Reviewing the Unplaced Genetic Descendants of Jan Brouwer of Flatlands, L.I. Revisited (Part IV)

 This fourth installment continues the series that began with the post of March 19, 2022. The previous post was published March 28, 2022. Y-DNA testing is conducted through the Brewer DNA Project at FamilyTreeDNA (FTDNA). We strongly urge any and all members who have yet to upgrade to the advanced BigY-700 to do so. Test results from this level have significantly improved our understanding of the colonial period descendants of Jan Brouwer of Flatlands, Long Island. Enough with the preamble, we continue here with a revisit/reassessment of the 2015 report, "A Review of the Early Genetic Descendants of Jan Brouwer..." so let's get right into it.

We begin this post with Aaron W. Brewer who is found on pages 10-11 of the 2015 PDF. He is largely accepted as and most probably is a son of Aaron Brewer and Polly McFarland who were married 10 September 1812 in Harrison County, Kentucky. A descendant of Aaron W. Brewer has taken the BigY test. His identifying SNP I-Y7214 is the marker which identifies all descendants of Jan Brouwer. Following Aaron W. Brewer on the 2015 review is Stephen Brewer on pages 11-12, who married Mary Melinda Whitsett, more often called Polly, on 26 May 1811, also in Harrison County, Kentucky. Although strongly suspected, but not proved, it is likely that Aaron Brewer and Stephen Brewer were either brothers, or perhaps Stephen Brewer was Aaron Brewer's father. A descendant of Stephen Brewer has also taken the BigY test, and his results also identify him as I-Y7214. We will address all three of these individuals in this one segment. First I'd like to highlight some important points that are not new. Aaron Brewer (the elder) is found on the 1850 U.S. census at Union, Madison Co., Indiana, his age recorded as 63 years, place of birth as Virginia. The age gives is year of birth as about 1787. The location, Virginia, has to be considered more carefully. Virginia in 1850 is not the Virginia we know today, and Virginia in 1787, was not the Virginia that existed in 1850 when the census was taken. A short time ago Hank Graham forwarded a link to this very useful map of county formation in Virginia over the years from 1617 to 1995. Click on the years just mentioned, along with 1863 (the year West Virginia was created) and say 1776 (a year prior to the formation of the United States) and you'll get an idea of what I am talking about. Aaron Brewer may have been born in what we today call Virginia. Or, he may have been born in what we today call West Virginia, or perhaps even western Pennsylvania. Or, he may have been born outside of this area, perhaps in New Jersey, and was moved to someplace in Virginia as a young child, and in 1850, is confusing the place where he was raised with the place he was born. Stephen Brewer, in 1850 is at Union, Grant Co., Indiana, his age given on the U.S. census as 78 years (perhaps understated), place of birth as Virginia. In 1860, at Fairmount, Grant Co., Indiana, his age is recorded as 96 years (perhaps overstated), and the place again stated as Virginia. What was just mentioned for Aaron regarding being born in Virginia, applies to Stephen as well. On page 11 of the 2015 review, we cite Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens of Sedgewick County, Kansas (Chicago: Biographical Publishing Co., 1901) page 469, which says that Stephen was born in a “suburb of New York City,” and served during the Revolutionary War, as a teamster, along with his father who was also named Stephen. This statement was probably provided to the compilers of this book by Stephen's grandson, Milton Brewer (1847-1932). This info suggests that Stephen Brewer may have been born, not in Virginia, but in a "suburb of New York City," which could include New Jersey. The service in the Revolutionary War, may also suggest that he was born at least a bit earlier than 1772 and implied by his age in 1850, but not necessarily as early as 1764 as implied by his age in 1860. Another issue regarding Stephen Brewer is that he married in 1811 when, if born in 1772, he would have been 39 years old. That's late for a first marriage. He may have had a previous marriage, and perhaps other children (we know of seven born to Stephen and Polly Whitsett between 1812 and 1825, and Polly, born in 1793, was considerably younger than her husband). Not included in the 2015 review, is the presence of a Stephen Brewer on the 1810 U.S. census at Washington, Fayette Co., Pennsylvania. His household consists of 1 male age 26-44 (so born between 1766 and 1784) and 1 female age under 10. No adult female is enumerated in this household. Stephen Brewer does not appear in Harrison County, Kentucky until 1811 when he is married and when he first appears on tax rolls. He does not appear on the tax rolls in Harrison County in 1809 or 1810. Stephen Brewer may be the man of the same name found in Fayette Co., Pennsylvania in 1810, and as suggested, he may well have had a previous wife, and at least one child by her. We do know of other BREWERs, including at least one known descendant of Jan Brouwer (that being David Brewer) in Fayette Co., Pennsylvania (see the March 28, 2022 post). Another important piece of information from the 2015 review is the mention of a Stephen Brewer on the 1793 tax roll at Bernards Twp., Somerset Co., New Jersey. Considering the claim found in Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens of Sedgewick County, Kansas mentioned above, this could be Stephen Brewer, or perhaps his father, said to be a Stephen Brewer. We also know that Elsie Lewis, the first wife of John Brewer of Scioto Co., Ohio was from a family from Bernards Township (see the March 28, 2022 post). It also needs to be noted that the give name, Stephen, does not appear elsewhere among the known descendants of Jan Brouwer. The name may come in from a maternal line, in other words, from the family of a woman who married one of Jan Brouwer's descendants who we have little information on (of which there are quite a few). Recapping, starting with Aaron Brewer, assuming he was born in, or close to 1787, he is likely among the sixth generation of descendants of Jan Brouwer. Aaron Brewer's grandfather would be found among the fourth generation descendants (the great-grandsons) of Jan Brouwer (pages 3-9 of the new Summary). Aaron Brewer may be a brother of Stephen Brewer, or, depending on whether Stephen's precise year of birth can be determined, a son of Stephen Brewer. Stephen Brewer, therefore may be a sixth generation descendant, or a fifth generation descendant. Stephen Brewer's father has said to have been a Stephen Brewer. If the younger Stephen Brewer is born somewhere between the two ages we have for him (78 in 1850, 96 in 1860) he was born between 1764 and 1772. If his father, Stephen Brewer was in his 20s when the younger Stephen was born, we'd expect him to have been born between 1734 and 1752. The elder Stephen would then be among the fourth generation descendants of Jan Brouwer. As of now we do not know of a Stephen among Jan Brouwer's known descendants. This assumes that the name Stephen is correct for Stephen Brewer's father. Looking at the third generation on the Summary, we see that Hans (No.5) has a six year gap between children from 1725-1731. He may also have had children post 1731 that have not been discovered. Hendrick (No.6) while we're unsure if he is even a descendant of Jan Brouwer, he did exist, and his family and knowledge of him is very incomplete. Also possible are three sons of Derck (No.3) being Pieter (No.9), Jacob (No.10) and Dirck (No.11). Both Pieter (No.9) and Jacob (No.10) have children baptized at regular intervals between 1731-32 and 1745-47 that would not allow for the inclusion of some other child (although it is still possible that the elder Stephen could have been born prior to 1731-32, or a within a year or two after 1747. Additionally, new Y-DNA results at the Brewer DNA Project, do not match the descendants of Aaron and Stephen with tested descendants of Pieter (No.9), so it is probable that Pieter (No.9) is not the ancestor we are looking for. We have not identified any children, nor a marriage, for Dirck (No.11). It is suggested that he lived on Long Island, but as the account in Biographical Sketches... mentioned above says, Stephen "was born in a suburb of New York City," and not only would include New Jersey, but also Kings and Queens Counties, on Long Island. The 2015 review suggested that both Aaron and Stephen could be in a line descended from Jan Brouwer's son Derck (No.3). This might be wrong. They could be descendants of Jan Brouwer's son Pieter (No.2) who is a father of Hans (No.5) and perhaps Hendrick (No.6). IF they are descendants of Derck (No.2) then it is likely through Dirck (No.11) or perhaps Jacob (No.10).

John J. Brewer, (pp. 12-13, also the post of November 2, 2012) died 28 March 1848 at Williamson, Wayne Co., New York, age 57yrs. 6 mos. as per his gravestone at Lakeview Cemetery in Pultneyville. That would place his birth at about September 1790. His wife in these earlier writings is said to be Elizabeth Waters, with that identification coming from the direct descendant who has taken a Y-DNA test. Apparently that belief has changed, and I'm now finding claims that she was Eliza Jeffrey (perhaps Jeffries?). Other than this there is no new genealogical information to report. The participating descendant has upgraded to a BigY-700 test, however, the results have not identified a unique SNP that the participant shares with some other tested descendant of Jan Brouwer. There are still nine other members among the descendants of Jan Brouwer, with the surname BREWER who have not yet upgraded to the BigY-700. If those members would do so, we might well find some closer matches, not just for the descendant of John J. Brewer, but for other members as well. Based on a birth in 1790, we'd have to suggest that John J. Brewer is a sixth generation descendant of Jan Brouwer. His older children born between 1816 and 1825, were all born in New Jersey (as per various census records). The youngest known child, Aaron, was born in 1831, in New York, presumably at Williamson. Identifying and locating the place origins of Eliza Jeffrey could point to just where in New Jersey this family originated. A search for John J. Brewer's ancestry should then begin there. The 2015 review suggests a possible ancestry that places John J. Brewer as a son of John Brower (1762-1845) who married Deborah Errickson and had at least two sons, Aaron (b.1794) and Benjamin (b.ca.1800). John Brower (1762-1845) lived in Monmouth County, New Jersey and is a son of Aris Brower (No.12). This is still a viable possibility, but certainly not the only one. John J. Brewer's ancestry is still very much an open question.

To be continued... (April 3, 2022)

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