Abstracts of Hunterdon County Probate Records

In the April 29, 2020 post I listed the BREWERS found in the Hunterdon County, New Jersey  General Index to Estates. Below are abstracts to those records. Again the records can be found online at FamilySearch on the New Jersey Probate Records page for Hunterdon County. My notes, comments, are in brackets that follow. Twenty-four individuals were found in the index. We'll look at a few at a time and will stay mostly in chronological order.

[Note: Administrator's Bonds in Vol. 3 starts here with image 311. The space on the film prior to image 311 is filled with Guardian's Bonds. Also note that Inventories and Renunciations are not found online]

1. Christian Brewer. Letters of Administration 1:159. 6 May 1813. Administration of the goods and chattels, rights and credits, which were of Christian Brewer, late of the County of Hunterdon, deceased, granted to Samuel Fiauss. Sureties: Gideon Moore and Peter Moore. [The handwriting is difficult with regards to the administrators surname, however, NJ Calendar of Wills, Administrations, etc., 12:47, has the name as Samuel Fauss. Christian Brewer is unplaced. The name is common among the descendants of Hubert Brower. Profile at the Brouwer Genealogy Database (BGD). Witnessed the will of Jonathan Burroughs, Sr., of Amwell, dated 6 Dec 1810, as Christian Bruer].
2. Ann Brewer. Letters of Administration 3:141. The index lists her as Ann Brewer. The image of the record calls her Anna Brewer, although the handwriting is poor and it is not to clear to me that the surname name is Brewer. Anyway, dated 8 August 1832 (the index listing was confusing here as well), administration on the goods, chattels, rights and credits of Anne Brewer(?) deceased, late of the county of Hunterdon, who died intestate, granted to Richard Opdyke. Fellowbondsmen are Richard Barri(?) and Samuel H. Britton. This record is followed by that of William Opdyke, deceased, of Hunterdon County, 1 September 1832, granted to Benjamin Opdyke. [Perhaps an Opdyke/Updyke family researcher may be familiar with Ann/Anna Brewer].
3. Israel P. Brewer. Letters of Administration 5:98. 17 March 1852. Administration of the goods, chattels, rights and credits that were of Israel P. Brewer late of the County of Hunterdon, who died intestate, granted to Henry Runyan of Hunterdon County. Bond of $1000 with Augustus Hunt and Jeremiah Young. Inventory of Executor/Administrator 10:470 (not available online). Minutes of Orphans Court 11:58. April term 1852. Henry Runyan administrator. Estate insolvent. Administrator to give public notice for claims against the estate within six months, in the Hunterdon Gazette. No mention of the children. [Israel P. Brewer can be found on the BGD. Born 2 June 1818, he was a son of Thomas West Brewer and Esther Poulson, and was a descendant of Jan Brouwer of Flatlands, L.I. His wife was Elizabeth Runyan. Three known children including a son Henry Brewer who left descendants].
4. Margaret Brewer. Letters of Administration 6:35. 3 October 1864. Administration on the goods and chattels, rights and credits that were of Margaret Brewer, late of the County of Hunterdon, who died intestate, granted to Daniel Dilts and William Brewer of Hunterdon County. Bond of $900, with Jeremiah Emmans. Administrator's Bonds 1:385. Daniel Dilts, William Brewer and Jeremiah Emmans, all of the County of Hunterdon. Bond of $900. Dated 3 October 1864. [Margaret Brewer is found on the BGD. She is enumerated at Readington on the 1850 and 1860 U.S. census along with an Elsey/Elshe Brewer. She was born in 1778 (g.s), so learning who her parents are, and whether or not she was married, may help us find a link to the colonial period. Learning who William Brewer is should provide clues. A search of the 1860 census for William Brewers in Hunterdon County, turns up four of that name].
5. Jacob Brewer. Letters of Administration 6:388. 17 April 1876. Jacob Brewer, late of the County of Hunterdon, died intestate. Administration granted to William I. Brewer and William Brewer, of Hunterdon County. Bond of $4500. Administrator's Bonds 3:366. William I. Brewer, William Brewer (administrators), Caleb H. Quick, William W. (?), all of Hunterdon County. 17 April 1876. Minutes of the Orphan's Court 15:309 (see this index page which gives the pages as 118, 116, 105, 100, 96, 94. You will have to rotate the images). Jacob Brewer's widow, Elsey Y. Brewer mentioned on 15:100, and 118. No mention of children on these pages. [Jacob Brewer is found on the BGD. He was at East Amwell on the 1860 and 1870 U. S. census. Jacob was born in 1827, his wife Elsie (whose surname has not been discovered) was born in 1825. A son William, born in 1853 is likely one of the administrators, the other likely a brother].
6. William Brewer. Letters of Administration 6:379. 7 January 1876. William Brewer of Hunterdon County, died intestate. Administration granted to Leonard Brewer, William Brewer, Jacob Brewer and Peter Brewer all of Hunterdon County. Bond of $10,000, with Adam W. Bills, surety. Administrator's Bond 3:352. Accounts 3:221. [William Brewer is found on the BGD. Born in 1792, he died 8 January 1876. His wife was Elizabeth Young. He is the father of the above Jacob Brewer who died in March of 1876. A transcript of a Family Bible Record is available online].
7. Sarah Brewer. Letters of Administration 6:439. 26 October 1877. Sarah Brewer of the County of Hunterdon, died intestate. Administration granted to William Brewer (her husband) of said County. William Rittenhouse, surety. Administrator's Bond 3:460. William Brewer, sole administrator. Also William Rittenhouse. $200. Dated 26 October 1877. [I believe Sarah Brewer, would be Sarah Moore, wife of William S. Brewer, found on the BGD here. The couple is found on the 1870 U.S. census at Delaware, Hunterdon Co., NJ, lines 2 and 3 on this image, back up a page and you will see that they are enumerated in the household of Thomas W. Brewer (the couple's son)].

 To be continued

BGB 684