The Estate of Aaron Brower of Sullivan, Madison County, New York

The file containing the documents for the estate of Aaron Brower of Sullivan, Madison County, New York can be found online at FamilySearch.org in their digitized collection of New York Probate Records and under Madison County. The file is found in the film titled "Estate Records 1814-1816, no. 191 Elihu Chapin - no. 259 George Adams." Aaron Brower's file is number 221, and begins with image no. 345. The administrators of Aaron's estate are Mary Brower and David Beecher. Aaron's surname is apparently rendered, or at least read by a later day indexer, as "Brown" and as "Browes."  No date of death is recorded on the title page, however, the date of the bond is recorded as 4 October 1815. We can assume that Aaron Brower was deceased by this date. Letters for Administration of the estate of Aaron Brower are found in Madison Co. Wills, Vol. BX, p. 182. The date is recorded as 4 October 1815. Administration is granted to Mary Brower and David Beecher.

The 1810 U. S. census records both an A. Brower (household of one male age 26-44, and one female age 26-44) and an A. Brewer (one male under age 10, one male 26-44, one female under 10, one female 16-25) at Sullivan in Madison County. Full given names are absent from the census record for Madison County in 1810. The 1820 U. S. census records Mary Brower in Sullivan, with a household of one male under age 10, one male age 10-15, two males age 16-25, one female under age 10 and one female age 26-44.

1820 U.S. census, Sullivan, Madison Co., NY (NARA via Ancestry.com)

 Mary Brower has not been located as a head of household on the 1830 U. S. census at Sullivan. Land records in Madison County list Mary Brower as a Grantee in 1822 and 1824 and as a Grantor in 1822 and in 1830 (see the post of April 5, 2019). And there is a marriage of Mary C. Brower to Caleb Pack, at Sullivan, both of Sullivan, on 23 January 1837 (Bowman, Fred, 10,000 Vital Records of Central New York, 1813-1850, Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1986, p. 180, no. 6534).

It appears that Aaron Brower did not leave a will. At least I have not been able to find one recorded in Madison County. We will have to comb through the estate file to find any relevant genealogical details.

At image 346, we have the Surrogate's notice. There is a newspaper clipping to that effect, dated 26 May 1823, so at least eight years after Aaron died. If you read through the script, you'll find at the bottom of the image you will see reference to Abner P. Downer as guardian "of the infant children of the said Aaron Brower, deceased." The children's names are not recorded here.

An inventory of the estate is found at image 356. It is dated 16 October 1815. It covers four pages and totals $2244.99. It was sworn to by D. Beecher on 15 April 1822, about six and a half years after it was made.

Deeds found within the file, for example one at image 362, tell us that Aaron Brower acquired his property from Jacob Chawgo by a deed dated 18 May 1811. Jacob Chawgo had previously acquired the property from George Anderson on 24 October 1808. This property is sold by Mary Brower and David Beecher, administrators, by public auction to William J. Hopkins on 25 June 1822.

Image 368 names Aaron's 'four children" as Aaron, John, Peter and Margaret, with "Caty" inserted above and between "Peter & Margaret." It further state that Peter is sixteen years in December, and Margaret (Caty again inserted above) thirteen years on the fourth day of July. This is dated 15 Feb 1822. Image 369 tells us that the daughters name is "Caty Margaret," in other words, this is one child, not two, which was something that was not clear from the previous image.

Another description of Aaron Brower's property is found at image 375. It is in the town of Sullivan and is "part of a tract of land known by the name of Aldert Rosa's location," and as "formerly owned by Jacob Jackoo (or Chawgo)." And again, previously it had been owned by George Anderson. It was deeded to Aaron Brower by Jacob Chawgo and Catharine his wife on 15 May 1811. A mill and a mill dam are mentioned.

The file ends at image 378.

We'll look at some other records. The Reformed Dutch Church of Stone Arabia lists among it's Men's Seats belonging to members, no. 55, Arend Brewer, followed by Thomas J. Getman, then "Bought April 8th 1822, John T. Getman, pd. 4/." On 8 May 1823, Rudolph Shipley then bought this seat of John T. Getman. On 26 Dec 1831 the seat was bought by John J. Christman [Vosburgh, Royden Woodward. The Reformed Dutch Church of Stone Arabia in the Town of Palatine, Montgomery County, N.Y. (3 Volumes). New York City: New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, 1916, 1:241]*. Under Woman's Seats, where the names of the owners are men (the woman's name is not stated, presumably her husband owned the seat) we find no. 10, Aaron Brewer, "Bought April 8th 1822, John T. Getman, pd. 4/," then "Bought May 8th 1823 by Rudolph Shipley, pd. 4/" [ibid 1:243]. The two seats, originally owned by Arend/Aaron Brewer, presumably his own and his wife's, were both sold on April 8, 1822, about the same time that most of the documents in the estate file of Aaron Brower are dated.

Looking at some land records (deeds) recorded in Madison County, New York, we find that on 7 July 1827, Aaron Brower, John Brower and Peter Brower, of the Town of Sullivan sold to Abner P. Downer of the same place, for a sum of one dollar, parcels of land being part of a certain tract granted by letters patent to Aldert Roosa situate in the Town of Sullivan, and this day conveyed by warrantee deed by Mary Brower to Abner P. Downer. Recorded 6 August 1827 (Madison Co. Deeds Y:293). The deed referred to whereby Mary Brower conveys to Abner P. Downer, is recorded in Madison Co. Deeds AC:233. The date of this deed is also 7 July 1827 and Mary Brower of the Town of Sullivan conveys to Abner P. Downer for the sum of five hundred dollars, a parcel of land situate in Sullivan being part of a tract granted by letters to Aldert Roosa, bounded as follows beginning at the southeast corner of the said patent and running west along the south bounds of the said patent fifty chains, then north fifty chains, then east fifty chains to the east bound of the said patent and then south along the east bounds to the place of the beginning, containing two hundred and fifty acres. There is an exception for fifty acres sold to Henry Keener. There is a description of a second parcel of land of three hundred acres which is quite detailed and I would suggest that any interested readers consult the deed itself. This deed was recorded 10 October 1830.

There are a number of other deeds involving the children of Aaron Brower and Abner P. Downer. On 9 July 1827, Abner P. Downer and Rachel his wife of Sullivan, conveyed to Aaron Brower of the same place, for $1250, "two hundred and five acres and one third to be the same more or less," in the Town of Sullivan within the tract patented to Aldert Roosa (Madison Co. Deeds Y:341). On this same date, 9 July 1827, Abner P. Downer and Rachel his wife of Sullivan convey to John Brower of the same place, for $1250, land in Sullivan, being part of the tract granted to Aldert Roosa, containing two hundred acres, more or less (Madison Co. Deeds Y:394). This is followed by a deed from the same Abner P. Downer and Rachel his wife to Peter Brower (of Sullivan). Same date, 9 July 1827 (Madison Co. Deeds Y:395). On 24 September 1831, Abner P. Downer of Sullivan and Rachel his wife conveyed to Margaret Brower, the wife of Ambrose Allen of the same town, for the sum of one dollar, a parcel of land being part of the tract granted to Aldert Roosa, lying in Sullivan, bounded on the north by the lands of the party of the first part (the Downers) and the Erie Canal, on the east by the lands of Peter Brower, on the south by the public highway leading to Manilus from the Erie Canal and on the west by the lands of said Abner P. Downer, containing fifty five acres. Recorded 7 January 1832 (Madison Co. Deeds AE:61).

Backing up a few years, on 25 June 1822, David Beecher, administrator, and Mary Brower, administratrix, of Aaron Brower late of the Town of Sullivan, conveyed to William J. Hopkins of the same place, for the sum of $550, and pursuant to the order of John G. Stower of the Surrogate's Court of Madison County, two certain tracts of land in Sullivan being part of a tract of 1000 acres granted to Aldert Roosa. The boundaries described are exactly the same as those described in the deed dated 7 July 1827, whereby Aaron Brower, John Brower and Peter Brower convey to Abner P. Downer, the land conveyed by Mary Brower on that same day to Abner P. Downer. This 1822 sale to William J. Hopkins was necessitated by the fact that Aaron Brower had left unpaid debts at the time of his death. (Madison Co. Deeds S:320).

On 8 August 1824, William J. Hopkins and Susan G. Hopkins his wife of Sullivan, convey to Mary Brower of the said town, for consideration of fifty dollars, a tract of land in the Town of Sullivan being the several pieces or parcels of land particularly described in and by a certain deed of conveyance made and executed by David Beecher administrator and Mary Brower administratrix of...Aaron Brower late of the Town of Sullivan, deceased, at the time of his death to the said William J. Hopkins. Recorded 1 November 1824 and found in Madison Co. Deeds V:137-138.

Two more deeds involving Mary Brower, recorded at Madison Co. Deeds V:139, dated 19 February 1823. Daniel Anderson of Sherborne, Chenango County, attorney for George Anderson of Erie County, Pennsylvania, of the first part, Mary Brower of Sullivan of the second part. Whereas Aaron Brower of Sullivan did by a certain indenture of mortgage dated 29 November 1809, for consideration of $2200, sold to the said Anderson certain parcels of land in Sullivan, part of a tract granted to Aldert Roosa. The description of the property begins at the southwest corner of Jacob Chewago's lot and contains three hundred acres, excepting and reserving one hundred acres along the south line and fifty acres along the north line...etc. It appears that Mary Brower is settling the mortgage with a payment of one hundred eighty three dollars and forty nine cents. And at Madison Co. Deeds V:141, is another deed between David Beecher and Mary Brower, administrators of the estate of Aaron Brower, and William J. Hopkins, whereby David Beecher and Mary Brower convey to Hopkins for $550 the land he bought at the court ordered public auction. This one is dated 7 August 1823. It's the same property in the deed dated 25 June 1822 (above).

From all of the above we know that Aaron Brower had, at the time of his death which was probably in 1815, a wife named Mary and children named Aaron, John, Peter and Caty Margaret. The later two children were still minors in 1822 (Peter age 16 and Caty Margaret age 13). Aaron and John, however, were adults by 1822. I would suggest that Aaron Brower is likely Arendt Brouwer who was born 5 June 1766 and baptized 15 June 1766 at the Stone Arabia Reformed Dutch Church, a son of Harmanus Brouwer and Margariet Ekker. You can find incomplete info on Arendt Brouwer on the BGD here. This Arendt Brouwer was married to Catharina Van Slyke and had sons Arendt (Aaron) and John baptized at Stone Arabia in 1795 and 1799 respectively. John's date of birth is recorded there as 6 November 1798, while Arendt was baptized 10 October 1795.* Both were therefore over the age of 21 in 1822. It would appear then that Catharina died, perhaps after the birth of John but that is not certain as I have been unable to find a death or burial record. Mary would then be a second wife, and is probably the mother of Peter (age 16 in December 1822, so born in December 1806) and Caty Margaret (age 13 on the fourth day of July, so born 4 July 1809).

We can look for more insight by researching the descendants in a future post.



*A digital copy of the Stone Arabia Church records is available online at Ancestry.com. It is both browseable and searchable, but a paid subscription is required for access. Details for the baptisms of Arendt and John are not on the BGD. Here are citations: Vosburgh, Royden Woodward. The Reformed Dutch Church of Stone Arabia in the Town of Palatine, Montgomery County, N.Y. (3 Volumes). New York City: New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, 1916; 1:158. Arendt; parents: Arendt Brewer, Catty nat: Van Slyk; witnesses: the parents; 1:161. John; parents: Arend Brawer, Catarina; witnesses: the parents.

BGB 646

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