Updating The "Lanier-Brewer" Subgroup of The Brewer DNA Project

With 87 members, the "Lanier-Brewer" subgroup of the Brewer DNA Project continues to be the largest subgroup of members within the Brewer DNA Project. Many members of the subgroup have taken the advanced BigY-500 test and presently the group is identified by the terminal SNP (haplogroup) I-Y15031. Within the subgroup, the BigY-500 test has found further SNPs common to only some members of the larger subgroup but not to others. This has allowed for a further sub-dividing of the subgroup. Hank Graham, Administrator of the Brewer DNA Project, has recently brought this to the attention of the members of the Project with a post to the Project's Activity Feed.

The following is based on Hank's post:

The Lanier-Brewer subgroup of the Project is the largest subgroup with 87 YDNA participants and 40 BigY-500 or terminal SNP tested men. Based on YDNA testing and paper trail research it has become apparent that only some of the members of this subgroup descend from George Brewer and one of his two wives and only some members have critically evaluated paper trail proof of that descent. All 87 members descend from an Unnamed Brewer Founder, several of whose descendants came to Colonial America and typically could be found in Virginia, Georgia, and North Carolina. We call the entire subgroup the Lanier-Brewer subgroup which is not really an appropriate name for this more complex Colonial America Southern Family. We are open to considering a more appropriate name and want to encourage efforts to identify the Unnamed Brewer Founder and more recent Common Ancestors between family units within this Colonial America Southern Family. 

In order to assist Lanier-Brewer subgroup Members identify more recent common ancestors and other closely related Brewer Project members, we are going to subdivide this one subgroup into seven assigned groups and one Unassigned group based on results from the BigY-500 test, terminal SNP tests, and the multiple matching STR variants from the approximately 1000 STR markers analyzed by FTDNA and YFull. Currently the seven assigned groups will represent about half of the men and the Unassigned group the half not tested by the BigY-500 or terminal SNP tests. These eight groups will appear on the colorized YDNA result chart in the same relative position they were and all will have the light blue color divider of the Lanier-Brewer Group. When a Most Recent Common Ancestor (MRCA) for a subgroup is determined that will appear in the label of the group.  

It is important to recognize that only some members of the larger "Lanier-Brewer" subgroup actually are descendants of George Brewer and one of his two wives. The majority of members will descend from other related Colonial American Brewer Family subgroups, all descending from one Unnamed Brewer Founder. Results for this large group are displayed in a manner to help our members recognize the multiple Related Brewer men who came to Colonial America at various times during the pre-Revolutionary War period and allow for future placement of all Unassigned men. Modifications to the Lanier-Brewer subgroup YDNA Colorized Chart and Classic Chart emphasizing terminal SNP results and BIGY-500 & YFull matching STR variants is available on the Brewer Project Public Page. This change will cause some color changes within each new group in the YDNA Colorized Chart because the STR variation will be determined within each terminal SNP identified Family Unit and not based on the entire Lanier-Brewer Group of 87 members. 

______________

The takeaway from the above is that the continued evaluation of Y-DNA test results has lead to the belief that George Brewer of Brunswick Co., Virginia is himself, not the ancestor of all members currently found grouped in the "Lanier-Brewer" subgroup of the Brewer DNA Project. It is conceivable that the common ancestor for those in the subgroup is perhaps the father or grandfather (or even a more distant paternal line ancestor) of George Brewer. This may also imply that George Brewer had a brother, or brothers who also came to the American Colonies. In light of this development, the "Lanier-Brewer" group has been reorganized by the creation of seven new sub-subgroups labeled A through G, and a further sub-subgroup (Unassigned) of those who have not been assigned to one the new sub-subgroups. Those found in the Unassigned sub-subgroup would need to take the BigY-500 test in order to be placed somewhere among the other seven sub-subgroups. To further clarify - while some of those now found in sub-subgroups A-G are descendants of George Brewer, it appears that not all of the sub-subgroups A-G can be, but instead some may be descendants of a brother or cousin of George Brewer. 

Those interested in further testing are encouraged to contact the Administrators of the Brewer DNA Project with any questions.

BGB 629