New Bruere Links

The post of December 29, 2016 included links to images and reports regarding the Bruere Family of Monmouth County, New Jersey. Some of the links no longer work and so here are some new links.

Five Generations of Descendants of Jacque Bruyere (a Journal Report from 2014).

The will of John Bruere, 1875, Monmouth Co. Wills, vol. O, p. 41

The will of John Bruere, 1875, Monmouth Co. Wills, vol. O, p. 42

The will of John H. Bruere, 1862, Monmouth Co. Wills, vol. H, p. 204

The will of John H. Bruere, 1862, Monmouth Co. Wills, vol. H, p. 205

The above images of the wills of John Bruere and John H. Bruere were originally downloaded from FamilySearch.org and are found in the New Jersey Probate Records, 1678-1980 collection under Monmouth County.

BGB 410 - Brewere Deed

BGB 414 - James Bruere Estate

BGB 473 - Brouwer, Brower, Brewer, Bruere in Monmouth County Wills 

Please use the Bruere Label to locate posts on this website that are related to the Bruere Family of Monmouth County, New Jersey

Unfortunately the digital version of Jacque Bruyere, A French Huguenot and His Descendants, by Mary Emma Burt and Robert Eugene Burt, is no longer available online at FamilySearch.org. Back in 2014 it was. Here is the page for it at Google Books.

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The Monmouth County, New Jersey Estate and Proceedings Indexes

Locating wills, estate files, probate and guardianship records in Monmouth County, New Jersey is not easy. Only a genius could come up with the cumbersome, convoluted and time consuming method of indexing that is used for Monmouth County estate records. The procedure involves first finding the individual you are targeting in the Estate Index, which then tells you where to find that individual in the Proceedings Index. The individual's entry in the Proceedings Index, then tells you where to find specific documents in the various books and dockets (Wills, Inventories, Minutes, etc.). Of course the Estate Index is not arranged in strict alphabetical order, but instead by that old time system which uses "key letters." On a positive note, these indexes are now online at FamilySearch.org. In the past, using them required either ordering multiple films from the Family History Library, or making a visit in person to Monmouth County. After about a half hour of maneuvering around the online images I was able to locate the pages for those named BROWER, BREWER, BRUER, BRUERE.

And so, in order to save all those interested some time, here is a link to the very first page in the Proceedings Index for those individuals with the surname BROWER, BREWER, BRUER, BRUERE. The pages are in Volume 2 and run from page 65 (image 471) to page 77 (image 483). Each "block" contains the name of an individual and a list of documents regarding that individual and where those documents are located. Note that not all of the books or dockets containing the original documents have been placed online. As of this posting, those that are online for Monmouth County include Wills, Letters of Administrations, Minutes of the Orphans Court, and a few others.

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Bruere Links

As the new year begins we're conducting some house cleaning here. As I go through files that have been accumulated over the past 16 years or so of research I will be placing and making available online any documents, records, reports, etc., that I can. Here are some links to files regarding the Bruere family of Upper Freehold, Monmouth County, New Jersey.

The "Bruere Family" are descendants of  the immigrant Peter Bruere who came to the New York City area in the 1690s as a youth with his widowed mother and apparently two sisters. He settled in Upper Freehold (specifically Allentown which is now a separate borough) where he became a rather large land holder. His descendants are found there as well as in Burlington and Mercer Counties, New Jersey. Although the surname is most usually recorded as BRUERE, we do at times see it recorded as BRUER or BREWER. The family resided in Monmouth County, New Jersey at the same time as descendants of Adam Brouwer of Gowanus, and Jan Brouwer of Flatlands did. The descendants of Adam Brouwer and Jan Brouwer often are found with their surname recorded as either BREWER or BROWER, but also as BRUER in New Jersey records.

For a published account of the Bruere family see  Jacque Bruyere, A French Huguenot and Descendants, by Mary Emma Burt and Robert Eugene Burt (Gateway Press, 1997). FamilySearch.org does have a digital version available online, however it is only accessible through computers at subscribing institutions and local Family History Library Centers.

I have a very rough register format report on the family online which largely follows the published work of the Burts. This PDF includes sources and my suggestion is that users use it as a guide for further research. The same info can be found online at the Brouwer Genealogy Database, and through a search of this website using the term Bruere in the search engine to the right.

Online posted to RootsWeb Free Pages:

Descendants of Jacques Bruyere

John Bruere will 1875 Monmouth Co., Vol. O, p. 41

John Bruere will 1875 Monmouth Co., Vol. O, p. 42

John H. Bruere will 1862 Monmouth Co., Vol. H, p. 204

John H. Bruere will 1862 Monmouth Co., Vol H, p. 205

Also see the following Brouwer Genealogy Blog (BGB) posts regarding the Bruere family, online as a PDF:

BGB 410 Brewere Deed

BGB 414 James Bruere Estate

BGB 473 Brouwer, Brower, Brewer, Bruere in Monmouth County Wills

There are more posts on this website regarding Bruere family that have not (yet) been converted into PDF format. Hopefully they will be converted but one never knows, so no promises. Until then please use the Search feature available on this website.

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Documents Relating to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey (Part IV)

Part IV of this series of posts covers the five volumes that make up the Second Series of Documents Relating to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey. See Part I for some background. See Parts II and III for mentions of persons named Brouwer, Brower, Brewer and Bruere in volumes that comprise the First Series. Each of the five volumes in the Second Series covers Extracts from American Newspapers. They were published between 1901 and 1917 under the direction of four different editors. Again, quick links to digital versions of all of the volumes can be found here.

Second Series, Volume 1, 1776-1777, does not contain any mention of any person named Brouwer, Brower, Brewer or Bruere.

Second Series, Volume 2, 1778, page 32 has a story from the Weekly Mercury, February 2, 1778. It is during the period of time of heightened hostilities in the Hackensack Valley region during the American Revolutionary War between Loyalists and Patriots. It tells of Mr. John Richards, of New Barbadoes, who was "taken near Bergen by two armed Men, and on the Road between that and the three Pigeons, was shot dead by one of them." The report goes on to state that "The Names of the Monsters who perpetrated this horrid Tragedy, are Brower and Le Sheair, the former shot him dead." A footnote informs us that "Le Sheair" is Lozier. Then at page 47, dateline New York, February 9, "Brower the Person who last week murdered Mr. John Richards, of New Barbadoes Neck, has, from the admirable Measures concerted for that Purpose, been secured, and was on Thursday Afternoon lodged in the Custody of the Provost Guard." Brower was apprehended by four persons, names not stated, described as "loyal Persons." The report includes an announcement that a collection has been set up to reward the four. This is in the New York Gazette and Weekly Mercury, February 9, 1778. In the following report (pages 47-48) we learn that "Brower," is Abraham Brower, and "Le Sheair" is John Leshier (Lozier). The story of just what transpired between the parties that resulted in the killing of John Richards is elaborated upon. From this, I take it that Abraham Brower and John Leshier were patriots, under the command of Major Goetschius*. They attempted to apprehend John Richards, (presumably) a loyalist, to take him in for examination. With John Richard was his "negro man," and the two attempted an escape in which they secured Leshier's musket and, in the mind of Leshier, "thought to kill him." Brower coming to Leshier's aid, shot Richard when Richard had attempted to seize him.

At page 385, "Whereas Inquisitions were found the 12th day of June, 1778, against the following absconding persons, now with the enemy, viz..." followed by a long list of names, most of whom have "English" names but a few are "non-English" including a Jacob Brower. Other non-English names include John Van Waggoner, Garrabrant Garrabrants, jun., Garret Wonters (sic, probably Wouters), Peter Clopper, Abraham Van Geison and Derick Schuyler. I recognize some Westchester County, New York names among the "English," including a number of Ogdens and a couple of Wards. Those on the list are ordered to appear at the next Court of Quarter Sessions to be held in and for the county of Essex. The signing Commissioners are Joseph Hedden, jun., Samuel Hayse, and Thomas Canfield, dated July 22, 1778. This, along with a couple of other similar announcements were published in the New Jersey Gazette, vol. 1, no. 38, August 26, 1778. Those on the list being asked to appear before the "Commissioners" would have been patriots turned loyalist.

At page 536 is a "Notice" to persons having a claim, interest or demand against a list of men, many of whom appear on the list at page 385 (above) including Jacob Brower. Claimants are to appear in Newark, before the 9th day of January next." It is dated November 9, 1778 and signed by the same Commissioners of Essex County mentioned above. This was published in the New Jersey Gazette, vol. 50 (sic, probably vol. 1, no. 50), November 18, 1778 (see page 545).

At page 587 is a public notice to "all persons who have in their custody or power, any goods or chattels, bonds, bills, mortgages...or who are indebted to the following fugitives and offenders, now with the enemy, viz..." Again, this is largely the same list (although there are other names as well) as found on pages 385 and 536, and includes Jacob Brower. It is signed by the same Commissioners and dated December 9, 1778, Essex County. Published in the New Jersey Gazette, vol. 1, no. 54, December 16, 1778.

Identifying the above men named Abraham Brower and Jacob Brower is rather difficult and would involve some guess work. There are quite a few different men of both names who were alive in the greater New York City area (here I am referring to northern New Jersey, and Westchester, Dutchess and Orange Counties, New York, as well as Kings County on Long Island) during the time of the American Revolutionary War. I have some ideas, but assigning these events to any specific individuals would be speculative at best.

Second Series, Volume 3, 1779. At pages 327-328 is yet another notice to persons having demands against those persons found in the lists above (Vol. 2, pp. 385, 536, 587). Included here is Jacob Brower (page 327) who is joined by a new name, Peter Brower (page 328). Signed by the same Commissioners and dated April 29, 1779, State of New Jersey, Essex County. Published in the New Jersey Gazette, Vol. 2, no. 74, May 5, 1779.

At page 588, "Monday last Peter Brewer, of Allentown, died, being upwards of 100 years of age." This was published in the New Jersey Gazette, Vol. 2, no. 88, September 1, 1779. This "Peter Brewer," is Peter Bruere, who according to another source died July 9, 1779 and is buried at Allentown in Monmouth County. One published genealogy states that Peter Bruere was born 10 August 1697 which if correct would suggest he was closer to 80 years and not at all near 100 years of age when he died. See Burt, Mary Emma and Robert Eugene Burt. Jacque Bruyere, A French Huguenot and Descendants (Baltimore, MD: Gateway Press, Inc., 1997), page 4.

Second Series, Volume 4, Nov. 1, 1779 - Sept. 30, 1780. At page 252, a "List of Prisoners brought to this City last Thursday Night by the Parties that were lately at Paramus and Hackinsack, in New Jersey, under the Command of Col. Howard, of the Guards, and Lieut. Col. M'Pherson, of the 42nd Regiment." The listed prisoners include William Brower and Jacobus Brower. This was published in The New York Gazette and the Weekly Mercury, no. 1484, March 27, 1780.

At page 598, "DEATHS. In Essex county: The Hon. Stephen Crane**, Esq. Member of the Legislative Council for that county. At New York: Mr. Walter Franklin, Mr. Elphinstone, the Hon. Joseph Manton, jun. Esq. Mr. Booth, Mr. Dav. Devoor, and Mr. Peter Brower. We hear that the inhabitants of New York are very sickly." Published in the New Jersey Gazette, Vol. 3, no. 139, August 23, 1780. This is Pieter Brouwer, son of Jacob Brouwer and Annatje Bogardus, who is said to have been born 29 March 1699 at Gowanus (no record of baptism survives). He was married first to Elizabeth Quackenbosch (1721, eleven children), second to Catharina Thong (1750, no children) and third to Sara Kip (1751, no children). He died on 10 August 1780, in New York City. He is a grandson of Adam Brouwer of Gowanus, Long Island.

Second Series, Volume 5, October 1780 - July 1782. At page 167, from the New Jersey Gazette, Vol. 4, no. 158, January 3, 1781. At the Courts of Oyer and Terminer and General Goal Delivery held at Freehold, in the county of Monmouth... follows is a list of convictions including two convicted of murder. Hendrick Brewer, was in a list of persons "severally convicted of misdemeanors." I can only suggest that this is Hendrick, son of Jan Brouwer and Helena Van Cleef who was baptized on 25 December 1735 at Freehold-Middletown. He was married to Abigail Hunt (nine children), they lived at Middletown, and he died on 12 February 1802. He was a great-grandson of Jan Brouwer of Flatlands, Long Island.

*Major John Mauritius Goetschius, of the New Jersey Militia.

**Hon. Stephen Crane (1709-1780) of New Jersey. The footnote in Vol. 4, p. 598 states that Stephen Crane was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, but apparently he was not.

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Documents Relating to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey (Part III)

Part I of this set was posted on October 27, 2015. Part II was posted on October 28, 2015. Part III continues with more Brouwer, Brower, Brewer and Bruere entries found in the series of 47 volumes. An attempt is being made to identify each of those who appear in the series.

In volume 24, Extracts from American Newspapers..., page 571, published in The New York Gazette or Weekly Post Boy, July 18, 1765 is the notice for the sale at "Public Vendue, at the Court-House in Sussex County, on Tuesday the 26th of November next." The property is described as a tract of land in the Township of New-Town, Sussex County, on the head Branch of Palins Kill, "and divided into the following Lots or Farms," The owners of ten lots or farms are listed (numbered 1 to 11, with no. 4 not included). On lot No. 9, of 144 acres, is Benjamin Brewer. The land for sale is being "shewn by Elisha Robbins, living on the Premses (he owns lots 7 and 8), or Robert Allen; Living at Pepack, in Somerset County." Robert Allen has the power to accept a private sale. James Parker placed the notice (perhaps he owns the entire 10 or 11 lot property). Benjamin Brewer had to have been an adult by 1765, and so born in or prior to 1744. The name Benjamin is not all that common among the earlier generations of Brewers and Browers in New Jersey (and New York).
We know of Benjamin, baptized 19 February 1738 at Freehold-Middletown, son of Jan Brouwer and Helena Van Cleef. He would be a descendant of Jan Brouwer of Flatlands, L. I. He married Maria Lane in 1767 (two years after this date) and five known children baptized at Freehold-Middletown between 1768 and 1785 (there may have been others as there are multi-year gaps between baptisms of some of his known children).
We also know of Benjamin, baptized 11 February 1728 at the New York Reformed Dutch Church, son of Pieter Brouwer and Elizabeth Quackenbosch. He is a descendant of Adam Brouwer of Gowanus. Pieter Brouwer, bricklayer of New York City, made his will on 15 May 1767 (not proved until 22 January 1788). The only son mentioned in the will is Jacob (baptized in 1725) who received six shillings, wearing apparel and residue of the estate (sounds as if Jacob was the oldest son, who by 1767 was already established and had already received his share). Pieter's real and personal estate went to his daughters Ann and Elizabeth, both of whom were married. Pieter's son Benjamin is not mentioned, and when this occurs the assumption is often that the unnamed child is deceased. But that is not always the case. Every child is not named in every will. Pieter and Elizabeth also had sons Everardus (baptized 1739) and Petrus (baptized 1740) who are not named in the will. Although further record of Everardus has not yet been found, Petrus was living in 1767 (in fact he died in 1842 at age 102 in Claremont County, Ohio). Petrus Brouwer, a.k.a. Peter Brewer  married Margaret Mellow, of Somerset County, New Jersey in 1780, and had two sons, Peter and Adam, born in Gloucester County in 1788 and 1802 (no doubt there are other children yet to be accounted for). The New Jersey marriage license states that Peter Brewer was of Somerset County, New Jersey in 1780 (volume 22, p. 32). Could Pieter and Elizabeth's son Benjamin have also been alive in 1767, perhaps living in New Jersey, and not named in his father's will?
I know of no other Benjamin Brouwers, Browers or Brewers born early enough to have been living (he was probably leasing) on his own lot or farm. Is Benjamin Brewer of Newtown (now Newton Twp.), Sussex County, New Jersey in 1765, one of the above two men? If so, which one? Or is he someone yet to be discovered? Another note; in the late 1700s and into the 1800s the name Benjamin Brewer begins to appear in western Pennsylvania (and then in places west, like Indiana). Could Benjamin Brewer of Newtown be a connection? The western counties of New Jersey (Hunterdon, Somerset, and Sussex (from which Warren County was created in 1824), were jumping off points for settlers of the western areas of Pennsylvania near the borders with Virginia and Maryland. Did Benjamin Brewer of Newtown, or perhaps his sons, move westward in the late 1700s? We know of many Brewer families that "suddenly" appear in the region of western Pennsylvania in the late 1700s. Y-DNA testing of some descendants (through the Brewer DNA Project at Family Tree DNA) has shown that some are descendants of Adam Brouwer, while others are descendants of Jan Brouwer. Few have been able to prove their connection to either Adam or Jan. Benjamin Brewer of Newtown, may be a link.

Volume 25, Extracts from American Newspapers..., has mentions of two men named Brewer. At pages 142-143 is the publication of an order dated 17 June 1766. The order comes from Benjamin Thompson and Philip Van Horne, two of the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas for Somerset County. Gerrit Brewer is an insolvent debtor and his creditors are ordered to show cause before the said Judges at Milstone (Millstone, Somerset County) on 14 July. This was published in The New York Gazette or Weekly Post Boy, June 19, 1766. Gerrit, baptized 10 January 1742 at Hackensack (Bergen County, New Jersey), son of Abraham Brouwer and Elizabeth Ackerman (and a descendant of Adam Brouwer), would have been 24 (maybe 25) years old in June 1766. To my knowledge, further records regarding this Gerrit Brouwer have yet to be found.
Another mention of a Gerrit Brouwer, old enough to be an insolvent adult in 1766, is found in this same baptism record. The witnesses for the baptism of Gerrit, child of Abraham Brouwer and Elizabeth Ackerman, were Gerrit Brouwer and Jenneke Brouwer. Abraham Brouwer was a son of Uldrick Brouwer and his first wife Hester de Voe. Uldrick's second wife was Adriantje Pieters (daughter of Pieter Hessels and Lysbeth Gerrits) who he married in 1711. While there are baptism records for two children of Uldrick and Adriantje (Metje 1723, Esther 1726 both at Hackensack) it is apparent that the couple may have had as many as nine other children. Gerrit and Janneke, witnesses at this baptism in 1742 could be two of them. Other records for either Gerrit or Janneke have yet to be identified, however, Janneke may be the otherwise unplaced Jannetje Brouwer (a.k.a. Tannica, Yannica, and Jane) who married Cornelius Tunisen in New Jersey in 1749. They had children named Cornelius, Garret and Arietta.
The name Gerrit is not common among the descendants of either Adam Brouwer or Jan Brouwer, and the only other mention of one who could be an adult in 1766, is Gerrit Brouwer, who with Jannetje Stymets, witnessed the baptism of Pieter, son of Johannes Van Rypen and Hester Stymets at the New York Reformed Dutch Church on 28 Oct 1767. Both the Van Rypen and Stymets families have roots in Bergen County, New Jersey, and it is likely that this Gerrit is one of the above two. More research is needed here. All other known men named Gerrit (Garret) Brouwer, Brower or Brewer were born post 1750, and thereby could not have been the insolvent Gerrit Brewer, Somerset County, New Jersey in 1766.

Also in volume 25, at page 138, Samuel Brewer, Goaler (jailer) posts a reward for the capture of Robert Mouston, "a Taylor by Trade, born in Scotland," from the "Goal of Somerset County" (The Pennsylvania Gazette, June 19, 1766). At page 433, dateline New York, August 20, "We hear from the county of Somerset, and province of New Jersey, that on the 20th ultimo Samuel Brewer, Esq., was elected a representative for that county, in the room of John Hooglandt, Esq., deceased" (The Pennsylvania Chronicle, August 17-24, 1767). But then at page 441 is a correction, "New York, August 31. It was Abraham Vanness, Esq., and not Samuel Brewer, that was elected a Representative for the County of Somerset..." (The New York Mercury, August 31, 1767). This is obviously the same Samuel Brewer mentioned in Part II, found in volume 20. As mentioned in Part II, Samuel Brewer, the jailer, is possibly, or even probably the son of Willem Brouwer and Martha Boulton who was baptized on 25 August 1706 at Breuckelen. A contemporary Samuel Brouwer was baptized on 18 February 1705 at Hackensack, New Jersey, a son of Abraham Brouwer and Lea Demarest, and a great-grandson of Adam Brouwer. However, that Samuel Brouwer's adult life is accounted for. He married Maria Hartje in 1728, and had ten children between 1729 and 1755. The first four were baptized at either Tappan, New York or Schraalenburg, New Jersey (two at each location), and the youngest six were baptized in New York City. He cannot be the Samuel Brewer, jailer of Somerset County.

In volume 26, Extracts from American Newspapers..., pages 131-132, is the announcement of a public sale to take place on 25 April 1768. Up for sale is a "Fulling Mill, with a fine Stream of Water, situate in Allen-Town, East Jersey..." A dwelling house, meadow, wood land, tools and household goods, even a young milk cow are available. It is the estate of Isaac Price, and the sale is conducted by the executors of the estate, Peter Brewer and Nathan Robins. This Peter Brewer is Peter Bruere who came from the Palatinate to New York as a teenager in 1709 and then settled, and became a rather large landholder, in Upper Freehold, Monmouth County. His wife was Elinor Price, a sister of this Isaac Price. The announcement appeared in The Pennsylvania Gazette, April 7, 1768.
At page 581, published in The New York Gazette or Weekly Post Boy, December 11, 1769, "Whereas the General Assembly of the Province of New Jersey, have passed an Act for the Relief of Debtors, at their last Session: We the Debtors in the Goal of the County of Essex, intending to take the Benefit of said Act, do hereby desire all our Creditors to take Notice accordingly. Dated Essex County Goal, December 11, 1769. It is "signed" by six men, one of whom is Garret Brewer (see above). I guess Garret and the others were all "too big to fail."

In volume 27, Extracts from American Newspapers..., page 320 is another announcement of the sale of the property of Isaac Price (although his name is not stated this time) by Peter Brewer and Nathan Robins, executors. It was published in The Pennsylvania Gazette, December 13, 1770. The date of the sale, in Allen-Town, is December 27, 1770. This is more than two and a half years after the first attempt of a sale (above) was made.

In volume 28, Extracts from American Newspapers..., page 243. This is an announcement dated New York, September 2, 1772, published in The New York Gazette; and the Weekly Mercury, September 14, 1772. It is signed by a very long list of individuals, including one woman (Elizabeth Breese) and a few partnerships. They appear to be merchants of New York City. One of the signers is Jeremiah Brower. Their announcement mentions that the New York City Chamber of Commerce resolved that after September 3rd, they will no longer be accepting "Jersey Money in Payment on any other Terms than at Six and Two Thirds, which is just One Shilling (New York Currency) Loss on every Three Pound Jersey Bill." The signing subscribers are notifying their "New Jersey, New York and Connecticut Friends, and all others," that they will continue to receive Jersey Money in all payments. There are a number of men named Jeremiah Brower living during the 18th century in the greater New York City area. This Jeremiah Brower, a.k.a. Jeury Brouwer, was the son of Jeury Brouwer and Elizabeth Hilton and a great grandson of Adam Brouwer. He died 28 April 1776 at Hackensack, New Jersey in his 48th year. He married Jane Elsworth on 15 February 1750 (New York Reformed Dutch Church) and they had twelve children between 1751 and 1776, the last child (Mary) born posthumously. His will was dated 8 April 1776 and proved 16 May 1776 in New York. Jeremiah was a successful merchant with shipping interests. I have seen his name in published accounts of the records of Sir William Johnson, the principal figure in the English settlement of New York State's Mohawk Valley region and westward. His shipping interests extended to the southern states and certainly to the West Indies. His eldest son, also named Jeremiah, settled in Charlestown, South Carolina where he married in 1774. He remained there after the Revolutionary War. Another son, Dr. Abraham Brower went west to Ohio and then Indiana. Sons Theophilus, Hendrick and Johannes remained in New York City. Son, William died in Jersey City, New Jersey in 1832. His daughter Jane married Peter Kip, and daughter Mary married Solomon Jackson. A daughter Elizabeth, named in his will, has not yet been further accounted for. Three other children died during childhood.

In volume 29, Extracts from American Newspapers..., pages 557-558 has a curious story about a man named James Parsons who was committed to the goal at Perth Amboy. Parsons' travels on horseback beginning at New Milford, Connecticut, through Massachusetts, Connecticut, Westchester County, New York to Woodbridge, New Jersey are recounted. At Rye, New York, "he swapped with Joseph Brewer, for a large black horse." This was published in Rivington's New York Gazetteer, December 29, 1774. I do not have another record of a Joseph Brewer of Rye, New York from this period. This story is repeated in volume 31, Extracts from American Newspapers..., page 20, in the January 5, 1775 edition of Rivington's New York Gazetteer.

Part IV, to follow, will cover entries found in the 2nd Series of volumes. Please consult the Brouwer Genealogy Database website for additional information and sources regarding those mentioned above. As a reminder, a full list of all the volumes that make up Documents Relating to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey, with links to digital editions, is online here.

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Documents Relating to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey (Part II)

In this post, we will point out the mentions of persons named Brewer, Brower, Brouwer, and Bruere, found in the remaining 33 volumes of Documents Relating to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey. That is, mentions found in the volumes other than the thirteen volumes (23, 30, 32-42) that pertain to wills and administrations, and volume 22, which is dedicated to marriage records. For those volumes, see Part I.

Volume 11, Extracts from American Newspapers..., pages 571-72, from The Boston Weekly Post-Boy, June 11, 1739. "Last Week a young Woman, the Daughter of Adolph Brower, of Hackensuck was bit in three different Places by a Rattle-Snake, as she was gathering Straw berries; the injected Venom operated so speedy that she dies in a few Hours." The editor's footnote tells us that this was "Doubtless Femmetje, daughter of Adolf Brouwer and Jannetie Verdon, baptized in the Hackensack church 1 December 1723." This suggestion is undoubtedly incorrect, as this Femmetje Brouwer was married to John Henry Gesner in 1744 by the Lutheran minister in New York City. This couple had ten children, lived at or near Tappan, New York, where Femmetje died in 1788. William J. Hoffman in his series, "Brouwer Beginnings" (TAG 24 [1945]: 169, assigns this incident to Adolf and Jannetie's youngest daughter, Leah, who was baptized 11 February 1739 at the Schraalenburgh church. The problem here is that Leah would have been about four months old when she was bitten by the rattlesnake, while the newspaper extract describes the victim as a "young Woman," which would imply someone over the age of 14, but not yet married. Adolf and Jannetie's other known daughters, Jannetje (baptized 1719), Maria (1726) and Rachel (1732) all lived into adulthood and married. Either the newspaper report was in error in the description of Adlof's daughter, or Adolf and Jannetie had another daughter, likely born prior to 1725, who has not been identified. It is noted that there is a five year gap between the birth of Adolf's first child Nicholas (born 11 June 1714 as per a Bible record, but no baptism record found) and his second child, Jannetje (baptized 18 May 1719 at the Breuckelen church). It is conceivable that Adolf and Jannetie had a daughter born between 1715 and 1719, at Brooklyn where the couple first lived, but whose baptism record has not survived, and whose name has not survived as she died prior to being married. The Brooklyn church records are notoriously thin between 1700 and 1719, and are lost for the years after 1719.

In volume 12, Extracts from American Newspapers..., page 135 is an account of Adolph Brower (the same as above) being struck by lightning. It is from The Boston Evening-Post, July 19, 1742, dateline New York, July 12. "From Hackensack we hear that the House of Adolph Brower was struck with Lightning, himself and a Negro Man were struck, who died immediately; with much ado his Corps (sic), and some of the Household Goods were saved from the Flames but the negro was consumed." (I'm assuming that "Corps" is an error for crops). So, Adolph lost a daughter to a rattlesnake bite, and he himself was struck by lightning. The Adolph of this newspaper account and the one above, was Adolphus Brouwer, baptized as Adam on 15 October 1693 at Breuckelen, the son of Nicholas Brouwer and Jannetje Caljer. He is a grandson of Adam Brouwer of Gowanus, Long Island.

In volume 15, Journal of the Governor and Council, 1738-1748, page 564, is the Affidavit of Isaac Brower, William Ramsay and Conrad Fredericks, "concerning Mrs Valleau and others threatening to Turn Edward Jeffers out of possession at Romopock," dated 20 August 1746. This is no. 22 in a list of "the Papers laid before the House of Assembly by His Excellency in August last and which were sent to this House from the House of Assembly be Entered in the Minutes of this House and that the said Papers be referred to the Committee appointed by this House to Confer with the Committee of the House of Assembly." The Isaac Brower of this affidavit would of had to have been an adult in 1746, and the only Isaac Brower known of who meets that requirement would be the Isaac, baptized 5 April 1703 at Bergen, New Jersey, son of Uldrick Brouwer and his first wife Hester de Voe. Isaac would then be a grandson of Pieter Brouwer, and a great-grandson of Adam Brouwer.

In volume 16, Journal of the Governor and Council, 1748-1755, at pages 120, 125 and 148, is found Peter Bruere, spelled Bruier. Beginning at the bottom of page 119 and continuing on to 120 is a "Bill Entitled, An Act for Naturalizing Peter Schmuck, Philip Marot And Peter Bruier." The date is March 7th 1748. The bill was read and a second reading was ordered. The second reading (March 8th 1748) is found on page 125. On (I believe) March 28th 1749, the "Act for Naturalizing Peter Schmuck, Philip Marot and Peter Bruier," was approved (page 148). Peter Bruere and his descendants are found in Upper Freehold, Monmouth County, New Jersey. Their surname is sometimes rendered in records as Brewer.

In volume 19, Extracts from American Newspapers..., page 428 is a "List of Letters in the Post-Office at Trenton, September 28, 1754." Appearing on this list is "William Brower, Riddentown." The list was published in The Pennsylvania Gazette, October 17, 1754. "Riddentown" would be Readington, New Jersey (see this excerpt from The Geographical and Historical Dictionary of America and the West Indies, Vol. IV (1818), page 313, bottom right). This William Brower is undoubtedly a descendant of Adam Brouwer of Gowanus, L. I. He may be the William baptized 25 June 1727 at the Raritan Reformed Church, son of Hendrick Brouwer and Marritje. He may then be the William Brouwer who married Margaret Van Sickle with a license of 30 September 1748 at Hunterdon County. They had two children (Catharine and William) baptized at Readington in 1748 and 1752.

In volume 20, Extracts from American Newspapers..., page 72, "Twenty-five Pounds Reward," for anyone "that takes up and secures" two men, one named John Pattison, and the other Edward Brewer, who is described as, "a house-carpenter by trade, born in Ireland, pock-fretten, well-set, has black eyes, about 5 feet 4 inches high..." The reward is offered by William Kelly. If I am not mistaken, I believe this ran with other solicitations in The New York Mercury, October 11, 1756.
At page 103, "A List of Letters that remain in the Post-Office in Philadelphia." Included here is "Hannah Brewer, Jersey." This in The Pennsylvania Gazette, April 7, 1757. Whether or not this is a single woman, or a married woman named Hannah Brewer, is not certain, which in turn makes identification difficult.
At page 128, "Ten Pounds, Reward," for Jonathan Dudley, who escaped from the Somerset County goal (jail). The reward is offered by Robert Stockton, sheriff, to whoever brings Dudley safely to "Samuel Brewer, goaler, at the court-house" in Somerset County. This ran in The New York Mercury, August 22, 1757. The Samuel Brewer here is very likely the Samuel Brewer who was listed as a Freeholder in the Western Precinct of Somerset County in 1753. It appears that he had a wife named Maregrita (Margaret) and two daughters baptized at Raritan in 1732 and 1735, both named Annetie. While this Samuel Brewer's ancestry is not at all certain, a possibility is that Samuel is the Samuel, baptized 25 August 1706 at Breuckelen, son of William Brouwer and Martha Boulton (and so a grandson of Adam Brouwer of Gowanus, L. I.). It is also possible that Samuel is a son of Derck Brouwer and Hannah Daws (therefore a grandson of Jan Brouwer of Flatlands, L. I.), but I think this placement is less likely.

For more on those named above, and for source citations, please refer to the Brouwer Genealogy Database website, and use the index to locate individuals.

This set of posts covering Documents Relating to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey, will continue with Part III.

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Documents Relating to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey (Part I)

Documents Relating to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey comprises two series and a total of 47 volumes of material that, as you might suspect, relate to the colonial history of the State of New Jersey. The volumes were published over a 69 year period between 1880 and 1949. There was a time when accessing these volumes required making a trip to a public library that had the physical volumes. Now, all of the volumes are available online in digital format. Here is a list with links.

Documents Relating to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey

The Family History Library also has links to digitized versions through a page in their online FamilySearch Catalog. 

The value of the individual volumes with regards to genealogical research is varied, but the most valuable, and probably the most cited are the volumes in the First Series that form the Calendar of New Jersey Wills, Administrations, Etc. This "sub-set" consists of thirteen volumes, numbered First Series, Vols. 23, 30, and 32-42. Each volume is indexed. The original estate records abstracted in this set are housed at Trenton, New Jersey. They do not constitute all of the estate and probate records from New Jersey. Many others are housed in other locations, particularly in county offices. I would suggest utilizing the Family History Library online catalog to find estate records not abstracted in this set. Do a state wide search using United States, New Jersey, then look under the category Probate Records. And also do a search in the individual county of interest. For example - United States, New Jersey, Monmouth - Probate Records. Many (perhaps even all) of these microfilmed records are now available online under New Jersey Probate Records, 1678-1980. There is no search feature for these records, you will have to "browse" through them. They are organized by county and are accessed through the "Browse through 1,913,824 images" link. In addition, there is a separate set of images from Middlesex County, titled "New Jersey, Middlesex County Probate Records, 1830-1921." Again, no search engine, but you can browse through the images.

A few years ago I had extracted out every entry from the thirteen volumes in the Documents Relating...  volumes that cover the will and administration records, that mentioned someone named Brower, Brewer, Bruere, etc. That work is still available online as a PDF.

After the volumes containing abstracts of wills and administrations, the next most valuable volume is First Series, Volume 22, Marriage Records, 1665-1800. This volume, edited by William Nelson, was published in 1900. It does not include an index as each set of marriage records are arranged alphabetically. The volume opens with an introduction on the custom of marriage and a couple of chapters on marriage laws and the like in New Jersey. This is followed by the book's largest section, "Index to Marriage Bonds and Marriage Records in the Office of the Secretary of State at Trenton." As mentioned, the records here are arranged alphabetically, with each letter of the alphabet divided into a section for males, followed by females. Brewer males are found at page 32 , Brewer females at page 54. There is one Brower male at page 34, and four Brower females at page 56. The surnames Brouwer and Bruere are not found in this index. The New Jersey State Archives (NJSA) has a searchable database of marriage license records. Here, for example, is a search using Brewer, Elias. Individual records can then be selected and copies of the license ordered from the New Jersey Department of State. This PDF page created by the NJSA provides and overview, and some links, for their collection of genealogical records.

The contents for Volume 22 (pages xi and xii) list the other sets of records that are included. They are mostly from the various churches in New Jersey including Dutch Reformed, Baptist, Christ Church, and Friend's Monthly Meeting. There is also six years of Essex County Clerk, and five years of Middlesex County Clerk marriage records. The introductions to each set of records are helpful and should be consulted. As the church records are extracted from previously published records of the various churches, it is always best to go back to the earlier versions and consult them for accuracy.

The remaining 33 volumes of the two series cover varied sets of records and documents. The first two volumes are dedicated to the early colonial period. Other volumes are arranged by the administrations of the various New Jersey Governors. Many of the volumes cover "Extracts from American Newspapers Relating to New Jersey," and they are arranged by years. Each volume includes its own index. The surnames Brewer, Brower, Brouwer, or Bruere are absent from volumes 1 through 10.

We will cover the mentions of persons named Brewer, Brower, Brouwer and Bruere, found in the remaining volumes in Documents Relating to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey (Part II).

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Brouwer, Brower, Brewer and Bruere in Monmouth County Wills

Links for recorded wills found in Monmouth County, New Jersey for individuals with the surname Brouwer, Brower, Brewer and Bruere have been added to the "Links to Pages at FamilySearch.org - Probate and Estate Records" page of this website. The database being accessed is "New Jersey, Probate Records, 1678-1980 > Monmouth."

The above referenced page presents the links in alphabetical order by first name, and includes individuals from various locations. The Monmouth County links are separated out here and are arranged in groups.

Descendants of Adam Brouwer of Gowanus, L. I.:
David Brouwer, of Monmouth Co., will dated 16 Aug 1804, Vol. A, p. 48.

George Brower, of Howell, will dated 31 Dec 1841, Vol. F, p. 58.

John Brewer, of Dover, will dated 6 Dec 1811, Vol. A, p. 457.

John E. Brewer, of Howell, will dated 29 Jul 1836, Vol. D, p. 73.

William H. Brewer, of Howell, will dated 4 Dec 1855, Vol. F, p. 383.

Descendants of Jan Brouwer of Flatlands, L. I.:
Aaron Brower, of Howell, will dated 12 Jan 1869, Vol. K, p. 240.

Benjamin Brower, of Shrewsbury, will dated 17 Feb 1863, Vol. H, p. 108.

Elizabeth Brewer, of Marlborough, will dated 19 Jul 1856, Vol. F, p. 458. [She appears to be a sister of Elias E. Brewer, also of Marlborough (Marlboro) who is known to be a descendant of Jan Brouwer by means of Y-DNA testing of one of his descendants].

Gilbert Brewer, of Howell, will dated 26 Nov 1857, Vol. G, p. 86.

Descendants of Jacques Bruyere (surname commonly seen as Bruere, but on occasion, Bruer or Brewer):

John Bruere, of Upper Freehold, will dated 18 Feb 1875, Vol. O, p. 41.

John H. Bruere, of Upper Freehold, will dated 22 May 1826, Vol. D, p. 264.

John H. Bruere, of Upper Freehold, will dated 7 Feb 1862, Vol. H, p. 204.

Price Bruere, of Upper Freehold, will dated 30 May 1828, Vol. C, p. 76.

Other (ancestry known) and Unplaced (ancestry unknown or uncertain):
Abraham Brower, of Middletown, will dated 18 Oct 1821, Vol. B, p. 435. [Ancestry unknown].

Hendrick J. Brower, will dated 11 May 1849, Vol. G, p. 285. [His residence is not stated, and the initial J. may be for "Joseph" as seen on page 286. Ancestry unknown.]

Joseph Brewer, of Monmouth Co., will dated 6 May 1857, Vol. G, p. 36. [His residence is not stated. Might he be the father, or a brother of Hendrick J., above? No children are named in either will. Ancestry unknown.]

Lucretia Brewer, of Marlboro, will dated 2 Oct 1860, Vol. K, p. 149. [She is Lucretia Campbell, b. ca. 1799 in Connecticut, the widow of Bela Brewer (1789-1827) of Westchester Co., New York. Bela Brewer is a descendant of Daniel Brewer (d. 1646) of Roxbury, Massachusetts.]

Also of note:
Jacob Burdge, of Middletown, will dated 7 Jan 1831, Vol. C, p. 366. [His will mentions his daughter, Elizabeth Brewer. She was the wife of John A. Brouwer/Brower (1788-1860) a son of Adolph Brouwer and Aeltje Hulst. Elizabeth is the mother of Nehemiah Brower, of Middletown.]


Each of the Monmouth County Will books includes an index of testators which is found at the beginning of each volume. Recording of wills in the counties of the State of New Jersey began in 1804. Wills dated prior to 1804 are found in the New Jersey State Archives in Trenton. For more background on New Jersey Probate Records please see this wiki page at Ancestry.com (subscription not required). Also see the Monmouth County Surrogate's Office page at the New Jersey Department of State website.

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Division of James Bruere's Estate

Part III of Abstracts of Early Monmouth County Court Papers covered files that, as of 2009, had not been identified as pertaining to either Adam Brouwer of Gowanus, or Jan Brouwer of Flatlands. Some background on this group of files was placed online on December 12, 2011, and I would refer you to that post for a bit more detail. Although I kept them grouped as they were when they first came to my attention in 2009, we can now identify where most, if not all, belong.

The first file in this group is file no. 51, which is a record from the Monmouth County Orphans Court regarding the division of the estate of James Bruere of Upper Freehold.

No. 51, Division of Real Estate James Bruere Estate

James Bruere, as mentioned in an earlier post, is not a descendant of either Adam Brouwer or Jan Brouwer. He is a member of the third family whose surname is on occasion recorded as BREWER in the various records found in Monmouth County, New Jersey. The post of April 14, 2014 provides some background on the Bruere family.

This file contains the record from the October 1813 term, and is found in Monmouth County Orphans Court, Book D, pages 339-343. The original was on legal size pages and scanning to create a PDF has resulted in a ten page file. Peter Bruere, Price Bruere and James Bruere, executors of the estate of James Bruere, deceased, are providing the court with a report of their proceedings in the division of the real estate of James Bruere, late of Upper Freehold. The court record describes property that was devised by the the will of James Bruere to his two younger sons, Richard Bruere and Jonathan Bruere. Included in the report are excerpts from James Bruere's will.

James Bruere, the only son of the immigrant Peter Bruere, was born 9 February 1751 and died 2 July 1807. He lived his entire life in Upper Freehold, Monmouth County, New Jersey. His will was dated 19 May 1807 and was proved 29 July 1807. James was married to Sarah Horsefell, whose date of death has not yet been located. They had eight known children, six sons and two daughters. Details and sources are found on the Brouwer Genealogy Database website.

[Please note: because of excessive spamming of the comments feature of this specific post, the title was changed on July 22, 2014] 

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Brewere Family Deed

File no. 49 from Abstracts of Early Monmouth County Court Papers, Part II, is a deed involving the Bruere (recorded as Brewere) Family of Upper Freehold.

No. 49, Brewere Deed

In this deed dated 2 April 1808, Sarah Brewere, the widow of James Brewere, who died on 19 April 1807, quitclaims real estate to John H. Brewere, Price Brewere, James Brewere, Richard Brewere, Jonathan Brewere,and their heirs. The grantees in this deed were all sons of James and Sarah Bruere.

It had been mentioned previously that Part II of the Abstracts of Early Monmouth County Deeds had been grouped, by William B. Bogardus, as those that most likely referred to descendants of Adam Brouwer of Gowanus, Long Island. This file is one case in which that is not correct. James Bruere is not a descendant of Adam Brouwer. He is a son of Peter Bruere who came to America, first arriving at New York City, in 1709. Peter Bruere settled at Upper Freehold in Monmouth County where he became a very large land owner. The spelling of the family name is generally accepted as BRUERE, however, records from the colonial period often spell the name differently. In this example it is spelled, BREWERE, but I have also seen it as BREWER and BRUER.

James Bruere was born 9 February 1751 in Monmouth County, New Jersey. He is the only known son of Peter Bruere, whose wife was Ellinor Price, a daughter of David Price. James Bruere's wife was Sarah Horsefell, and she was a daughter of John Horsefell and Ruth Rogers. James and Sarah Bruere had eight children, six sons and two daughters. Descendants are known for four of the sons, John Horsful Bruere, Peter Bruere, Price Bruere and Jonathan Bruere. The daughters, Mary and Ruth were also married. Mary was married to Joseph Holmes, while Ruth married Senica Sennickson. Both left descendants.

Peter Bruere, the father of James, was a son of Jacques Bruyere and Louise Doussot. Research on the first generation of this family was conducted and published by Mary Emma Burt and Robert Eugene Burt in Jacque Bruyere, a French Huguenot and Descendants (Baltimore: Gateway Press, 1997). A digital version can be viewed online at the FamilySearch website. According to the Burts, Peter Bruere was born on 10 August 1697 at Greifenthal, then in the German Palatinate, which is now a center in Lahn-Dill-Kries in Hesse, Germany (a Kries is a district, while Hesse is a present day German state). He was baptized at the Reformed Church of Daubhausen.

Peter's sisters, Jeanne and Susanne, and his brother Jacque, are recorded in New York City on a list of Palatines in the city in 1710/11*. A birth and baptism records for another son of Jacque Bruyere, named Jean, was also found at Daubhausen by the Burts, however, there is no evidence that Jean made the trip to America. It is suggested by the Burts that Jacque and Louise Bruyere either died during the voyage to America or shortly after arriving. The Burts state that Peter's sister, Susanne was married to William Baker, Sr., while no marriage has been found for Jeanne. There is also no further record found for Peter's brother, Jacque Bruyere, although if he remained in the New York City area (which would include Westchester Co., Long Island and northern New Jersey) his name could have been anglicized as James Brewer, or even dutchified as Jacob Brouwer. Given the fact that there are still numerous unplaced Brouwers, Browers, and Brewers from the colonial period in the greater New York City area, it may be that Peter's brother, Jacque Bruyere, survived into adulthood and left descendants.

To date, no known descendant of Peter Bruere has joined the Brewer DNA Project. It would be a valuable addition to future research regarding this family, and for Brouwer, Brower and Brewer research in general, if we could get a direct male descendant (or two) of Peter Bruere to join the Project and take a Y-DNA test. A Y-DNA genetic signature for the Bruere family would be a great help to current and future researchers.

A chart of some descendants of Peter Bruere, as well as additional info and sources, can be found on the Brouwer Genealogy Database website.



*This list can be found in, O'Callaghan, Edmund Bailey. Lists of Inhabitants of Colonial New York, Excerpted from The Documentary History of the State of New York (Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1979, 1989, 1999), pages 184-185. They are recorded as Jeane Bruiere, orph(an), age 18; Jacque, age 15; Susannah, age 6.

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Church Records (Part VIII): Everything Else

This post will complete all of the files described as "Church Records" in the William B. Bogardus Collection. The files below are for locations outside of New York City, New York State and New Jersey.

Pennsylvania German Marriages: Marriages and Marriage Evidence in Pennsylvania German Churches.  Despite the title, this book also includes records from the North and Southampton Dutch Reformed Church at Churchville, Bucks Co., Pennsylvania. The book, by Donna R. Irish, was published in 1982, and has apparently been re-published in 2009.

Records of the Kingston Presbyterian Church: Marriages, 1794-1850. Genealogical Magazine of New Jersey, vol. 29, nos. 3/4 (Jul/Oct 1954). This file was missed during the first go-around and should have been grouped with the other New Jersey files in Part V. Sorry for the oversight. There are four marriages here and I will point out that the "Brewers" of Allentown are actually Brueres. The John H. Brewer is John Horsful Bruere, whose first wife, Mary Blackwell died during the birth of her only child in early 1802. He then married Elizabeth Blackwell. Price Brewer is Price Bruere. The Edward Brewer who married Rachel Ann Lake was from Somerset Co., and is found in Middlesex Co. on the 1850 census. I do not know is ancestry.

Picton Methodist Church Baptisms, Prince Edward County, Ontario. From the Ontario Register, vol. 3, 1970. Two baptisms of children of Martin and Lovina Brower. This is a second file for the same source, however, it includes six photocopied pages.

History of Tonoloway Baptist Church. The photocopy of pages are from a book of this title by Harry Stuart Holman, published in 1980. The Tonoloway Baptist Church is in Bethel, Fulton Co., Pennsylvania and is the immediate area in which Mathew Brower who was the subject of posts from September 11, 2013; September 18, 2013; and September 28, 2013. The Brewers mentioned in the profiles, however, are not descendants of Mathew Brower. They are descendants of Henry/Henrich Brewer/Brauer, a German immigrant who settled in Bethel Twp. A descendant of Henry/Henrich participated in the Brewer DNA Project and his results confirm that there is no family relationship between Henrich and the descendants of Mathew Brower. Here is an excellent example of two families who share the same surname, and live in the same location, but who are not in anyway related.

This post concludes the set covering "Church Records" from the William B. Bogardus Collection.

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James Brewer Executor of the Estate of Peter Brewer

Item number 7 from abstracts of miscellaneous Monmouth County Court Papers, part 1, involves the case of James Brewer, son and executor of the estate of Peter Brewer, deceased, vs. John Culp, administrator of the estate of Peter Noss, in which James Brewer is suing John Culp for money due to the estate of Peter Brewer, from the estate of Peter Noss, for an unpaid debt incurred during their lives. In this document James Brewer is appointing in his place as attorney, Jonathan Rheas, while John Culp is appointing in his place, Richard Stockton. The case is from the April 1786 term held in the court at Freehold, Monmouth County, New Jersey.

7. James Brewer, executor of the estate of Peter Brewer

This document was grouped with those believed to be pertinent to descendants of Jan Brouwer of Flatlands, Long Island. However, in this case, such a placement appears to be incorrect. The James Brewer mentioned in this document would have been born before 1765, and presently no such person has been identified or discovered among the descendants of Jan Brouwer of Flatlands.

The James Brewer and Peter Brewer named in this file are more likely, James Bruere, born 9 Feb 1751 in Monmouth County, the son of Peter Bruere, born in 1697 and who came to America in 1709 with his parents, and two brothers, and two sisters. Peter Bruere settled in Monmouth County and lived at Upper Freehold. Those of us who are familiar with the fact that standardized spelling was not practiced during the colonial period in particular, and even well into the 19th century, understand that surnames are often found with varied spellings. Here is an example of that. BRUERE is written as BREWER by the Monmouth County Clerk. The BRUERE family was prominent in Monmouth County, New Jersey, and to a lesser extent in surrounding counties during the 1700s and 1800s. They are in no way related to the families descended from Jan Brouwer of Flatlands or Adam Brouwer of Gowanus, yet they lived in the same areas at the same time, and all three families often had their surnames recorded as BREWER in various Monmouth County records.

Some descendants of Peter Bruere can be accessed online at the Brouwer Genealogy Database.

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Miscellaneous Records Pertaining to Brewers and Browers in Monmouth Co., N.J., Part 3

Abstracts of Early Monmouth County Court Papers, Part 3, can now be accessed online. The abstracts here cover one document regarding the BRUERE family, three documents regarding Holsart, Huls and Hulse (which may or may not pertain to Brewer relations, but I had access to them so they were included), and eight documents regarding men named William Brewer or Brower. Again, copies of the original documents had been received from William B. Bogardus in 2009.
The documents regarding William Brewer/Brower deserve expanding upon. The documents pertain to TWO different men named William Brewer or William Brower. The first three (Nos. 55, 56 and 57) pertain to a William Brewer who resided at Middletown in Monmouth County. He signs two of the deeds in which he is the grantor, by his mark (which is fairly unique and distinguishable). The next five entries (Nos. 58, 59, 60, 61 and 62) pertain to a different man named William Brewer, who resided at Readington in Hunterdon County, but apparently had business dealings with men in Monmouth County. The cases involve his debts to Jacob Janeway, John Broughton and Casparus Vanostrandt. One hearing includes a document which this William Brewer signed with his name (and not a mark), evidence that the two William Brewers of these records are two different men.
More on both of these men will follow in subsequent postings.

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Miscellaneous Records Pertaining to Brewers and Browers in Monmouth Co., N.J., Part 2

Abstracts of Early Monmouth County, New Jersey Court Papers, Part 2, can now be found online. The documents, nos. 26 thru 50, probably pertain to descendants of Adam Brouwer. One exception to this is No. 49, which pertains to members of the Bruere family of Upper Freehold in Monmouth County. The Bruere family is unrelated to the families named Brewer, Brower or Brouwer found in New Jersey during the same time period. In this particular document their surname was rendered as "Brewere." As mentioned in the previous posting, these documents were received from William Bogardus a couple of years ago. They cover persons named Brewer or Brower who are found in the Court and Land records of Monmouth County, New Jersey from the mid 1700s to the mid 1800s. Of particular interest to me are Nos. 45 and 46, which indicate that a Jacob Brewer purchased land in Shrewsbury in 1755, and had grandchildren named Coxson. I have not yet identified this Jacob Brewer, but I will be looking into the East New Jersey and Monmouth County Deed Books that are mentioned in the coming months.
Most, if not all, of the references and records mentioned in the abstracts have been filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, and can be locate using their online Library Catalog, and can be rented for viewing at one of their numerous Family History Centers located throughout the country. A determined researcher should have no problem locating and viewing filmed copies of the complete original documents.

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