Unplaced Genetic Descendants of Adam Brouwer Who are Positive for the SNP E-FTC5921

 The Brewer DNA Project, initiated back in the early 2000s when FamilyTreeDNA (FTDNA) first came online has since grown to 434 members (or participants) dispersed among 23 different groups of genetically related participants. That is to say, those participants within any one group are related to one another in genetically, through comparison of Y-DNA test results, within a genealogically meaningful period of roughly the past 400 years. In other words, the Brewer DNA Project includes 23 genetically different families named BREWER, or some variation of the name such as BROWER, BROUWER, BRUER, etc. The 23 groups can be seen on the Project's public results or "Y-DNA Colorized Chart" page. With the advent of FTDNA's Big-Y tests, back in the early 2010s, and with increased participation, the Brewer DNA Project has been able to sub-divide a few of the larger groups, which are seen as "Sub-Units" on the public chart page. This post is focused on one such Sub-Unit within the Adam Brouwer, Gowanus, L.I. group.

Brewer DNA Project: Adam Brouwer Group: Sub-Unit A: E-FTC5921. Multiple lines from the most recent common ancestor, a son or grandson of Adam Brouwer

As the title suggests, the participants assigned to this sub-unit have all taken the advanced Big-Y test (either at the initial 500 STR marker level or at the more recent and improved 700 STR marker level), and all are positive for the SNP E-FTC5921. The remaining attribute that all here have in common is that of the current 16 participants, all of whom are certainly genetic descendants of Adam Brouwer, none have been able to complete their direct paternal (Brewer/Brower/Brouwer) line back to Adam Brouwer. The 16 participants found in this sub-unit are descendants of a number of different Earliest Known Ancestors (EKAs). The pages of this blog, over the years, has included information, profiles, etc., on all of the EKAs. The purpose now, with this post, is to consolidate the known EKAs into one place, with brief descriptions, and in a follow up post we'll suggest possible directions to take for concentrating efforts of traditional genealogical research, with the ultimate goal of identifying the connection to Adam Brouwer. As noted in the title, the common ancestor for the 16 participants is one of the known sons of Adam Brouwer (i.e. they all are descendants of the same son) or one grandson (i.e. a grandson of Adam Brouwer who is a son of the thus far unidentified son from which all 16 are descendants). To be clear, it is possible, that the participants in this sub-unit are descended from more than one son of the unidentified son, meaning, they may be descendants of different grandsons of Adam Brouwer. 

In Short - the sixteen participants who are all positive for the SNP(haplogroup) E-FTC5921 share as their common paternal ancestor one of the seven sons of Adam Brouwer. The sixteen may be descendants of just one individual grandson of Adam Brouwer, OR they may be descendants of multiple grandsons of Adam Brouwer.

E-FTC5921 is the parent SNP (haplogroup) for this Sub-Unit. All of the participants in the group are positive for E-FTC5921. As of this writing six of the sixteen members seen on the public results page show E-FTC5921 as their haplogroup. The other ten are identified by haplogroups that are sub-branches (sub-clades, sub-haplogroups) of E-FTC5921. There are seven EKAs for the sixteen participants. They are:

1. Benjamin Brewer, born 24 April 1755, died 6 May 1834 in Washington Co., Indiana. He married Catharine Mellinger, 18 May 1781 in Westmoreland Co., Pennsylvania. He is found on a tax roll at Tyrone Twp., then in Westmoreland County in 1783. In 1785, Fayette Co., Pennsylvania is formed and Tyrone Twp. is found in this new county. Benjamin, along with his wife Catharine, are last recorded in Tyrone Twp. on 9 Feb 1797 when they executed a deed for land in Tyrone Twp. to Joseph Alexander. In 1800, Benjamin Brewer is recorded on a tax roll in Jefferson Co., Kentucky (est. 1780). A War of 1812 Militia Roll places Benjamin Brewer in Harrison Co., Indiana (est. 1808 when Indiana was a territory). We find Benjamin Brewer on both the 1820 and 1830 U.S. census records in Washington Co., Indiana (est. 1814 out of Harrison and Clark Counties). In 1832 Benjamin applied for a pension for his service during the Revolutionary War stating that he served in the militia out of Fayette County in a company under Capt. Huston. Both Benjamin and Catharine (d.1839) are buried in Cooley-Brewer Cemetery inn Washington Twp., Washington Co., Indiana. Benjamin Brewer can be found on the Brouwer Genealogy Database (BGD). Please keep in mind that the BGD was last updated seven years ago in late 2015, and information found there today may be outdated. The BGD shows Benjamin Brewer with a possible father, Benjamin(?) Brewer. This is a suggestion, it is not fact. As of this writing Benjamin Brewer's father is not known. Also see the post of November 16, 2013, "Some Unplaced Brewers of Western Pennsylvania and Kentucky." Again, some statements found here are now outdated. Two participants identified by E-FTC5921 are confirmed descendants of Benjamin Brewer and Catharine Mellinger. Both are descendants of their son Benjamin Brewer (1792-1861) and his wife Rebecca Blair. One participant is a descendant of their son Peter Brewer (1814-1869, m. Mira M. Lutz) and the other is a descendant of son Benjamin B. Brewer (1831-1878, m.1 Nancy A. Westfall).
2. Peter Brewer, age 70-80 on the 1830 U.S. census and age 80-90 on the 1840 U.S. census so born during the decade of 1750-1760, died between 2 November 1840 and 19 April 1841, dates when he wrote his will and when it was proved (Hardin Co., Kentucky Wills E:48-9). He married Margaret Hobach. Peter Brewer is on the tax roll of 1783 in Huntington Twp., Westmoreland Co., Pennsylvania. He is on tax rolls there in 1785, 1786 and 1787 as well. I do not find him on the 1790 U.S. census in Westmoreland Co., nor is he found on the 1800 U.S. census. He is found on the 1810 U.S. census at Elizabethtown, Hardin Co., Kentucky. In 1820 he is at Little York, Hardin Co., Kentucky. On the above referenced 1830 and 1840 censuses he is at Hardin Co., Kentucky (specific town or location not indicated). A profile for Peter Brewer is on the BGD. Also see the post of November 16, 2013. The July 5, 2018 post, "A Suggested Ancestry for Peter Brewer of Hardin Co., Kentucky," might also be of interest, but it must be emphasized - this is a speculative suggestion that is not proved by acceptable genealogical research standards, nor by genetic genealogy. Four descendants of Peter Brewer have tested positive for E-FTC5921. All are descendants of Peter's son Valentine Brewer (b.ca.1808-will proved 27 July 1885). The four are first cousins and have a common identifying SNP E-BY6245. This SNP would have first formed sometime between the generation of Valentine Brewer and the participant's common grandfather (early 1900s). 
3. Henry Brewer, age 80-90 in 1840 so born in the decade of the 1750s. Since the last BGD update in late 2015 we have consolidated two men named Henry Brewer into one. The two are found on the BGD here and here. This paragraph is then in effect a correction to the BGD. The decision to consolidate the two Henry Brewers into one is based on BigY test results of four participants, one, a descendant of the first linked Henry Brewer and three descended from the second. Together, the four share a unique SNP, E-FT40569, a sub-branch of E-FTC5921. There is uncertainty regarding the wives of Henry Brewer. He had at least two, and possibly three. The baptism of Henry's son, also named Henry, 10 October 1788 at the German Church in Westmoreland Co., Pennsylvania, names Henry's wife as Anna Maria ____. Henry's sons Benjamin Brewer (1796-1883, of LaPorte Co., Indiana) and John Wesley Brewer (1806-1890, of LaPorte Co., IN and Burt Co., Nebraska) both are said to be sons of Henry's wife Jane ____, who was previously identified as Jane Hurdley or Hundley, but this identification has since been questioned. All three of the just mentioned sons are represented by advanced Y-DNA testing. A wife named Honour ___, has also been attributed to Henry, but evidence of her existence has yet to be found. Son Benjamin was born in 1796 in Fayette Co., Pennsylvania. In 1810 Henry is in Donegal, Westmoreland Co., Pennsylvania (U.S. census). In 1820 he is at Charlestown, Clark Co., Indiana. In 1840 he is found at Clay, Owen Co., Indiana where he is said to have died (date not found). Note that there is an eight year gap between sons Henry and Benjamin and then a ten year gap between sons Benjamin and John Wesley (with an eighteen year gap between Henry and John Wesley). There may well have been other, yet identified, children of Henry Brewer.
   
4. Henry Brewer, born May 1765, died 20 February 1829 in Adams Co., Ohio. Henry married Sarah Hawke, 14 February 1786 in Berkeley Co., Virginia which is today in the State of West Virginia (admitted as a state 20 June 1863). Henry Brewer filed an application for a pension on his service during the Revolutionary War, stating that he served out of Martinsburg, Berkeley Co., Virginia. In 1810 Henry is found on the U.S. census in Berkeley Co., Virginia (census records for 1790 and 1800 in Virginia are lost). As Henry Brower he is found on the 1820 U.S. census at Jefferson, Adams Co., Ohio. His record of marriage in 1786 records his name as Henry Bruer. A D.A.R. membership application of a descendant calls him Hendrick Brower. Henry Brewer is on the BGD. Also see the post of May 9, 2013, "Henry Brewer of Berkeley Co., Virginia and Adams Co., Ohio." One direct male descendant has participated and is identified by E-FTC5921. He is a descendant of Henry's son Charles Brewer (ca.1802-liv.1860, m. Hannah Cook).
5. Mathew Brower/Brewer, probably born between 1755 and 1760, date of death unknown but found on the 1820 U.S. census at Richhill, Greene Co., Pennsylvania, age over 45. His wife was an Emery, as stated in an 1898 memoir of his grandson James A. Brewer. Her given name has been suggested as Elizabeth, or as Mary Magdalena. In 1793 a Mathias Brewer is found on a tax roll in Lebanon, Hunterdon Co., New Jersey. As Mathew Brewer he is on the 1800 U.S. census at Bethel and Belfast, Bedford Co., Pennsylvania. In 1810 he is at Morris, Greene Co., Pennsylvania. And as stated, in 1820 he is at Richhill, Greene Co., Pennsylvania. Mathew Brower is found on the BGD. The note regarding an application dated 17 July 1815 for land in Buffalo, Union Co., Pennsylvania does not apply to this Mathew Brower. It belongs to a younger man of the same name (mentioned below under Thomas Brewer). Also see the post of September 11, 2013, "Mathew Brower of Greene County, Pennsylvania." Three descendants of Mathew Brower have been identified with the SNP E-FTC5921. One is a descendant of Mathew's son Conrad Brewer (1798-1854, m. Rachel Anderson). The other two are brothers who are descendants of Mathew's son John B. Brewer (b.ca.1794 in New Jersey). The two brothers are further identified by the SNP E-BY114218. This sub-branch was therefore formed sometime between the generation of Mathew Brower's son John B. Brewer and their father's generation.
6. Thomas Brewer, is found on the 1820 U.S. census at Annville, Lebanon Co., Pennsylvania, his age given as between 26 and 44 years, so born between 1776 and 1794. In the household are two males under age 10, one female under age 10, and one female age 16-25, no doubt his wife, one young daughter and two young sons. Thomas was living on 18 April 1828 (a deed executed between heirs of his father-in-law John Stroh) but was deceased by 1830 when his wife Mary Brewer was enumerated as the head of a household on the U.S. census at Annville. She was also there in 1840. She was Anna Maria Stroh, born 6 October 1795, baptized 8 February 1796 at Hill Evangelical Lutheran Church, North Annville, daughter of John Stroh and Anna Maria Muese. Her birth in 1795 may suggest that Thomas was closer in age to 26 years than to 44 years when enumerated on the 1820 U.S. census. One descendant has participated. He is a descendant of Thomas' son Israel Brewer, born at Annville on 8 Dec 1826 (and so NOT counted on that 1820 census), died 4 April 1897 at Carthage, Jasper Co., Missouri. The descendant is identified by the SNP E-FTC5921 (the parent SNP for this group). Thomas is not included on the BGD. In 1810, a Thomas Brewer (probably this one) is found on the U.S. census at East Buffalo, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, a male age 16-25, with no other household members. He is enumerated next to a Mathias Brewer (or Brower) and the older (than Thomas and Mathias) John Brewer, who was born 4 July 1749 in Hunterdon Co., New Jersey. See the post of October 28, 2012, "Unplaced: John Brewer, Revolutionary War Patriot of New Jersey and Pennsylvania," with the caveat that the suggestion that John Brewer was a descendant of Jan Brouwer of Flatlands, L.I. is now unlikely, as stated in the post of February 25, 2022, "Update: John Brewer, Revolutionary War Patriot of New Jersey and Pennsylvania." This latter post also introduces Thomas Brewer. It is conceivable that both Thomas Brewer and Mathias Brewer, found in 1810 in East Buffalo, PA, are sons of the older John Brewer and his wife Hannah Timpson.
   
7. Daniel Brewer, age 60-70 in 1830, so born 1760-1770, perhaps closer to 1760 as his wife is age 70-80 in 1830, U.S. census at Mahoning, Indiana Co., Pennsylvania. His wife is said to be Margaret Bennett. His will dated 31 January 1842, proved 14 March 1842, Belmont Co., Ohio (Belmont Co., OH Wills G:321) names eleven children but not his wife. In 1800 he is found on the U.S. census at Washington, Northumberland Co., Indiana along with Paul Brewer (age 45+), Henry Brewer (age 26-44) and a second Daniel Brewer (age 45+). In 1810, 1820 and 1830 the U.S. census places him in Mahoning, Indiana Co., Pennsylvania. In 1840 he may be the older male in the household of his son Daniel Brewer (1790-1854) at Union, Belmont Co., Ohio. Daniel Brewer is NOT found on the BGD, nor is he mentioned within the pages of this website. Daniel is a newly discovered descendant of Adam Brouwer. There are two direct male descendants in the Brewer DNA Project, one of whom just recently took the BigY-700 test, his results showing a positive for E-FTC5921. This participant is descended from Daniel Brewer's son Daniel (1790-1854, Belmont Co., OH, m. Mary Brady). The other participant (standard STR marker test) is a descendant of the elder Daniel's son Peter Brewer (1792-1852, m. Letitia Work) lived at East Mahoning, Indiana Co., Pennsylvania. The 1880 U.S. census record for the elder Daniel Brewer's daughter, Margaret (Brewer) Hendricks (1812-1895), at Washington, Harrison Co., Iowa, records that her (Margaret's) parents were both born in New Jersey. It must be taken into account that Northumberland County, Pennsylvania in 1792 was a much larger county than it was in 1850. It encompassed much of the northern half of the interior of Pennsylvania in 1792. In 1795 Lycoming County was created out of Northumberland, taking much of interior Pennsylvania. In 1806 Indiana County was created out of both Lycoming Co. and out of Westmoreland Co.
    

Before moving on we also want to mention one Benjamin Bruer (as his name is spelled in the one record that we have found for him) whose estate was administered in the extinct county called Yohogania, then within the jurisdiction of the Virginia Colony. Administration on his estate was granted there on 25 May 1778 to Mary Bruer. Joseph Beeler, Sr., Christopher Hays, John Mellander and John Morecroft were ordered to make an inventory of Benjamin's estate. The inventory was returned by the appraisers on 26 October 1778, and this is the last we here of it. In the post of July 5, 2018 and before that the post of June 29, 2018 (under Peter Brower) I suggested that Benjamin and Mary (___) Bruer could be parents of, in particular, no. 2 above, Peter Brewer, and also of of 1. Benjamin Brewer and 3. Henry Brewer, and that this Benjamin Bruer may be one and the same with the Benjamin, bapt. 11 February 1728, at the New York Reformed Dutch Church, son of Pieter Brouwer and Elizabeth Quackenbosch. It has to be emphasized here that this is a possibility and NOT fact. It is a potential lead for a situation in which to date we have no other leads. No evidence has yet been found that would in prove this notion as fact. For one, we have no idea how old Benjamin was when he died in 1778. For all we know he may have been a young man. Perhaps he was a brother to one or more of our EKAs above. Perhaps he was a first cousin to some. Perhaps even a second cousin. Perhaps there was no relationship between Benjamin Bruer and the others. I doubt this last possibility, but without more evidence, it cannot be ruled out.

Moving on. Based on Y-DNA test results of the direct male descendants of the above seven EKAs, it has been concluded that all share one of (1) Adam Brouwer's seven sons as a common ancestor. Which one of those seven sons is not certain, however, we can with help from Y-DNA test results conclude that this common son of (1) Adam cannot be (7) Abraham Brouwer, and that it is very likely not (8) Nicholas Brouwer. (4) Willem Brouwer is also very unlikely as it may well be that he does not have any direct male descendants living today. (3) Matthys Brouwer also has to be considered as unlikely (no confirmed tested descendants are in the DNA Project). (2) Pieter Brouwer and (5) Jacob Brouwer are possible candidates, however, to date none of the tested descendants of either (2) Pieter or (5) Jacob are positive for E-FTC5921. To this we add, that not all of either (2) Pieter's or (5) Jacob's sons (Adam Brouwer's grandsons) have direct descendants who have taken a BigY DNA test. The search here would benefit from advanced BigY testing of more descendants of both (2) Pieter and (5) Jacob. (6) Adam Brouwer, despite the fact that we to date have no confirmed descendants in the Brewer DNA Project, also remains a possibility, and based on the fact that his one known son (26) Hendrick Brouwer had sons baptized at Raritan in Somerset Co., New Jersey and at Three-Mile Run in Middlesex Co., New Jersey leads me to believe that both (6) Adam Brouwer and (26) Hendrick Brouwer should be strongly considered as ancestors to the seven listed above. But again, and as with (3) Matthys Brouwer, no confirmed descendants of (6) Adam Brouwer are in the DNA Project. The western counties of New Jersey (Hunterdon, Somerset and Middlesex included) were after all, during the second half of the 1700s, a stepping off place for migration into the interior and western regions of Pennsylvania.

Future posts will focus on the 24 grandsons of (1) Adam Brouwer. In the meantime it might be helpful to get an idea of just where in time and in which generation or generations the above seven EKAs might connect with the sons and/or grandsons of (1) Adam Brouwer. With the exception of 6. Thomas Brewer, the EKAs above were apparently born between the years 1750 and 1770. Assuming that their fathers were at least 20 years old when any one of the EKAs were born and maybe no more than 50, we might assume that the fathers of these six EKAs were born between 1700 and 1750. We know that (1) Adam Brouwer's sons were born between the years 1646 and 1672, and this largely rules them out. What I'm saying here is that none of our EKAs are themselves grandsons of (1) Adam Brouwer. The 24 grandsons of (1) Adam Brouwer were born between the years 1673 and 1707. It is conceivable that one or more of the younger grandsons of (1) Adam Brouwer could be a father to one or more of the EKAs. The sons of the grandsons of (1) Adam Brouwer (i.e. Adam's great grandsons) were born between about 1700 and about 1740 or so. The next generation, sons of the great-grandsons of (1) Adam Brouwer, in other words his great-great grandsons first appear in the early 1720s and a large number of them were born prior to 1750. These last two mentioned generations, the great grandsons and great-great grandsons, or generations 4 and 5 in a standard compiled genealogy of (1) Adam Brouwer's descendants, are the most likely places where the father's of the EKAs above will be found.

BGB 741