Caleb Pell Brower and Caleb S. Brower

The Brouwer Genealogy Database (BGD) includes a profile for Caleb Pell Brower. The entry there includes errors that need to be corrected.

The first error is the claim that Caleb Pell Brower married Mary Marshalk on 22 October 1814, as recorded by the Reformed Dutch Church of New York ("Marriages from 1801 to 1866 in the Reformed Dutch Church, New York City", New York Genealogical and Biographical Record vol.70-72, 89 (1939-41, 1958): 71:186). He did not. That marriage belongs to Caleb S. Brower, and Caleb S. Brower and Caleb Pell Brower are two different individuals. They are not the same as is implied on the BGD website. More on Caleb S. Brower to follow.

The second error is the claim that Caleb Pell Brower is enumerated on the 1820 U. S. census at Amsterdam, Montgomery County, New York. That claim is based on the fact that he shows up as "Caleb Brower" (no middle name or initial) in searches of that census on numerous websites including Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org and AmericanAncestors.org. The transcription used at all these sites was originally supplied by the Family History Library. It does not appear to be a correct transcription.* At least, it is not clear from an available image of the census sheet that was transcribed. Here's the image:

U.S. Census, 1820, Amsterdam, Montgomery Co., NY (NARA via Ancestry.com)

Download the image to your computer. Enlarge it. See if you can clearly find an entry for a Caleb Brower. I don't see one. It's possible that the seventh image down from the top was read as "Brower, Caleb," but if anything I see it as "Brower, Peter," but I wouldn't stake anything on that read alone, however, administration on the estates of two different men, a Peter Brewer and a Peter Brower, were recorded in Montgomery County, one in 1826 and another in 1838.

That Caleb Pell Brower existed, is not disputed. The will of his father, William Brouwer/Brower/Brewer names his son Caleb Pell Brower. In the will, dated 26 June 1849, William Brower, of the City and County of New York, leaves to his eldest son, Caleb Pell Brower, 1/8 of his estate wheresoever it may be found. I have thus far been unable to find this will recorded in the New York County, or Dutchess County, will books. It may not have been recorded. It is (only) known to me by the generosity of Kathleen Castro, who had inherited a large collection of material and original documents, handed down through the generations descended from Nicholas Brouwer (1714-1777) of Wappingers Falls, New York.** I've placed a PDF of the transcription online.

I have thus far been unable to find further documentation or records for Caleb Pell Brower. There is a Caleb Brower found on the 1820 census in New York City's Tenth Ward (as per a search of transcriptions) but like the problem with the 1820 listing at Amsterdam, New York, the name on the census sheet is not terribly clear. Caleb is found on the bottom sheet, tenth down, in the image below.

U.S. Census, 1820, NYC Ward 10 (NARA via Ancestry.com)

This image is clearer than the image of the Amsterdam sheet, but the hand writing is not obvious. BROWER may be correct, but there is some ambiguity here. See for yourself.

There are a few user submitted trees, both on Ancestry.com and on the FamilySearch.org website that claim that Caleb Pell Brower married Frances Catherine Caron (or Catherine Frances Caron). However, no evidence or record is given for this claim. We are presently looking for additional records regarding Caleb Pell Brower and evidence to support (or refute) the claim that he married Frances Catherine Caron. Any insight or help would be welcomed. Our interest in this marriage stems from the following.

Frances Catherine Caran is the mother of Charles H. Brower, born in 1820, died 12 January 1860 in Philadelphia. A direct male descendant of Charles H. Brower has taken a Y-DNA test (Brewer DNA Project), the results of which match those who are descendants of Adam Brouwer of Gowanus, L. I. Charles H. Brower is therefore a descendant of Adam Brouwer, and we would like to find his line back to Adam Brouwer. That starts with discovering just who his father was. Was it Caleb Pell Brower? Or, is it someone else?

Back to Caleb S. Brower, a man different from Caleb Pell Brower. Caleb S. Brower did marry Mary Marshalk in 1814. Caleb S. Brower is found in New York City, prior to his marriage, as per records regarding his service during the War of 1812, and his mention in newspaper clippings. He was a plumber. A series of notices published in the New York Evening Post, beginning with one on October 13, 1812, refer to the death of Joseph Marschalk, and mention Caleb S. Brower. Caleb S. Brower is also found on the 1820 U. S. census. He is enumerated in New York City's Fourth Ward, with a household of three males under age 10, two males age 26-44, one female age 10-16 and one female age 16-25. Records for the births and baptisms of two children of Caleb S. and Mary Brower are found in the records of the United Methodist Church. Son and namesake, Caleb S. Brower was born 21 August 1819 and daughter Mary Elizabeth Brower was born 17 May 1821. Both were baptized on 14 October 1821 at the Allen Street United Methodist Church in New York City. The will of Joseph Marschalk is found in New York County Wills, Lib. 60, pp. 55-56 (old). It is dated 7 September 1812, but not proved until 20 December 1825. The will mentions his wife, Mary Marschalk, and "children" but does not give the children's names. The will pre-dates the marriage of Caleb S. Brower to Mary Marschalk, which invites the question, did Caleb marry Mary, a daughter of Joseph and Mary Marschalk, or did he marry the widow Mary Marschalk? (We'll have to work on that one as time permits). Caleb S. Brower is NOT found on the BGD website. He can be viewed on the Adam Brouwer of Gowanus, L. I. database maintained on Ancestry.com. (Please note that it is not certain if the birth/baptism record found here belongs to Caleb S. Brower).

The corrections to the BGD - Caleb Pell Brower and Caleb S. Brower are two different men. Caleb Pell Brower did not marry Mary Marschalk, Caleb S. Brower did marry Mary Marschalk. 
The question we'd like to answer - Did Caleb Pell Brower marry Frances Catherine Caran, and is he the father of Charles H. Brower of Philadelphia? 

*Thanks to Sara Brower for pointing out this problem with the 1820 U. S. census transcription. The lesson here is that the searchable index transcription available now on all the major genealogy websites are not always reliable. The original image SHOULD ALWAYS BE EXAMINED before conclusions are made.

**Kathleen generously provided me with transcripts of many of the documents in the collection. The collection has since been donated to the Wappingers Historical Society.

BGB 619