The Brower Family Circle, Volume 4

An overview of The Brower Family Circle, Volume 4, four issues bearing the published dates of April, July and October 1979, and January 1980.

No. 1, April 1979 (10 pages): Begins with "A continuation of the items in Vol. III No. 4 Jan 79 on Preble County, Ohio" includes Jacob Brower, will proved 20 June 1831. Henry Y. Brower,b. 1778, d. 1842 of Miami Co., Indiana, m. Hannah Dillman and their son Daniel Brower, b. 1821, d. 1899, m. Mary Elizabeth Thompson. Query regarding Joseph Brewer, died 5 October 1885, age 70, buried in Greenlawn Cemetery, Jefferson Twp., Miami Co., Indiana. (page 1). Bible Record (pages 1-2. This record gives the years of birth of the children of Jacob Brower and Anna Rudy, Jacob being the Jacob Brower whose will was proved 20 June 1831). Elder John Brower (1783-1863) and Rebecca Harter (1781-1858) of Lanier, Preble Co., Ohio (page 2, gives a list of nine children for the couple, profile continues on page 3). Abraham Overholser and Lydia Brower of Gasper, Preble Co., Ohio (page 3). Excerpt from "page 357 PA Archives" regarding Christian Brower of Chester County (pages 3-4). Excerpts from History of Cass County, Indiana (pages 4-5). The remainder of page 5 onto page 6 are notes on Diehl > Teale, German settlement in North Carolina, Montgomery Co., Ohio, Randolph Co., North Carolina and the creation of various counties in Ohio in 1803. Notes on some with the surname Williamson (pages 6-7). James Patterson married Margaret Brower ca. 1857 (page 7). An excerpt from Minutes of the Orphan's Court, New Amsterdam, 1663 in which Adam Brouwer, Thomas Verdon and Arien Williamson petition the court (page 7. I hope Jay H. Brower is not trying to link Arien Williamson to the Williamsons he writes about on the previous page, but if he is, one can see how the seeds of confusion are sown by the sloppy practice of associating people who lived in different centuries based upon a common name). Children of Hendrick Banta and Rachel Brower (pages 7-8. Rachel Brower is a descendant of Adam Brouwer). More on the Low Dutch Settlement at Conewago, York (now Adams) Co., Pennsylvania (pages 8-9, use with caution).

No. 2, July 1979 (9 pages): Brower History citing "Wayland's Virginia Valley Records pages 35-140-145-397 and 406" (page 1, refers to Enoch Brower of Augusta Co., Virginia. Use care in following this as it is poorly organized). Mention of a booklet on the Old Mud Church in Kentucky (bottom of page 1, the church is in Harrodsburg, Mercer Co., Kentucky, not Lexington. Descendants of Adam Brouwer were among the first settlers there). The will of Abraham Brower, Dearborn Co., Indiana is mentioned at the top of page 2 (he is a descendant of Adam Brouwer, but not a descendant of the families who settled at Harrodsburg, Kentucky). Genealogical record of a John Brower of Preble Co., Ohio (page 2). Deed from Franklin Co., Virginia involving Christian Brower (page 2). Excerpts from A History of the Shenandoah Valley by John W. Wayland, 1969 (pages 2-4). Excerpt from History of Miami County, Indiana, 1887 (pages 4-5, Peter Fisher-Elizabeth Brower family). Notes from "Facts on Preble County, Ohio" and the DAR Society on the Lesh (Loesch) family (page 6). Will of Henry Kesling, Preble Co., Ohio, 1835 (pages 6-7, mentions Loy and Parker surnames). Some incoherent mentions of various unrelated Brower families is found in the middle of page 7. Notes from "History of Allen County, Ohio," regarding Enoch Brower, John Brower and wife Hannah Miller (pages 7-8). A "family history" telling of four brothers from Holland coming to America before 1698 so as not to be hanged as pirates, with one going to New York, one to Pennsylvania, one to Virginia and one to Kentucky (page 8). An Emanuel Brower (1772-1850) line (page 8).

No. 3, October 1979 (12 pages): A Wood-Brower line from Randolph Co., North Carolina (pages 1-2). A line from James Brewer and Elizabeth Arnold of Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana (pages 2-3). Query regarding Mary (Polly) Brower, b. 1810, d. 1894 Wells Co., Indiana and her husband William Showalter, 1806-1893 (page 3). Query on Matilda Brower, b. 5 Nov 1815 in North Carolina, married Nathaniel Norwood, Randolph Co., NC to Hamilton Co., IN (page 3).  Query into Abraham Brower of Saratoga Co., New York, moved to Oneida County in 1906 (page 4). An incomplete line for Rachel Brower and Henry Banta (page 4). Query into Isaac Brower, married ____ on 21 Apr 1767 in New York (page 5). Who were the parents of Joel Brower, b. 29 Feb 1815, Preble Co., Ohio? (page 5). A Brower lineage involving Ariah Coates Brower an early Mormon pioneer (pages 5-6, note that the ancestry of Ariah's grandfather Joseph Brower is incorrect). Notice of a book on Ariah Coates Brower compiled by Oradell Brower Triplett (page 7). Copy of a letter written by Elizabeth Stagg McGuire written in 1892 when she was age about 85 years, followed by notes on the family (pages 7-11, she would be a granddaughter of James Stagg and Lea Brouwer who were married in 1765 at Schraalenburg, New Jersey then went to Harrodsburg, Kentucky. The lineage given for Lea Brouwer, who is a descendant of Adam Brouwer, is correct).

No. 4, January 1980 (9 pages): More on James Stagg (see above) including a transcript of his will dated 3 Sep 1822, Mercer Co., Kentucky (pages 1-2). Partial lineage of Mrs. Logan Wilson, a descendant of Adam Brouwer (page 3, this line is correct). Correspondents of Mrs. Logan Wilson with their earliest known Brewer ancestor (pages 3-5. The earliest ancestors here are from various BROUWER, BROWER or BREWER families that are not in all cases related). A summary of the family of Adam Brouwer by a correspondent (page 5. This is a poor account with regards to the rendering of some of the given names and there is a typo which gives Adam Brouwer's birth as 1694, but is otherwise correct). A summary of the family of Jacob Brouwer and Annacuchie (sic) Bogardus (page 6. While the names of the children given are correct, the wife of son Everdus (sic) was Mary Petitt and not "Lea Olat," and the daughter Magdalina (sic) did not marry John Drake. It is believed, though still not proved, that Magdalena married Willem Van Oort, while it has been proved that John Drake's wife was Martha Oldham. The husband of Anna Elizabeth was Jacob Quackenbosch, not Waucklenbosch). A lineage from Elaine Waiters beginning with Anneke Jans (pages 6-7. This line is incorrect at number 4. Adolphus Brouwer was not a son of Jacob Brouwer and Annetje Bogardus. He as a son of Nicholas Brouwer and Jannetje Caljer. Position 6 is also incorrect. Jannetje Brower, daughter of Isaac Brouwer was born in 1764 and she married William Collins in 1780. The Jannetje Brouwer who married Cornelius Tunison did so in 1749 and so was of a much earlier generation. This Jannetje Brouwer is unplaced and it is uncertain as to which larger Brouwer family she even belongs to. At position 7, note that Cornelius Tunison does not mention a son John is his will of 1790, so this placement has to be doubted). A lineage of Debora Brower, b. 1733, married Jeremiah Pearce (page 7. The line is correct except note that the wife of William Bogardus was Wynnetje Sybrants, not "Myrtle Sybrant," and William Bogardus' mother, which is left blank here, was Anneke Jans). On page 8 is a list of 11 children for Jacob Brouwer and Annetzie (sic) Bogardus (this list is partially incorrect. Jacob and Annatje did not have sons named John or Adolphus. See the BGB post of September 20, 2012 for an account of the family of Jacob Brouwer and Annatje Bogardus).

As always, a reminder to use the issues of The Brower Family Circle with care. Take the time to verify all claims and statements found within each issue.

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