baptism and marriage records (especially in the Brooklyn and Flatbush churches) and the lack of probate records for Jan Hansen Bergen and his wife. It is also known that Annetje Jans Berge relocated to Monmouth County, New Jersey by 1715 (apparently moving there as a widow with her adult children), while the known children of Jan Hansen Bergen remained in the area of Jamaica, Long Island. This could account for the lack of records (baptism sponsorships) that would associate Annetje with the other children of Jan Hansen Bergen. The land conveyance records of Queens County, New York and the Jamaica Town records (Jan Hansen Bergen last lived at Jamaica) need to be searched for records that might provide more suitable evidence. For now, the most convincing piece of evidence for the placement of Annetje/Antie as a daughter of Jan Hansen Bergen is her very name, Annetje Jans Berge.

Sources:
Called "Annetie Jansen":  Voorhees, David William. Records of The Reformed Protestant Dutch Church of Flatbush, Kings County, New York, Vol.1, 1677-1720. New York: Holland Society of New York, 1998, page 257. Marriage banns: "Pieter Brouwer, j.m., tot nieu amersfort met Annetie Jansen, meede woonachtigh aldaar. (Pieter Brouwer, young man at New Amersfort; with Annetie Jansen, also residing there)."

Called "Antie Berge": "Records of the Dutch Congregations of Freehold and Middletown," Genealogical Magazine of New Jersey Vol. 24 (1949), page 22. List of members who signed the declaration recognizing Dom. Gerardus Haeghoort as their minister. "Antie Berge, widow of Pieter Brouwer."

Baptism record of Annetje, child of Hans Berge, Saarthe Rapalje, Jur: Evans, Thomas Grier (Ed.). Baptisms from 1639 to 1730 in the Reformed Dutch Church, New York. Collections of the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, Vol. 2. New York: Printed for the Society, 1901, page 344. Sponsors were Jeronimus Rapalje and Saartje Rapalje, Zenr. This, Annetje Berge, was married to Gerrit Couwenhoven and had two children baptized at New Utrecht in 1743 and 1746. She is described as the wife of Gerrit Couwenhoven in her father's will dated 11 September 1743.

Please consult the Brouwer Genealogy Database website for all other source citations. For the time, Annetje Jans/Antie Berge is linked as a possible daughter to Jan Hansen and Jannetje Teunis. I would like to find additional, and hopefully more conclusive evidence.

*An example of the name Lucretia being used as a feminine variation of Lucas, would be found with Lucretia Rodenburg, who was probably born in late 1655 or 1656 on the island of Curaçao, and who was baptized, posthumously, on 1 July 1657 at New Amsterdam. She would have been named for her father, Lucas Rodenburg, who had died between 22 March 1655 and 8 June 1655 on Curaçao. Lucetia was the only child of Lucas Rodenburg and Trijntje Roelofse (daughter of Roelof Jansen and Anneke Jans) who afterwards married Johannes Pietersz Van Brugge. In the baptism record, Johannes Rodenburg, a brother of Lucas Rodenburg, is recorded in the place of the child's father.

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Brewer Families of New England Update

It's hard to believe, but it has been just over a year since the last update was made to the Brewer Families of New England website. The site has now been updated.

New to the site is the addition of a second descendant of John Brewer of Cambridge and Sudbury, Massachusetts who has participated in the Brewer DNA Project. The participant had suspected a line of descent from John Brewer, and results of his Y-DNA test confirm his ancestry. The participant matched the one other descendant of John Brewer who had previously had results reported, on 36 of 37 markers. While this second participant was tested at the 111 marker level, only the first 67 markers are shown on the DNA Analysis page. (This is due to limitations in the current version of TMG which only allows for 67 markers to be recorded in the data field). A chart of the ancestry of the two participants is also available. Hopefully, in the future, additional descendants of the various New England Brewer families will join the Brewer DNA Project. I'm sure it would be of interest to many to be able compare results from descendants of John Brewer with those descended from Daniel Brewer of Roxbury, Massachusetts, and with Thomas Brewer of Glastonbury, Connecticut.

There are no other changes to the database of note that need to be mentioned. In truth, I spend very little time on the New England families these days, pretty much only looking at them when a new participant joins the Brewer DNA Project. Nonetheless, I hope the website is of help to others.

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Descendants of William Brewer (Brower) of Philadelphia

William Brewer of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was covered in the previous post of October 29, 2013. This post will simply make a quick review of his descendants. For reference here is an outline descendant chart. Many of the individuals found on this chart are not yet found on the Brouwer Genealogy Database website. They, along with more details and sources, will be included when the BGD is next updated (probably in a couple of months). In the meantime please feel free to consult the pages created at Ancestry.com, which I used as a tool to locate descendants and records.

As stated in the previous post, we know that William Brewer is a genetic descendant of Adam Brouwer of Gowanus, Long Island. However, we do not know William's direct line of ancestry back to Adam Brouwer. What we do know now, thanks to the terrific increase in genealogical records now available online, is a good deal about who his descendants were. Starting with the 1850 U.S. census, in which William Brewer is found at the Fifth Ward in Southwark, Philadelphia Co., Pennsylvania, and assuming that the four younger persons enumerated in his household are his children, we find that William had two sons named William and Joseph, and two daughters named Margaret and Hannah.

In 1850, Margaret and Hannah Brewer, were aged 19 and 15 years respectively. Neither of the two has been located on the 1860 census. Based on their age in 1850, it is most likely that both were married during the decade of the 1850s, but no marriage record has been found for either Margaret or Hannah. The marriage records for that period are scarce, and such records may not ever be found. Probate records, and land records in Philadelphia, still need to be searched for William Brewer and his wife, Ann. I would advise anyone wishing to locate the descendants of William Brewer through his two daughters, to begin there. It is also a real possibility that William Brewer had other children, and a search of the probate files and land records may help identify them.

William Brewer's two sons, William and Joseph, can be traced further.

In 1850, the younger William Brewer was age 23, and his occupation was cabinet maker. William Brewer can be found on the U.S. census records in Philadelphia, in 1860, 1870 and 1880. His occupation is stated as "joiner," "cabinet maker," and "H(ouse) carpenter," in 1860, 1870 and 1880 respectively. His age consistently matches that of the William Brewer on the 1850 census, and I have no doubt that all four census records refer to the same man. A record of William's death states that he died 1 July 1892, age 66 years, in Philadelphia. He was married, and his occupation was "cabinet maker." At the time of his death in lived in the 2nd Ward at 411 Wharton St. He was buried at Lafayette Cemetery in Philadelphia. A second record of his death gives his date of birth as 1 May 1826.
William Brewer's wife was Naomi Maxwell. They were probably married about 1851, but no record of the marriage has been found. Naomi was a daughter of David and Lucy Maxwell, and the names, Lucy, and Maxwell, are found among William and Naomi's descendants. David Maxwell was a tin smith, and in 1850 lives in Southwark's 2nd Ward, where Naomi is recorded as age 18. Naomi is found in the census records, with her husband, in 1860, 1870 and 1880. In 1900, she enumerated as "mother-in-law" in the household of George Griffiths in Philadelphia's First Ward. The 1900 census describes her as a widow, and records that she was born in June 1831 in Pennsylvania. It records the place of birth of both of her parents as New Jersey. The census states that Naomi has had eight children, of whom three were still living. Naomi Brewer died on 5 July 1909, in Philadelphia, while living at 1318 Castle Street. The record of her death states that she was aged 77, and was born in Philadelphia. She was a widow, and housewife. The record mistakenly records her father as David "Brower," when Maxwell is meant. Her mother is recorded as "Lucy Maxwell." She was buried at "Greenwood K of P" Cemetery.
The surname in this family is recorded as both BREWER and BROWER, but more often, especially in later records, as BROWER.
The 1900 census states that Naomi Brewer had eight children, and seven of them have been located. The eldest known child, Ida Brewer, died 9 Jan 1857, age 5, so probably born in 1851. She was buried in Lafayette Cemetery. The second child, and eldest known son was William Maxwell Brewer. He died 7 Aug 1856, age 18 months, and is buried in Lafayette Cemetery.
Lucy Brower was, according to the 1900 census, born in May 1857. She was first married to Samuel Irons, who died 7 Dec 1878 in Philadelphia. Their daughter, Ida M. Irons was born posthumously in March 1879 and married William Reading Hortz, Jr. in 1900. They had two children, Mae Lucy Hortz, who married William Cantrell Beck, and William R. Hortz, III, who's wife's names was Hildegard. Lucy Brower's second husband was George Griffiths. They were married in 1897, lived in Philadelphia in 1900, but were living in Collingswood, Camden Co., New Jersey in 1910 and 1930. They have not been located after 1930, but both Lucy and George are buried at West Laurel Hill Cemetery in Bala Cynwyd, Montgomery Co., Pennsylvania, just outside of Philadelphia. I do not have their dates of death.
Ida Brower (second daughter named Ida) was born in September 1859 and was married to Daniel P. Cassel in 1890. They too lived in Philadelphia in 1900, but then relocated to Collingswood, New Jersey and are found there as late as 1940. They had one child, a son named Norman Wheeler Cassel, born in 1892, was married, died in 1969, but appears to have not had children.
Son, William Maxwell Brewer (second with this name), died 18 Feb 1864 in Philadelphia. No age is stated, but he doed not appear on the 1860 census which was dated 20 July 1860, so I assume he was born after that date, and died at a very young age.
Son, Joseph Brower was born 31 December 1866 and died 1 March 1895 in Philadelphia. At his death he was single, a salesman, and lived at 407 Worth Street. He was buried in the "Bethel Vault."
The last known child, was William Brower, born about 1871 as per the 1880 census, or about 1875 as per the record of his death. He died 2 November 1913, and is buried in Greenwood Cemetery in Philadelphia. At his death he was single, and employed as an iron worker. He died from tuberculosis. I have not found William on the 1900 or 1910 census records in the Philadelphia area, however, I have noticed a William Brower, about his age, born in Pennsylvania, who was serving in Panama in 1900. It cannot be stated with certainty if this is the same William Brower, but I suspect it is him.
It appears that there may be no living descendants of William  Brower and Naomi Maxwell. There are certainly none who carry the BROWER or BREWER surname.
Regarding Lafayette Cemetery in Philadelphia, where some members of William Brewer's family was buried, this from some very cursory online research - apparently it was the final resting place of many Civil War soldiers. It was neglected and not maintained during the 1900s. In 1947, the land was sold to a developer who was to re-inter the deceased elsewhere, but instead all were placed in a mass grave, with no individual markers, at Evergreen Memorial Park in Bensalem, Pennsylvania. See: Lafayette Cemetery, The Condemned Lafayette Cemetery, Capitolo Playground (photos here), and the cemetery's page at Find A Grave.

The 1850 U. S. census record for William Brewer, at Southwark's Fifth Ward, was taken on 23 August 1850, and lists Joseph Brewer's age as 12, but states is occupation as "Store Keeper." This age appears to be an error, and Joseph is enumerated a second time on a second sheet dated 13 September 1850, as the head of a household in Southwark's Second Ward, age 22, a Clerk, with Elizabeth Brewer, age 19, born in Scotland (and certainly his wife though not stated as such), and John McGregor, age 50. Joseph Brower, died on 3 May 1908 at St. Vincent's Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama. His death certificate, as recorded in Alabama, gives his age as 80, born in Philadelphia, and names his father as William Brower, and his mother as "Mrs. William Brower." A direct male descendant of Joseph Brower participated in the Brewer DNA Project, and his Y-DNA test results are the only evidence we have that placed this family among the descendants of Adam Brouwer of Gowanus, Long Island.
Joseph's surname, and that of his descendants, is recorded as both BREWER and BROWER, but more frequently, especially in later records, as BROWER.
Joseph was married to Elizabeth McGregor, possibly in August or September 1850, between the two dates of the census records mentioned above. They lived in Philadelphia in 1860, 1870 and 1880. Elizabeth died on 28 February 1900 in Ocean City, Cape May Co., New Jersey, and is buried in the Odd Fellows Cemetery in Philadelphia. On the 1900 census, Joseph is living as a 71 widower at Ocean City, New Jersey.
Five children have been found for Joseph Brower and Elizabeth McGregor. Three had descendants, and three moved south, relocating in Mississippi and Alabama. The eldest was John McGregor Brower, born 23 July 1852 in Philadelphia, and died 22 February 1926 at Gulfport, Mississippi, where he is buried. It appears that he never married. He lived in 1900 at Ocean City, New Jersey, age 48, single, and in his father's household. By 1922 he was at Gulfport where he is found in the city directory, at the same address as his youngest brother James W. Brower.
James W. Brower, the youngest child of Joseph Brower, was born about 1864 in Philadelphia. In 1900 he was employed as an electrician and living with his father in Ocean City, New Jersey. The census states that he was married for twenty years, but no wife is recorded. In 1910, in Harrison Co., Mississippi, James W. Brower, age 47, born in Pennsylvania, was married to his wife, Ida, for three years. She was aged 46, and was born in Tennessee. James and Ida are both found in the Gulfport, Mississippi City Directory in 1936. A date of death has not yet been found, and there is no evidence of descendants.
Ann Proctor Brower, the only known daughter of Joseph Brower and Elizabeth McGregor, was born about 1854. Her name, "Ann Proctor," may be a clue to the identity of Joseph's mother, who we assume was named, Ann. There were heads of households named Proctor in Philadelphia in the earlier census listings, but none have yet been explored further. Ann, the presumed wife of William Brewer, might be found in an early 19th century, Philadelphia family named Proctor. Ann Proctor Brower was married to George Emory Creager on 24 December 1871, and had one child, a son named Joseph B. Creager, who was married to Leidy Clark. Joseph B. Creager died in 1905 at age 32, and had two children, a son Clark Emory (or Emory Clark) Creager, and a daughter Beatrice Creager. Both married and had children. Leidy Clark outlived her husband by 56 years, dying in 1961, and having never remarried. Ann Proctor Brower died in 1923 and is buried at West Laurel Hill Cemetery in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania. Her husband, George Emory Creager, who was 15 years her senior, died in 1911.
Joseph Brower, Jr., was born in May of 1856 in Philadelphia. He was married to Estella H. Whitechurch in Philadelphia in 1883. In 1900 they were living at Avondale, Jefferson Co., Alabama, where is is called Joe Brower (U. S. census). They had one son, Percy Whitechurch Brower, who was born in 1885 in Philadelphia. His son of the same name, may be the only surviving male descendant of William Brewer of Philadelphia.
Thomas G. Brower was born about 1861 in Philadelphia, was living there in 1930, and is buried in West Laurel Hill Cemetery, although I do not have the date of his death. He was married to Mary E. McIlheney, who was born about 1865 in Philadelphia. They were married about 1885, and she was deceased by 1920, when Thomas was a widower. Nine children have been found for Thomas and Mary. A son, James Brower, died in 1893 at the age of two. The remaining eight reached adulthood. In 1940, five of them, Thomas M. Brower, Ellen Brower, Elizabeth Brower, Matthew O. Brower, and Richard O. Brower, were all single, and lived together in Cheltenham, Montgomery Co., Pennsylvania. Thomas was an accountant, Ellen and Elizabeth were public school teachers, Matthew was a dentist with his own practice, and Richard was a real estate salesman. Elizabeth, died in 1995 at the age of 98, single. Son John M. Brower was born in 1899, was still single in 1930, but had married by 1940. His wife was named Helen, and in 1940 they lived in Philadelphia where he was a bookkeeper, and she was age 37. No evidence of descendants has been found. The remaining child, Joseph Brower, was born 16 April 1889 in Philadelphia. He was married to Margaret H. Wells in 1918 and they lived in Lower Merion, Montgomery Co., Pennsylvania in 1930, 1940, and he was living there in 1942 when he registered for the draft during WWII. In his occupation he is described as a "personal secretary" or "financial secretary" for a private estate. Joseph and Margaret had four children, Robert W., Margaret M., Joseph M., and Thomas W., born between 1920 and 1931. There may be descendants named BROWER, from the three sons, but if so, they have not yet been found.

Details and source citations will appear online with the next update of the Brouwer Genealogy Database. In the meantime, please feel free to consult the information collected for descendants of William Brewer in the "family tree" format at Ancestry.com.

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