Monmouth County, New Jersey, Records of Deeds, Grantors Index A-C

Beginning in the early 1700s, descendants of both Adam Brouwer of Gowanus, L. I. and of Jan Brouwer of Flatlands, L. I. relocated and settled in Monmouth County, New Jersey. The county itself was established in 1683 and was within what was called the Province of East Jersey. The initial settlers there were largely families of English and Scottish origin, many coming to Monmouth County by way of Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, and Long Island. They were largely Baptists and Quakers. Migration of "Dutch," or more accurately non-English families with roots in New Netherland, began soon afterwards. For background on the history and recording of deeds and grants in New Jersey I would suggest starting with the FamilySearch Wiki page for New Jersey Land and Property and would suggest making use of the many links found within the text there. The broader background picture should be of interest and help to those researching land records in New Jersey. The focus in this post is on records found in Monmouth County, and located in the County Clerk's Office. Links for the filmed and subsequently digitized records are found at FamilySearch through their catalog under Monmouth County, New Jersey, Records of Deeds, 1665-1899.

The Grantor Index, 1667-1856 (FHL film #007901947) for the letter B is online at FamilySearch.org beginning here with image no. 63. The Grantee Index, 1667-1891 (FHL film #007895633)  for the letter B is online begins here with image no. 102. The first thing that you might notice here is that there are very few entries for deeds from the colonial period, which is to be expected since the County Clerk's Office was not formed until 1785. The indexes are arranged alphabetically but only by the first letter of the surname, and then the first letter of the given name, and then chronologically within each set of alphabetically listed given names. In other words, this isn't the most user friendly set up for an index. But then again, this is New Jersey, and my experience has been that if there is a more difficult and cumbersome method to arrange access to records, then New Jersey will use that method. This setup requires searching each page to cull out the Brewers and Browers, and that is what you will find below. Starting with the Grantor Index, I'm simply listing them as they are listed in the index books, Date, Grantor, Grantee, Liber: Page. The individual volumes with the deeds can be viewed using your computer at home. No need to go to a FHL center to view these records. The abbreviation "ux" for et uxor, means "and wife." "Et al," short for et alia, means "and others."

Grantor Index, Given Name A-C

• 1801 June 23, Brewer, Aaron dec'd (by dev), Job Throckmorton et al (trustees), M:434
• 1806 Sept 2, Brewer, Adam dec'd (by dev), Asher White, Q:688
• 1806 Sept 2, Brewer, Adam dec'd (by dev), Asher White Q:690
• 1811 July 8, Brewer, Ann et al (Exis), Benjah Butcher et al, T:466
• 1812 July 29, Brewer, Adam, Joseph Lafetra, V:428
• 1814 July 25, Brower, Adam, John Brewer et al, Y:170
• 1816 Dec 16, Brewer, Adam (by Shiff), Tilee Williams, Z:417
• 1817 July 12, Brewer, Aaron ux, Peter Brewer, A2:46
• 1818 Mar 10, Brewer, Adam (by Shiff), Jacob Croxson, A2:473
• 1821 Oct 16, Brower, Abraham ux, George Crawford, D2:480
• 1821 Oct 31, Brower, Abraham, Joseph Truax, D2:516
• 1825 July 29, Brower, Ann & Abraham (dec'd by heirs), William Mason, K2:206
• 1827 May 27, Brewer, Ann, Elizabeth Brewer, N2:432
• 1827 July 25, Brewer, Aaron ux, Robert Shafts, O2:95
• 1828 Aug 28, Brewer, Aron ux, Ebenezer Scott, Q2:323
• 1831 Sept 17, Brower, Adam dec'd (by heir), Henry W. Wolcott et al, Y2:434
• 1833 May 23, Brewer, Aaron ux, John Reynolds, D3:287
• 1837 Apr 27, Brewer, Aaron ux et al, James Cooper, Q3:400
• 1837 Apr 27, Brewer, Aaron ux et al, James Cooper, Q3:407
• 1838 June 9, Brewer, Aaron ux, Garret RobbinsT3:326
• 1839 Apr 15, Brewer, Aaron ux et al, William Cooper, W3:386
• 1839 Nov 20, Brewer, Adam ux, William H. Brewer, Y3:238
• 1840 Feb 25, Brewer, Ann, Susan Hunt et al, Z3:61
• 1841 Jan 28, Brewer, Aaron ux et al, Esther Cooper, B4:178
• 1842 Apr 27, Brewer, Aaron ux, David Reynolds, F4:297
• 1844 Mar 9, Brewer, Ann, Isaac Brewer, K4:387
• 1845 Nov 5, Brewer, Aaron ux et al, Gordon Cooper, R4:337
• 1847 Oct 16, Brower, Aaron ux, John Hall, E5:100
• 1849 May 8, Bruere, Ann, Joseph Waln, I5:494
• 1849 June 13, Bruere, Ann, John W. Burtis, L5:55
• 1851 Feb 5, Brewer, Aaron ux et al, David Cooper, R5:44
• 1851 Feb 5, Brewer, Aaron ux et al, David cooper, R5:47
• 1852 Mar 29, Brower, Aaron ux, Herbert Woolley, T5:163
• 1853 Apr 5, Brower, Aaron ux, Gilbert Brewere, Y5:479
• 1853 Mar 31, Brower, Aaron ux et al, Abraham Havens, Y5:438
• 1854 June 10, Brower, Aaron ux, James Johnson, F6:27
• 1855 May 10, Brewer, Aaron ux et al, Richard Corlies, I6:371

• 1800 Mar 13, Brewer, Benjamin ux, Daniel Williams, L:437 
• 1805 Dec 30, Brewer, Benjamin ux, Aaron Laign, P:469
• 1817 Apr 15, Brower, Benjamin Jr. ux et al, John S. Van Mater, Z:616
• 1819 Apr 29, Brower, Benjamin Jr. ux et al, John Vandoren, B2:316 
• 1819 Dec 20, Brewer, Benjamin ux, Cornelius Brewer et al, B2:660
• 1821 Oct 17, Brower, Benjamin Jr. ux, Joseph H. Van Mater, D2:484
• 1824 May 3, Brewer, Benjamin  et al (by Shiff), Peter Vandorn, H2:269
• 1826 Apr 25, Brower, Benjamin ux, Cornelius Brower, L2:255
• 1826 July 26, Brewer, Benjamin ux, Thomas Bowne, L2:524
• 1827 Mar 25, Brower, Benjamin ux, James Patterson Jr., N2:13
• 1829 July 4, Brower, Benjamin ux, Joseph Mount, S2:178
• 1829 July 4, Brower, Benjamin ux, Trustees Union Meeting Colts Neck, S2:179
• 1830 Apr 27, Brower, Benjamin ux, Joseph Conrow, V2:269
• 1832 Mar 1, Brewer, Benjamin B., David Estell, Z2:375
• 1833 June 19, Brower, Benjamin ux, Thomas Sutphen, D3:388
• 1833 Dec 26, Brower, Benjamin ux, John H. Tilton, E3:495
• 1834 Jan 21, Brower, Benjamin ux, John Robinson, E3:565
• 1834 Jun 13, Brewer, Benjamin B. ux, Cornelius C. Hendrickson, G3:35
• 1836 Sept 14, Brower, Benjamin ux, Samuel Conover, O3:54
• 1836 Oct 16, Brower, Benjamin ux, John S. Schenck, O3:408
• 1850 Jan 15, Brower, Benjamin ux et al, Abraham Trafford, L5:444
• 1850 Feb 6, Brower, Benjamin ux et al, Leanaer Bishop, M5:209
• 1850 Apr 11, Brower, Benjamin ux et al, Charles G. Allen, M5:557
• 1850 Apr 1, Brower, Benjamin ux et al, William Brown, N5:94
• 1850 Apr 1, Brower, Benjamin ux, Charles Corney, N5:99
• 1850 June 1, Brower, Benjamin ux, Samuel Corney, O5:214
• 1851 Aug 12, Brower, Benjamin ux, Theodore D. Conover, R5:449
• 1853 July 26, Brower, Benjamin ux, Levi Scoby et al, W5:454
• 1853 July 19, Brewer, Benjamin ux, Stephen Corney, B6:171
• 1854 Apr 4, Brower, Benjamin ux, Thomas H. Matthews et al, E6:348

• 1822 Jan 29, Brower, Cornelius ux, Samuel Corlies, E2:175 
• 1827 Mar 2, Brewer, Cornelius ux, Benjamin Brewer, N2:15 
• 1828 Jan 22, Brewer, Cornelius ux, Jacob Knott, P2:54
• 1828 Jan 23, Brewer, Cornelius ux, Gilbert Brower, P2:82
• 1828 Apr 22, Brewer, Cornelius ux, Elizabeth Grant, P2:442
• 1828 Oct 25, Brewer, Cornelius ux, William Parker, R2:17
• 1829 Aug 13, Brewer, Cornelius ux, David Brower, S2:352
• 1829 Oct 26, Brewer, Cornelius ux, William White, T2:102
• 1832 Aug 16, Brewer, Cornelius ux, Enos Eastwood, B3:254
• 1834 Sept 15, Brewer, Cornelius ux, Asher Wardell Jr., G3:351
• 1834 Oct 11, Brewer, Cornelius (or) Brower ux, David Brower, G3:422
• 1836 Oct 21, Brower, Cornelius ux, Samuel Corlies, O3:354
• 1838 July 30, Brower, Cornelius et al, Garret W. Wycoff, V3:33
• 1839 Jan 11, Brewer, Constant et al, Isaac Van Kirk, V3:491
• 1840 Jan 8, Brewer, Catharine, George Tyson et al, Y3:349
• 1845 Dec 8, Brewer, Cornelius ux, Daniel Holmes, S4:4
• 1849 Apr 20, Brower, Cornelius ux, John Sheriff, K5:19
• 1849 Nov 7, Brower, Charles K. et al, Deborah T. Brower (Admtix), L5:312
• 1852 Apr 7, Brower, Cornelius ux, Peter T. Nivison, T5:543
• 1855 Apr 3, Brower, Charles ux, Joseph King, H6:594

So, a lot of land transactions in Monmouth County involving Brewers and Browers, and a couple of Brueres, and this is just the Grantor Index for those with given names beginning with the letters A, B and C. Looking over the list you can see that there are a few entries that mention "dec'd" (deceased) or "heirs," and others with the abbreviation, "et al." These deeds may involve the transfer of inherited property and so may offer genealogical clues. Monmouth County, New Jersey has a lot of Brewers and Browers and sorting them out to reconstruct families is challenging. My experience has been that many who have attempted researching their family here have overlooked or paid little attention to the recorded deeds. There may be some clues here that have yet to be discovered. If you happen to find any, please share them either through the Comments option or forward them to me directly. If they are of help in solving genealogical problems I'll post them online. We will continue with more index entries.

BGB 642

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