Mary Brower (d.1845), Probable Daughter of Nazareth Brouwer and Bridget Pells

 Nazareth Brouwer/Brewer of Westchester, New York, whose will dated 10 September 1787, named one child, a son, John Brewer, was married to Bridget Pells and is found on the Brouwer Genealogy Database (BGD) here. 

An abstract of Nazareth Brouwer's will can be found in the New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, volume 55, no. 2, at page 150. The article is titled, "Abstracts of Wills Recorded at White Plains, Westchester County, N. Y., Subsequent to May 1, 1787," by Theresa Hall Bristol (bold type mine). The will is found in Liber A, although no page number is provided. I have not sought out the original copy of the will myself, but anyone interested in this family should do so. The abstract is short, and so I assume the will is as well. "Nazareth Brewer of Westchester," leaves his entire estate, both real and personal, to his son John Brewer, who is also named as an executor along with Nazareth's "friend John Ferris." There is no mention of a wife, or a daughter Mary, or any other children. But that does not mean that Nazareth did not have other children.

In a deed dated 5 April 1806, recorded in New York County, Conveyances, vol. 97, pp. 163-64, John Brewer of Throgs Neck, Westchester County, weaver, conveyed to Abraham Vermilya (sic) of the City and County of New York, for $150, "all my equal undivided half of a piece or parcel of land given by a deed of gift by Benjamin Benson deceased to Mary Vermilya wife of Abraham Vermilya and me the said John Brewer," the parcel being in Harlem Heights in the Out Ward of the City of New York. I am not familiar with this Benjamin Benson, however, on 3 August 1809, the marriage of a Benjamin Benson (note that the Benjamin Benson in the deed is mentioned as deceased) to Maria Vanalst, was witnessed by John Brewer and Catharine Benson (Farrell, Charles. "Marriages Recorded in the Register of the English Lutheran Church, New York City, 1794-1810," New York Genealogical and Biographical Record Vol. 140 (2009):154).

The relationships between the above mentioned individuals need to be worked out (something I do not plan on doing myself), however, the deed certainly is a clue that John Brewer, and Mary, the wife of Abraham Vermilya, are likely related, perhaps brother and sister.

A recent email from a compiler of a Tree found at FamilySearch, who goes by the name of Wayne J. Domes, alerted me to the fact that Abraham Vermilyea's wife was Mary Brouwer (his spelling) a daughter of Nazareth Brouwer and Bridget Pells. The email cites an "elusive Bible record," that he refers to as the "Vermilyea/Kendall Bible." The family of Mary Brouwer and Abraham Vermilyea is found on FamilySearch. Here is the link to Abraham Vermilyea (id no. MP23-KLJ) and the link to Mary Brouwer (id no. LRGH-6MP). Wayne J. Domes is open to being contacted through FamilySearch by anyone interested in this family, and has offered to provide a copy of the "Vermilyea/Kendall Bible," to anyone who asks through the contact link provided on the above page by FamilySearch. I just note here that the couple had eleven children, including a son named Nazareth Brouwer Vermilyea (1787-1845), which is good circumstantial evidence that Mary was a daughter of Nazareth Brouwer. I'll also note that Toler's New Harlem Register, p. 67, lists Mary Brower as the wife of Abraham Vermilye, Abraham being a son of "Abraham Vermilye and Mehitabel ?" The FamilySearch Tree names Mehitable as Mehitable Betts. 

I have not, and have no plans to research this family myself, so any interested party should contact the compiler directly through FamilySearch as mentioned above. Should anyone wish to contribute any additional info please do so using the Comments feature linked to this post below.

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