Brewers of Fulton County and Saratoga County, New York, Deeds and Census Records, Part I

We are looking through deeds and census records to see if we can make some order out of and reconstruct the family or families in which James Brewer and John Brewer belong.

In a deed recorded in Fulton County, dated 7 August 1836, Daniel Brewer and Sarah his wife, of Providence, Saratoga County, New York, sell (for $500) to Daniel Brewer of Broadalbin, Montgomery County (remember Fulton Co. was not created until 1838), a parcel of land in Broadalbin, Montgomery Co., being Lot no. 8 in the Sacondaga Patent, bounded on the north by he Fly Creek, on the east by Lot No. 7, no the south by the highway and on the west by Lot no. 9, containing one hundred and twenty five acres. This can be found in Fulton County Deeds, Vol. 13, p. 101. It is acknowledged by Daniel and Sarah in Montgomery County on 28 September 1836.

Fulton Co. NY Deeds 13:101 (from FamilySearch.org)

The above deed is also recorded in Montgomery Co. Deeds, vol. 41, p. 358.

The 1830 U. S. census at Providence, Saratoga Co., New York, includes Daniel Brewer with a household of two males 15-20, one male 50-60 (presumably Daniel), one female 10-15 and one female 50-60 (p. 248). Enumerated on the same page is the household of Samuel Mosher (John Brewer's wife, Elsie Mosher, is a daughter of this Samuel Mosher). See the post of March 15, 2017.

1830 U.S. Census, Providence, Saratoga Co., NY, p.248 (NARA via Ancestry.com)

Also found in Providence in 1830, is James Brewer with a household of one male age 20-30 and one female age 20-30. He is found at the top of the next census page (p. 249), therefore enumerated in sequence with Daniel Brewer.

1830 U.S. Census, Providence, Saratoga Co., NY, p.249 (NARA via Ancestry.com)

Meanwhile in 1830 in Broadalbin, Montgomery County, New York, on the U. S. census (p. 141), we find Daniel Brewer with 7 persons including a male age 40-50. Daniel is followed by (what appears to be) Barney Brewer, household of 3 with a male age 20-30, and then John Brewer with a household of 10 including a male 30-40.

1830 U.S. Census, Broadalbin, Montgomery Co., NY, p.141 (NARA via Ancestry.com)

Russel Brewer is found on page 143 in Broadalbin, with a household of 4 including a male 20-30.

No heads of households named BREWER (or any variation of) are found in Providence, New York on the 1840 U. S. census. However, in Fulton County, in 1840, all in Broadalbin, we find John Brewer (9 persons including a male 40-50), Daniel Brewer (8 persons including a male 40-50), James Brewer (6 persons including a male 30-40), Gardner Brewer (3 persons including a male 20-30), these four enumerated in succession at the bottom of page 351. Just above them (with Asa Buell and Eli Manning in between) is Russel Brewer (7 persons including a male 30-40).

1840 U.S. Census, Broadalbin, Fulton Co., NY, p.351 (NARA via Ancestry.com)

On page 342 of this same census in Broadalbin are a Jacob Brower and a Jacob Brower, Jr., enumerated in succession.

1840 U.S. Census, Broadalbin, Fulton Co., NY, p. 341 (NARA via Ancestry.com)

The two Jacob Browers are father and son. The elder being Jacob Brouwer, born 16 August 1785 and baptized at the Hackensack Reformed Dutch Church, a son of Jacob Brouwer and Margietta Triet, and a 5-great grandson of Adam Brouwer of Gowanus, L. I. The younger, his son, Jacob Brouwer/Brower was born 20 December 1815 in Mayfield, then Montgomery County, New York.

It should be pointed out here that Fulton County and Saratoga County are adjacent to one another. Saratoga County is directly east of Fulton County. The town of Providence in Saratoga County is on that county's western line and it abuts Fulton County. Likewise, Broadalbin is on Fulton County's eastern border and it abuts Saratoga County. Though in different counties, Providence and Broadalbin are adjacent towns.

The Sacondaga Patent, mentioned in the deed between Daniel and Sarah Brewer to Daniel Brewer, was granted in 1741. There are digital maps online at the New York State Archives Digital Collections. We want to look at map #286, "Map of the Sacondaga Patent." There are two copies, one a torn and faded original and the second a restored copy which is clearer. If you look at the restored copy and enlarge it, you'll find the Lot no. 8 mentioned in the deed to the right. On the map the owners are listed as P. Winne and Douns. You may also note that Lot nos. 4, 6 and 9 (and others) are owned by Clark. Remember, user submitted trees on Ancestry.com claimed that the younger Daniel Brewer was a son of the older Daniel Brewer and a Sarah Clark. That may be correct, but we'll look for harder evidence in a future post. Also note that area designated as marshy, above these lots. That area was known in colonial times as the "Vly," and the creek or stream depicted would be Fly (or Vly) Creek mentioned in the deed (V to F and F to V, was a common consonant shift).

I'll also note that there are a couple of changes to the PDF for Daniel Brewer placed online on October 28th. The son, Henry, has been deleted. Daniel did not have a son named Henry. The 1850 U.S. census at Broadalbin includes his first wife, Hannah, so she was living in 1850. On the 1855 New York State census, Daniel is enumerated as a widower in a household with his daughter, Elisa Chase who is recorded as married although her husband is not recorded. Then in 1860 we find Daniel, in Broadlabin with his second wife, Lucinda (called Lucinda Rice in various Ancestry.com trees) and three children including a Henry Brewer, age 10. Henry is apparently a step-son of Daniel, as Henry is found on the 1865 New York State census, in Daniel's household, as Henry Cussin, age 14. So, Henry has been removed. Also, Daniel's son Parris/Paris Brewer, went to Pitt, Wyandot Co., Ohio by 1860, where he is found with his wife Matilda, daughter Hannah M., and son Daniel. Paris Brewer enlisted from Pitt, Ohio in the Civil War and was killed at Peach Tree Creek, Georgia on 20 July 1864. He is buried in the National Cemetery in Marietta, Georgia. Not all of these changes are reflected in the PDF, but you can "follow along" as I look for further records on Ancestry.com (sorry, but you will need an active paid subscription. I know, that stinks, but this allows for easy research and for changes to be made easily, unlike the process of creating the PDFs or updating the BGD, which I've stopped doing anyway).

We will continue with more Brewer deeds and census records in the next post.

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