Brower Family Circle, Volume 11

To my knowledge, Volume 11 of The Brower Family Circle was the final volume. My assumption is that Bill Bogardus had in his possession the entire series and eleven volumes was the entirety of what was in his collection which I had access to back in 2008-09. The Family History Library only shows volumes 1-5 in their collection. And so I assume that Volume 11 was the final volume. There are two issues that bear the dates of April 1986 and July 1986. Links to PDF versions are found on the Brower Family Circle page.

No. 1, April 1986 (53 pages): Page 1 has a request for information on the "male children of Abraham Hildrickse Brouwer and Elizabeth Ackerman. In particular the Jan Brouwer and Rachel Van Brakelen." (The Abraham Brouwer asked for here was the son of Uldrick Brouwer and Hester De Voe, baptized 30 March 1701 at the Reformed Dutch Church in Bergen, New Jersey. He married Elizabeth Ackerman in 1723. Among the couple's twelve children is a son Jan who was baptized 11 March 1733 at Hackensack, New Jersey. Jan Brouwer married Rachel Braakelen, or Van Brackel on 15 April 1754 at Schraalenburgh. Jan and Rachel had eight children. Details for all can be found on the BGD website, use the index to locate those of interest). There are three more queries on page 1. Different readers ask for information on Cecilia Brower from New York who married George M. Hollister (no dates or details are given); Michael Lampman who married Maria Brouwer and their daughter Maria Lampman who married John Hogle (Maria Brouwer, 1733-1810, was a great-great granddaughter of Adam Brouwer. Her line: Maria > Jacob > Pieter > Adam); the third query seeks information on Adam Brower, born in Pennsylvania, who on 16 February 1843 married Margaret Ann Daugherty in Guernsey County, Ohio, and moved to Morgan County, Ohio by 1860. Page 2 is a pedigree of Steven Richard Brower whose earliest Brower ancestor is an Abraham Brower, 1829-1900, married Loivy Petick, 1838-1910. The line of ancestors lived at Gloversville, Fulton Co., New York. Also on page 2 is a partial Brouwer-Truax line. On page 3: Seek parents of Hannah Tamar Brower who married William Kent. Hannah died in August 1796 in Highgate, Franklin Co., Vermont (I have researched the Highgate, Vermont Browers/Brewers pretty thoroughly and am not familiar with this couple); seeking the parents of Abram G. Brower, b. ca. 1800, probably at Patterson, New Jersey, married Abigail Huntington, and lived in Onondaga and Cortland Counties, New York.

The remainder Vol. 11, no. 1 is reserved for the work of Alfred H. Brower who gives Jay H. Brower permission to publish. A note from Jay H. Brower at the bottom of page 3 tells us that although the issue is dated April 1986, "the work on it was done in October 1989." THE BROUWER GENEALOGY, prepared by Alfred H. Brower begins at page 4 of the issue which then adopts the pagination of Alfred's manuscript. The introduction gives the date as 1985. Alfred H. Brower claimed to be a descendant of Adam Brouwer and it must be pointed out to readers that the claimed ancestry for Adam Brouwer found on page 8 is unfounded, and most certainly incorrect. Much of the information on Adam Brouwer himself is clearly paraphrased from William J. Hoffman's "Brouwer Beginnings," published in The American Genealogist, volumes 23 and 24 (1947-48). The genealogy continues with Adam Brouwer's son Abraham Brouwer (page 17 of the manuscript) who is given a baptism date of May 18, 1662. In fact no baptism record for Abraham survives. It was Adam Brouwer's son Adam who was baptized on May 18, 1662. Here Alfred incorrectly assigns Abraham's daughter Jannetje to his second wife, Elizabeth Britten (sic). Abraham's daughter Jannetje was married to Johannes Burger and their first child was baptized in 1725. Abraham Brouwer and his second wife, Elizabeth Gerritsen (she was the widow of Nathaniel Britton) were married about 1732 (the couple's pre-nuptual agreement was dated September 1, 1732). I point all of this out to demonstrate the sloppiness of Alfred's research so that readers can be forewarned, use this work with caution. Take nothing at face value. Independently verify all claims. I will not critique the remainder of the manuscript except to note that the lineage Alfred presents for himself is incorrect at a number of points. Alfred H. Brower's earliest confirm-able ancestor is William W. Brower, 1809-1890, found at page 29 of the manuscript. William W. Brower's ancestry is not proved. It may or may not be correct. Alfred Henry Brower was a great-grandson of William W. Brower. Alfred was born in 1902 and passed away in 2001.

No. 2, July 1986 (9 pages): As mentioned above, to my knowledge this is the final issue of The Brower Family Circle. Lineage of Mildred Gertrude Brower (page 1. Northport, NY is on Long Island). Lineage of Erminnie Alice Brower, 1876-1954 (pages 1-2. A Canadian Brower line possibly descendants of the Chester Co., Pennsylvania Brower families). A lineage from Jacob Brewer, 1790-1866 and his wife Cassandre McDonald (pages 2-3. This Jacob is a son of Matthew Brower of Greene Co., Pennsylvania). A lineage back to Hubert Brower (pages 3-5. The line includes Browers from Randolph Co., North Carolina). Lineage of Mrs. Linn V. Harris (page 6. First Brower ancestor is Eliza Brower, 1813-1882, married DeMott Shaw. She is a daughter of James Brower, born 1792 in Queens Co., New York, died 1875 at Cape May, New Jersey). Lineage of Mrs. Diane Eaton (pages 6-7, a great-granddaughter of Lucetta Brower, b. 1851 in Ohio, married Charles C. Stemen. Her father was Enoch Brower of Allen Co., Ohio). A lineage from Daniel Brower, born ca. 1811 in Canada, died 28 November 1865, probably in Iowa. His wife Matilda was born in Ireland. Descendants found in Iowa and Oklahoma (pages 7-8).

And that ends The Brower Family Circle. There is no "sign-off" from Jay H. Brower, so again it is only my assumption that this was his final issue. So for one final time, please use the material found in The Brower Family Circle with care. Independently check and verify all claims and statements.

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