Madison County, New York Land Records

Madison County, New York was formed in 1806 out of Chenango County which had been formed in 1798 out of parts of Tioga and Herkimer Counties. These two later counties had been formed in 1791 out of Montgomery County. County formation in most of what is referred to as "upstate," was frequent following the formation as New York as a State. It's not uncommon to find ancestors who never moved themselves, living in different counties over the course of their lives during the first few decades of the new nation. Madison County is presently bounded by Chenango County on the south, Onondaga and Cortland Counties on the west, Otsego County on the southeast and Oneida County on the northeast, and a short border with Oswego County on the northwest.

The 1810 U. S. census is the earliest to include Madison County. A search using Ancestry.com finds one Brewer - A. Brewer in Sullivan, with a household of one male under age 10, one male age 26-44, one female under age 10, one female age 16-25. There is also an A. Brower in Sullivan, with a household of one male age 26-44 and one female age 26-44. The 1820 U. S. census gives us a John Brower, and a Mary Brower as heads of household, both in Sullivan. A search using the surname Brewer yields no results. You will find both a John Brower/Brewer and a Mary Brower in some of the earlier land records below. The town of Sullivan is in the northwest corner of the county and was formed in 1803 out of the town of Cazenovia, and prior to the formation of Madison County itself. In 1809, the town of Lenox was set off from Sullivan.

FamilySearch.org has land records with indexes for Madison County that begin in 1806. The Grantee index for the years 1806 to 1853, for those whose surnames begin with the letter B begins here. The entries are ranged alphabetically by the grantee's first name and then chronologically within each letter. Here are the Brewers and Browers that I find within this index. The format for each entry follows as: Date, Grantee, Grantor, Book:Page.

Grantee Index 1806-1853

• 1826 Sept 13, Brower, Aaron, Abner P. Downer, Y:341
• 1831 Feb 7, Brower, Aaron, William Readfield & wife, et al, AE:89
• 1833 June 19, Brewer, Curtis, Erastus Clearland & wife, AG:395
• 1837 Feb 25, Brower, Cornelius, Caleb Hall & wife, AO:495
• 1844 Sept 17, Brewer, Curtis, Allen Brewer & wife, BC:224
• 1850 Aug 24, Brower, Cornelius, Albert Brannon & wife, BO:309
• 1850 Aug 24, Brower, Cornelius, Ornon Sturtevant & wife, BO:310
• 1852 Dec 6, Brower, Cornelius, Edwin Woods & wife, BT:185
• 1836 Oct 29, Brewer, Erastus, John J. Knox & wife, AO:142
• 1842 Feb 22, Brewer, Electa & an, Erastus Brewer & wife, AY:66
• 1815 Oct 3, Brower, John, Silas Kelsey & wife, L:31
• 1824 Oct 28, Brower, John, John Kneer, Y:135
• 1826 Mar 27, Brewer, John, Alvah Goodale, W:545
• 1826 July 21, Brower, John, Henry Kneer & an, X:197
• 1827 Nov 6, Brower, John, Abner P. Downer, Y:394
• 1839 Mar 25, Brewer, James & John A., George Waggoner & wife, AT:110
• 1822 July 19, Brower, Mary, William J. Hopkins & wife, S:322
• 1824 Nov 1, Brower, Mary, William J. Hopkins & wife, V:137
• 1824 Nov 1, Brower, Mary, Daniel Anderson (atty), V:139
• 1829 Jan 7, Brower, Margaret, Abner P. Downer & wife, AE:61
• 1827 Nov 6, Brower, Peter, Abner P. Downer, Y:395
• 1842 Feb 22, Brewer, Sally & an, Erastus Brewer & wife, AY:66

Grantor Index 1806-1853

Date, Grantor, Grantee, Book:Page

• 1824 Nov 1, Brower, Aaron by Adm, William J. Hopkins, V:141
• 1827 Aug 6, Brower, Aaron et al, Abner P. Downer, Y:293
• 1843 Dec 2, Brower, Aaron, John I. Walwrath et al, BA:279
• 1844 Sept 15, Brewer, Allen & wife, Curtis Brewer, BC:224
• 1846 Apr 23, Brower, Aaron, The Syracuse & Utica R.R. Co., BF:460
• 1847 Jan 15, Brower, Aaron in trust, Abram Hilton & an, BH:71
• 1838 May 29, Brewer, Cornelius &an, Levi Ludden, AR:280
• 1839 June 17, Brewer, Curtis & wife, Jonas Bridge, AT:394
• 1840 Oct 13, Brewer, Charles & wife, John K. Wood, BE:272
• 1810 Feb 19, Brewer, David & wife, Noah Tyler, D:539
• 1845 Aug 21, Brewer, Desire, George Fearon, BE:83
• 1848 Sep 19, Brewer, Deliverance &an, Artemas C. Cook, BL:100
• 1842 Feb 22, Brewer, Erastus & wife, Electa Brewer, AY:66
• 1845 Feb 17, Brewer, Erastus & wife, Franklin Cummings &an, BD:86
• 1850 Dec 2, Brewer, Erastus & wife, Barnhardt Nellis, BR:1
• 1827 Aug 6, Brower, John et al, Abner P. Downer, Y:293
• 1829 Oct 29, Brower, John & wife, Lorin Isbell, AB:89
• 1833 Apr 3, Brewer, John & wife, Thomas Simms & wife, AG:148
• 1838 Aug 16, Brower, John & wife, Daniel Crouse &an, AS:8
• 1842 Feb 9, Brewer, John & wife, Evert Mowers, AY:32
• 1822 July 19, Brower, Mary &an (Adms), William J. Hopkins, S:320
• 1830 Oct 16, Brower, Mary, Abner P. Downer, AC:233
• 1827 Aug 6, Brower, Peter, et al, Abner P. Downer, Y:293

The above are from the index books covering the years 1806 to 1853. Three other sets of books exist covering the years 1853 to 1873; 1873-1887; and 1887-1900. There are Grantor and Grantee indexes for each. The books with the deed records, up to 1900, which is volume 202, are also available online. All can be accessed through this page at FamilySearch.org. 

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