Caleb P. Brower and Caleb S. Brower in Longworth's New York City Directories

The post of November 8, 2018 suggests that Caleb Pell Brower and Caleb S. Brower were in fact two different men. We can follow that up now with some direct evidence. Sara Brower did some research at the New York State Library and by email sent images of pages from various editions of Longworth's New York City Directory. This includes a page from the 1821/22 Directory in which BOTH Caleb P. Brower and Caleb S. Brower appear in succession on the same page, demonstrating that they are in fact two distinct men. The Lonworth Directories can be found online in the New York Public Library's Digital Collections. I'll provide some links and downloaded images.

The 1820/21 New York City Directory can be found here and I recommend that you select to View as a Book. You will find Browers on page 95 (there are a good number of them) and here we can see both Caleb P. Brower, shoemaker, (at) 64 Hester east of Bowery, and two men named Caleb S. Brower, one a grocer, the other a plumber.

Longworth's NYC Directory for 1820/21, p. 95 (NYPL Digital Collections)

The 1821/22 New York City Directory lists Caleb P. Brower, shoemaker, 22 Division and Caleb S. Brower, 24 Rivington, on page 94.

Longworth's NYC Directory for 1821/22, p. 94 (NYPL Digital Collections)

In the 1822/23 New York City Directory we find only Caleb P. Brower, shoemaker, Stanton c. Eldridge, on page 95. Caleb S. Brower is not listed.

Longworth's NYC Directory for 1822/23, p. 95 (NYPL Digital Collections)

Turn to page 96 of the 1822/23 Directory and you will find an entry for "Brower widow Maria" at boardinghouse 3 Mulberry. From the November 8, 2018 post we know that Caleb S. Brower's wife was Mary Marschalk. Perhaps this is Mary? That can't be claimed with certainty, but it is a possibility. We do not yet have a date of death for Caleb S. Brower.

Beginning with the 1823/1824 New York City Directory we no longer find either of the two Caleb Browers (Caleb P. and Caleb S.). Here are pages 94-95, no Caleb Browers although there is an entry for a "Brower widow" at 120 Chapel (bottom of p. 94) and the widow Maria Brower at the boardinghouse at 3 Mulberry on p. 95. Again, although the widows cannot be identified as the widows of either of the two Calebs from the Directory itself, the entries are something to consider when continuing this research.

Neither Caleb P. Brower nor Caleb S. Brower can be found in the Directories for 1824/25 or 1825/26. The widow Maria Brower is found at the boardinghouse on 3 Mulberry in 1824/25 (page 96) and in 1825/26 (page 95).

Moving backwards in time from 1820/21, the 1819/1820 New York City Directory lists only Caleb S. Brower, plumber, 342 Water & 97 Washington on page 96. The 1818/1819 edition lists only Caleb S. Brower, plumber, 342 Water on page 63. I'm not finding a copy of the 1817/18 edition online, but the 1816/17 Directory does list Caleb S. Brower, plumber, 342 Water, on page 136. The 1815/16 Directory, at page 142, lists "Brower & Co., Caleb S., plumbers, 342 Water." In 1814/15 Caleb S. Brower is a plumber at 342 Water (page 34) and he is also listed as a plumber at 342 Water in 1813/14 (page 80). However, the 1812/1813 Directory lists Caleb S. Brower as an accountant at 342 Water (page 39).

Longworth's NYC Directory 1812/13, p. 39 (NYPL Digital Collections)

Caleb S. Brower is not found in the 1811/12 Directory. There is a "Brower & Co., C. S., grocers at 51 John at the top of page 37. The 1820/21 Directory (above) had listed a Caleb S. Brower, grocer at Watts c. James-slip.

Caleb S. Brower was born 22 March 1790, and would have been under the age of 21 prior to 1811. I would not expect to find him in directories prior to 1811 or 1810.

Caleb P. Brower is not found in any of the New York City Directories prior to 1820/21. He is last found in New York City in the directory for 1822/23. Remember, he is mentioned in his father's will dated 26 June 1849, so I would assume that he was alive on that date. The search for Caleb Pell Brower continues.

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