Revising The Family of Jan Brouwer and Helena Van Cleef

 The post, "The Family of Jan Brouwer and Helena Van Cleef," was published October 24, 2012. A profile, with source citations, for Jan Brouwer can be found on the Brouwer Genealogy Database (last updated late 2015). The family was also covered back in 2007 in "Jan Brouwer of Flatlands and Descendants," New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, 138(2007):254. In each of these instances we see a family consisting of eleven or twelve children. We also see that the mother of these children is recorded variously as Helena, Hilletje, Lena, and Mardelena. We also see some conflicts among the baptism dates of the children, specifically with the children, Pieter, Benjamin, and Marytje, who were baptized 26 Dec. 1737, 19 Feb. 1738 and 3 Oct. 1738 respectively. Ten years later I have had reason to revisit this family and today I see it very differently. Rather than one family of eleven or twelve children, I believe that what we have here are TWO families, a family of Jan Brouwer and Hilletje Van Cleef, and another family of a different Jan Brouwer and his wife Lena/Mardelena (___).

Both the 2007 "Jan Brouwer of Flatlands and Descendants" article and my post of October 24, 2012 acknowledges the problems with the original family of Jan Brouwer and Helena Van Cleef. With regards to the 2007 article see footnote 45 on page 254 which, in short, explains the "odd spacing of baptisms" in this family, to the personality of the minister, Rev. Theodorus Jacobus Frelinghuysen. I should quote the full footnote here:

"The odd spacing of baptisms may be due to Rev. Theodorus Jacobus Frelinghuysen, the autocratic minister of the churches at Three-Mile Run (New Brunswick), Raritan (Somerville), North Branch (Readington) and Six-Mile Run, who, influenced by the Great Awakening, withheld communion and baptisms from various church members for extended periods of time in the 1720s and 1730s and even excommunicated some who would not conform to his evangelical views. Some members occasionally sought the sacraments from other ministers in the area. Thus, although Reformed baptisms usually followed soon after birth, in this part of New Jersey, in this time period, baptismal dates are not necessarily good estimators of birth of birth dates." 

Perhaps. Or perhaps not. Do we have record of Rev. Frelinghuysen specifically withholding baptism from some children of Jan Brouwer and Hilletje Van Cleef? If such a record exists, it is not presented in the article. And since it is not, I would then assume that we do not have this evidence and that there is no reason to assume that that is what is happening here. The author(s) of this article (see footnote 2 on page 250), is (are) suggesting that Jan Brouwer and Hilletje Van Cleef went to the Reformed minister at Freehold-Middletown to baptize children that Rev. Frelinghuysen would not baptize at North Branch or Raritan. In other words, Jan Brouwer lived in the area of Raritan in Somerset or Hunterdon Counties when these children were born, whereas other evidence suggests that he lived at Middletown in Monmouth County. Having the children baptized  by the Freehold-Middletown minister would have been the parents first option, as is the case with the couples first four baptisms and the sixth (see below).

In my own post on October 24, 2012, I recognize this and try to explain away not only the problem of the "odd baptism spacing," but also the problem of the children's mother having a wide variety of recorded given names. Hilletje a Dutch diminutive of Hillegondt, and equivalent in English to Hilda, and Lena, a diminutive of both Helena and Magdalena, are just two very different names. Hilletje Van Cleef was a daughter of Isbrandt Van Cleef and Jannetje Arise Van der Bilt. Her maternal grandmother was Hillitje Remse (a daughter of Rem Jansen and Jannetje Jorise Rapalje). She was likely named for her maternal grandmother. The correct name of Jan Brouwer's wife is Hilletje Van Cleef. Her name is mistakenly recorded or transcribed from the original in one baptism record as Helena. However, the other baptisms in which the mother's name is Lena or, in one instance, Mardelena, is not a recording error. It's the name of a different mother, of a different family. Back in 2012 I incorrectly assessed this family. But, let's just list all of the baptisms here once again:

1. 1724 June 21. A child; parents: Jan Brower, (blank) Van Kleve; no witnesses recorded (Freehold-Middletown 23:12)
2. 1726 April 11. A child; parents: Jan Brouwer, Helena Van Cleve; witnesses: Isbrant Van Cleve, Janneke, his wife (Freehold-Middletown 23:43)
3. 1727 Aug. __. Pieter; parents: Jan Brouwer, Hilletie; no witnesses recorded (Freehold-Middletown 23:44)
4. 1735 Dec. 25. Henrikus; parents: Jan Brouwer, Hilletje Van Kleef; no witnesses recorded (Freehold-Middletown 24:46)
5. 1737 Dec 26. Peeteres; parents: Yan Brouwer, Leena; no witnesses recorded (Harlingen 17:80)
6. 1738 Feb. 19.  Benjamin; parents: Jan Brouwer, Hilletje Van Kleef; witnesses: Benjamin Van Kleef, Rachel Couwenhove (Freehold-Middletown 24:91)
7. 1738 Oct. 3. Marytje; parents: Jan Brouwer and Lena; no witnesses recorded (Readington 4:217)
8. 1741 June 28. Catrina; parents: Brouwer, Jan and wife, Mardelena; no witnesses recorded (Raritan 2:302)
9. 1743 Jan. 14.  Leena; parents: Yan Brouwer, Leenaa; no witnesses recorded (Harlingen 17:82)
10. 1746 Dec. 10. Elsje; parents: Jan Brouwer and Lena; no witnesses recorded (Readington 4:303)
11. 1749 Dec. 26.  Johannis; parents: Jan Brouwer and Lena; no witnesses recorded (Readington 4:305)

Sources for the above:

Freehold-Middletown: "Records of the Dutch Congregations of Freehold and Middletown," Genealogical Magazine of New Jersey Vols. 22-38 (1947-1963)

Harlingen: "Reformed Dutch Church of Harlingen, Baptisms," Genealogical Magazine of New Jersey Vols. 15-20 (1940-45)

Readington: "Readington Church Baptisms From 1720," Somerset County Historical Quarterly vol.4-8 (1915-19)

Raritan: "First Reformed Church Raritan (Somerville) Baptisms," Somerset County Historical Quarterly Vols. 2-7 (1913-18)

Notes on the above baptisms:

I suspect that either no. 1 or no. 2, where in both cases the child's name was not recorded, belongs to Aris Brower who married Neeltje Cooper by 1756. He would have been named for his maternal great grandfather Aris Janse Van der Bilt. He is on the BGD but is not included in the 2007 NYGBR article.

No. 8, Catrina is not included in the 2007 NYGBR article, but her baptism record is there. The author(s) in 2007 missed it.

The baptisms span 25 years, from 1724 to 1749. A long period of time. Possible, but not that typical. Magdalena Verdon was mother of 14 children from 1646 to 1672, a span of 26 years, but she was likely married at, or by age 16. [See  Harry Macy Jr., "Some New Light on Aeltje Braconie and Maria Badie," New York Genealogical and Biographical Record 142(2011):21-36, which suggests that Magdalena may have been married as early as age 13 or 14]. We do not have baptism records for either Jan or Hilletje, but as Jan's father died between 1702 and 1706, and as Helletje, being named for a maternal grandmother, would probably be an older daughter of her parents, both were born either in the 1690s or early 1700s (I have estimates of ca. 1692 for Jan and ca. 1703-1708 for Helena Van Cleef on the BGD. The later date for Helena allows her to have a child born in 1749, something I no longer believe is correct).

There is a glaring gap of eight years between the baptisms of no. 3 and no. 4. That is a long period of time for a couple who are in their mid twenties to early or mid thirties. Two to four additional children may be missing from this family. Perhaps Hilletje had a few miscarriages or stillbirths. Perhaps the couple were separated for one reason or another for this period, although I truly doubt this. Perhaps they were back on Long Island where church records for the Breukelen and Flatbush churches are missing. Maybe there are some unplaced Brouwers out there (and there are quite a few of them) that belong in this family.

In baptism no. 1 the mother's given name is blank. In no. 2 she is called Helena Van Cleve. In nos. 3, 4, and 6 she is Hilletje (Van Kleef in 3 and 4). In no. 8 she is Mardelena (undoubtedly an error for Magdelena) and in nos. 5, 7, 9, 10 and 11, she is Lena/Leenaa. 

As pointed out, in the October 24, 2012 post, I presented this family with a full eleven or twelve children and argued for explanations that would cover up the inconsistencies outlined above. But now, ten years later, I believe that was incorrect. While it's possible to hold on to this family as being accurately described in the older accounts, both my online posts here and on the BGD, and the 2007 NYGBR article, I'm now inclined to think otherwise. What we actually have here are two distinct families.

Make the following changes to the Brouwer Genealogy Database

1. Change Helena Van Cleef's primary name to Hilletje Van Cleef. The appearance of her name as Helena in baptism no. 2 is likely an error, perhaps on the part of the transcriber. 
2. Remove the following children: no. 5 Peeterse (Pieter), no. 7 Marytje, no. 8 Catrina, no. 9 Leena, no. 10 Elsje and no. 11 Johannis from this family.
3. Change the husband of Antje Van Dyk from Pieter Brouwer, bp. 26 Dec 1737 (no.5) to Pieter Brouwer, bp. Aug. 1727 (no.3). The children of Antje (Joannes and Petrus) are now sons of Pieter (bp. 1727). 
4. Change the date of death for Pieter Brouwer, bp. Aug 1727, from "bef Dec. 1737" to "bef 22 September 1759" and move the 1759 administration of estate record and "resided at Shrewsbury" statement from Pieter (1737) to Pieter 1727).
5. Create the new family of Jan Brouwer and Lena/Mardelena (___) with their children, nos. 5, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 above.

Now stand back and take a look at these two newly reconstructed families and tell me if this doesn't make better sense. We now have the family of Jan Brouwer and Helletje Van Cleef with five or six children (depending on whether or not you wish to assign one of the first two baptisms to the supposed son Aris Brower) with children born between 1724 and 1738 (14 years) with an eight year gap from 1727 to 1735 in which perhaps 2 to 4 additional children may have been born. This Jan Brouwer lived at Middletown, Monmouth Co., New Jersey from 1719 (ear mark recorded) through 1727 and from 1735 to at least 1738, but may have been elsewhere between the years 1727 and 1735. 

The new second family is Jan Brouwer and his wife Lena/Mardelena (Magdalena) who lived in the Raritan River Valley area of Somerset and Hunterdon Counties at least between 1737 and 1749 when they had six children baptized at Raritan, Readington and Harlingen. Whether they remained there after 1749 or were there before 1737 is not (yet) known. If the 1737 baptism is that of their first child, a son named Peeteres (Pieter), then perhaps they were married around 1736 and if in their early to mid 20s at their marriage were perhaps born 1710 to 1717 or so. This Jan is not necessarily a descendant of Jan Brouwer of Flatlands, L.I., whereas the other Jan Brouwer certainly is. This new Jan Brouwer may well be a descendant of Adam Brouwer which leads me to one additional change in something I previously published. Back in 2012, in the post of October 28, "Unplaced: John Brewer, Revolutionary War Patriot of New Jersey and Pennsylvania," I suggested that this John Brewer, who was born 4 July 1749 as per a D.A.R. lineage application could be one and the same with Johannis, baptized 26 Dec. 1749 (no. 11 above). I then updated and reversed this idea in the post of February 25, 2022, when, after the Brewer DNA Project received test results from a descendant of Thomas Brewer of East Buffalo and Annville, Pennsylvania, a very likely son of John Brewer, born 4 July1749, and with those results showing that the participant was a certain descendant of Adam Brouwer of Gowanus, L.I., I wrote that the two (John and Johannis) were not likely the same. Well, sorry to have to do this, but when evidence changes or becomes clearer, we do have to change our opinions. It may well be that John Brewer, b. 4 July 1749 and Johannis Brouwer, bapt. 26 Dec 1749 are one and the same.To be clear, this last statement is not to be taken as fact. The trick now is to find evidence that either demonstrates that the two are one and the same, or proves that they are instead two different men born at about the same time.

While I would expect that others may disagree with my new assessment of the family of Jan Brouwer and Helena (now Hilletje) Van Cleef, there does exist enough ambiguity and incompleteness with what we have regarded as fact in the past, to state that this new arrangement of two families from one incorrectly reconstructed family, is viable option. As we search for linking the descendants who form the Sub-Unit E-FTC5921 at the Brewer DNA Project, this is the scenario that I would suggest researchers begin working from.

BGB 748

More Corrections to the Brouwer Genealogy Database (BGD)

 Four of the corrections that follow were discovered while conducting research focused on the Brouwer families found in the records of Hunterdon, Somerset and Middlesex Counties, New Jersey. The fifth from some further research into the family of Johannes Brouwer and Perkins Lambert.

1. Daniel, baptized 24 June 1764 at the North Branch Reformed Dutch Church in Readington, New Jersey, son of Daniel Brouer and Marya (___). The BGD places Daniel in the family of Daniel Brouwer (bp. 5 Jul 1719, d. 15 Jan 1791) and Marietje Koning (bp. 22 March 1724, d. ___). This placement is incorrect. Daniel (bp. 24 June 1764) belongs in a different family not found on the BGD. The family of Daniel Brouer/Brower/Brouwer and his wife Maria/Marya (____) will be covered in a future post pending further research. [A correct citation for the baptism is: "Readington Church Baptisms From 1720," Somerset County Historical Quarterly vol.4-8 (1915-19) 5:146. Daniel and Maria; parents: Daniel Brouer and Maria; no witnesses recorded]. In addition, Daniel did not die before February 1768. He may well have lived into adulthood. Eight of Daniel Brouwer and Maria Koning's (remaining) ten children, including their own son Daniel (bp. 28 Feb. 1768) were baptized at Schraalenburgh. This one baptism at Readington is an outlier and belongs in a different family. To be clear: There are TWO distinct families headed by couples named Daniel Brouwer/Brouer and Maria (in one case, Marietje Koning and in the other Maria/Marya (___) found in New Jersey during the same period of time. The family of Daniel Brouwer and Marietje Koning originates in Bergen County, New Jersey (ten children with eight baptized at Schraalenburg between 1744 and 1768), then removed to the Conewago settlement in York (now Adams) County, Pennsylvania during the mid 1770s, and then on to Harrodsburg, Mercer Co., Kentucky where Daniel Brouwer died in early 1791. The family of Daniel Brouer and Maria/Marya (___) had six children baptized in more than one of the Reformed Churches of the Raritan River valley area in Hunterdon and Somerset Counties, New Jersey between 1755 and 1770. This family IS NOT found on the BGD and will be covered in a future post.
   
2. Hendrick Brouwer, had daughter Sara baptized 25 October 1727 at Harlingen, Somerset Co., New Jersey, the mother being Rachel Bon. The profile here places this Hendrick as a possible son of Pieter Brouwer and Annetje Jans. Scratch that. The reasoning supplied on the BGD was that a Hendrick Brewer witnessed the will of Johannes Luyster (3 Aug. 1766). Johannes Luyster lived at Middletown in Monmouth County, New Jersey and the Hendrick Brewer who witnessed that will is more likely one who we do know was living at Middletown at this time (he being this Hendrick Brewer). This one record of the baptism of a daughter (Sara) is the only confirmed record for Hendrick Brouwer that we have in the Raritan River valley region of central New Jersey. We do not know Hendrick Brouwer's ancestry, and we have no evidence to make a reliable suggestion. It is best to leave his ancestry open to all possibilities until  additional records and evidence can be found. We hope to have more regarding Hendrick Brouwer and Rachel Bon, as well as the multiple Hendrick Brouwers of Hunterdon, Somerset and Middlesex Counties in a future post. For now, remove Hendrick Brouwer from the family of Pieter Brouwer and Annetje Jans. We have NO evidence that this couple had a son named Hendrick.
   
3. Annatje Brouwer and her supposed sister Catherine Brewer are placed respectively as probable and possible daughters of Pieter Brouwer and Annatje Jans, the same couple in no. 2 above. Remove both Annatie and Catherine from the family of Pieter Brouwer and Annetje Jans. The 2007 article, "Jan Brouwer of Flatlands and Descendants," New York Genealogical and Biographical Record Vol.138 (2007) places Annatje, but not Catherine, as a daughter of Pieter Brouwer and Antje Jans. My own rationalization for this (back in 2007) was that Annatje was a daughter was based on the baptism record of Joannes, son of Pieter Brouwer and Antje Van Dyk at Freehold-Middltown (Monmouth Co.) dated 21 March 1756, with one witness: Antje Brouwer. Annatje who was known as the wife of Abraham Lane/Laen was placed as this witness and then assumed to be a daughter of Pieter Brouwer and Annetje Jans, only because there was no other Annatje known. At closer inspection, it is more likely that the witness for this baptism was the child's paternal grandmother, Antje (Van Dyk) Brouwer who was living at the time and had not yet remarried James Johnson (marriage license dated 24 March 1761). This leaves Annatje, the wife of Abraham Lane/Laen, with no identifiable parents (as of this writing, although I do have a much better alternative in mind). Catherine is known from only one record - in May 1734 at the Harlingen Reformed Church she was witness for the baptism of Lucretia, daughter of Abraham Lane and Hanatie Brouer, the witnesses being recorded as Pieter Janse and Katryntye Brouer. At this writing we have no other record for Catherine/Katryntye. With such limited info we cannot determine her correct relationship to Annatje with complete certainty. She could be a sister (I think very likely), but she might not be. She could be her mother (less likely but as of this writing cannot be ruled out). More work to be done here, however, without additional records it is prudent to remove Annatje and Catherine from the family of Pieter Brouwer and Annetje Jans. [Please also note that there are errors with regards to Abraham Lane and in particular, his father Adriaen Lane as they appear on the BGD. Researching the very large and complicated Lanen Van Pelt families in detail is beyond the scope of my own research. For a better understanding please see Mike Morrissey, "Notes on Descendants of Gysbert, Son of Matthias Lanen Van Pelt"]. Also see no. 4...
   
4.  Corrections to the family of Abraham Lane and Annatje Brouwer. Remove the daughter Petronelly. As Mike Morrissey points out in the above referenced piece, no record of baptism (as claimed by Honeyman in SCHQ 2:217) exists. He likely confused her with Peternlte, daughter of Abraham Lot and Yante, who was baptized at Harlingen, March (not May) 30, 1748 ["Reformed Dutch Church of Harlingen, Baptisms," Genealogical Magazine of New Jersey, 17:86]. Remove Petronelly from this family. The placement of son Jan, not mentioned in his father's will, also can be questioned. The baptism record at Raritan, 6 Dec. 1730, lists his parents as Abraham Layn and Ariaentie (not Annatje). This baptism would conflict with that of his sister Jannetje who was baptized at Harlingen 15 April 1730, only eight months earlier. Yes, there are issues with estimating actual birth dates from the baptism dates at Raritan and the associated Reformed churches, but neither Petronelly nor Jan are mentioned in their claimed father's will. Mike Morrissey (again see the above reference) suggests that Jan is a son of Abraham Bodyn/Bodine and his wife Ariaentje Jans Van Nuys. I would suspect that he has good reasons for this statement. So, either the father's surname in the published record is incorrect, OR, the mother's given name is incorrect. For now I'll follow Mike's lead and suggest removing Jan from the family of Abraham Lane and Annatje Brouwer. The baptism record is found at "First Reformed Church Raritan (Somerville) Baptisms," Somerset County Historical Quarterly, 2:215. 
5. Thomas Brouwer. The BGD shows Johannes Brouwer (bp. 1747) and his wife Perkins Lambert with a son Thomas, born "say 1778." I don't recall my original source for this information, and you will notice that there is no citations involved with this profile. There is, however, a caveat stating that, "this placement is questioned." The Second Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia does record a baptism for a "son of John and Pirkins Brouwer, of New York" [Second Presbyterian Church (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) Records, 1753-1914; (Philadelphia, PA: Presbyterian Historical Society, 1982), FHL 973460 (DGS 7903469):48]. It is important to recognize that in this record the son's name is not recorded. Unless, or until evidence is found showing that Johannes and Perkins (Lambert) Brouwer had a son named Thomas, this profile should be changed from Thomas, to A son (name unknown). Please also not that the claimed death date of 1823 for Johannes Brouwer has not been verified.
   

In addition to the above there is a substantial correction to the family of Jan Brouwer and Helena (which is not her correct given name) Van Cleef  which will require a post onto itself to explain. Look for a future post on this important correction.

BGB 745

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

Additions and Corrections to the BGD: Records from the Reformed Dutch Churches of Pompton Plains, N.J. and Montville, N.J.

 The following additions and corrections are from the records of the Reformed Dutch Church at Pompton Plains, New Jersey. The source I am using here is Reformed Dutch Church Records of Pompton Plains, pages 1-210: records of Montville, pages 211-258: typescript, which is found on Ancestry.com (paid subscription is required for access at Ancestry.com). This material is an unauthored typescript, and unfortunately the "Original data" description tells us nothing more. An entry for the same can be found on WorldCat, but it also does not tell us much more. Google Books has an entry for the Reformed Dutch Church Records of Pompton Plains with the same publication date (1923) and cites the First Dutch Reformed Church of Pompton Plains as the Contributor. WeRelate has a description for a volume with a slightly different title, Records of the Dutch Reformed Church, Pompton Plains, N.J., and of the Reformed Dutch Church, Montville, N.J., 1737-1873, and a publish date of 1966. A search at the Internet Archive produced No Results. FamilySearch.org has six titles in their catalog under, United States, New Jersey, Morris, Pompton Plains - Church Records. Of these, "Marriage Records, 1735-1746, 1793-1809; Baptismal Records, 1735-1871," is digitized but is not accessible from a home computer. The other five entries are either not digitized or if digitized, are also locked from access from a home computer. The Ancestry.com source is searchable, while the sources at FamilySearch.org are not.

The First Reformed Church of Pompton Plains website tells us that the church was formed in 1736.

Isaac Brouwer - The entry on the BGD for his birth reads: "born on 12 January 1744 (based on age at death, g.s.). No record of baptism is found in Hackensack or Schraalenburgh. Paramus baptisms for the years 1744 to 1748 are missing." Well, a date of birth and baptism is found at Pompton Plains: Isack, Bp. Dec. 18 & bo. Nov. 20 (1745); parents: Isack Brower, Rachel; witnesses: Coenraad Frederick, Margaret Frederick. [32]. Also Isaak Brower & Rachel Brower were witnesses for the baptism of Isaack, bp. 1 April 1746; parents: Henry Kanckelyn and Catharina [33]. We do not have record of a daughter Catharina for Isaac & Rachel (Demarest) Brouwer, and neither of the two had a known sister named Catharina, so what family relationship, if any, exists is not apparent. Kanckelyn is probably a phonetic spelling attempt at Concklin.

Gerrit Brower (not certain at this writing of which Gerrit Brouwer/Brower found on the BGD) - Pompton Plains baptisms: Elisabeth, baptized 25 August 1776; parents: Jacob Smit (or Smeets), Feytje; witnesses: Gerrit Brouwer, Elizabeth Meets [60].

Jane Brower - Her date of birth is given as "say 1781." She was born 7 July 1781, baptized 2 September 1781 at Pompton Plains; parents: Theophilus Brower, Maria Bogert; witnesses: Pieter Kip, Jane Brower. [71] The witness, Jane Brower, is a sister of Theophilus Brower. She married Pieter Kip on 10 March 1775, Lutheran Church, New York City. The Theophilus Brower family was a New York City Brower family. This baptism takes place during the occupation of NYC by the British during the years of the American Revolutionary War. No doubt they, like many others, took refuge in northern New Jersey.

Hessel Hennion & Catharina Brouwer - Add daughter Maria, born 22 September 1795; parents: Hessel Hennion, Trintje Brouwer; no witnesses recorded; the baptism date is not recorded. Pompton Plains Baptisms[106].

Marietje Brouwer - Maria Brower and John V. Houten were witnesses for the baptism of Elisabeth, born 8 June 1795; parents: John Fraland, Caty Witty. Pompton Plains Baptisms [106]

Jeremiah C. Brower - I find this curious record in the Montville Reformed Dutch Church records. Child: Sarah Ellen, Cornelius J.; Parents: blank; witnesses: Jeremiah C. Brower, Mary Wilkinson. No date. The previous record has a baptism date of 4 Feb 1856, and the record that follows has a baptism date of 31 May 1856, so I assume it's from sometime between these two dates. [243, see the image that follows, the entry is fifth up from the bottom].

I have not been able to place this Jeremiah C. Brower. He married Mary Wilkinson in Passaic County, New Jersey, 28 October 1850, so he cannot be Jeremiah C. Brouwer, who was married to Elizabeth (Schenck?) and is found with her on the 1850, 1860 and 1870 U.S. census returns in LeGrange, Dutchess Co., New York.  Jeremiah C. Brouwer had a second marriage- in Tower, Maria Bockee Carpenter. Records of the Reformed Dutch Church of New Hackensack, Dutchess County, New York. Bowie, Maryland: Heritage Books, Inc., 2000 (org.1932): 115, "Jeremiah C. Brower of LaGrange, N.Y. and Mrs. Nelly Westervelt of Poughkeepsie, N.Y." However, both the 1880 U.S. census and Jeremiah C. Brower's will (23 April 1898) records his wife as Mary E. (perhaps she was a Mary Eleanor? Nelly is a diminutive for Eleanor). The two marriages tell us that this second mentioned Jeremiah C. Brower cannot be the Jeremiah C. Brower who married Mary Wilkinson. We have two men named Jeremiah C. Brower, both of whom lived during the second half of the 1800s. There is a bit more work to do on both of these fellows named Jeremiah C. Brower. They are both post-1850 families and therefore researching them further should not be difficult considering the resources now available online. Presently, my time is focused on the colonial period and pursuing the two Jeremiah C. Browers is not possible right now. Should anyone have any insight on either, please pass it on using the Comments feature with this post.

BGB 739

Q: Who is Jacob BREUER, Born at Bergen, Married (1711) Lea Beeckmans, Born at New York ?

 A: He is Jacob PREYER, a son of Andries Preyer and Joanna Steynmets

In the previous post (January 2, 2023) I made mention of the problem of identifying transcription errors in the published transcribed church and vital records of original record books that are otherwise not available to the public at large for inspection, of which we now rely upon as "primary" source material for compiling genealogies. So here is an example.

The Jacob Breuer in question is found here on the BGD. He was married to Lea Beeckmans at the Lutheran Church of New York City on 6 May 1711 ["Some Early Records of the Lutheran Church, New York", Year Book of the Holland Society of New York (1903):5. Jacob Breuer born at Bergen, New Jersey and Lea Beekmans born at New York. Also at 11, "At the same time and place" (meaning from the previous record in the register, the house of Samuel Beeckman, our Voorleser)]. 

We also show the baptism of one son, Jacob, 27 May 1720, which I would note here is nine years after his parents marriage. This would lead one to suspect that there must be other children who were born to this couple, and we'll get to that soon. There are also notes from William J. Hoffman, found in "Brouwer Beginnings," TAG 23(1946):198fn. Hoffman's explanation as to who this Jacob Breuer might be: 

"There was also at Bergen one Jacob Breur (Brewer) apparently not related to the family under consideration (Adam Brouwer Berckhoven). He was probably of German extraction, for he married as j.m. born in Bergen, Nova Caesaria (another name for New Jersey) in the German Lutheran Church at New York, May 6-May 26, 1711, Lea Beekmans. He was a member of the Lutheran Church at New York in 1719. A child, Jacobus was bapt. at home 27 May 1720, sp. Samuel Beekman, Sr., Magdalena, his wife. Jacob Brewer of Bergen signed on Jan 14, 1714 the new charter."

Hoffman clearly did not have an interest in pursuing this further, but had he done so, he would have rather quickly come to the conclusion that Jacob was NOT a Breuer, and that the transcription of the Lutheran Church marriage record, published in the 1903 Year Book of the Holland Society, was an error, B-r-e-u-e-r a mistaken transcription for P-r-e-y-e-r. To his credit, Hoffman did not try to force a fit for Jacob Breuer into one of the known Brouwer families. He simply reported the existence of this marriage record, offered a plausible although incorrect explanation, and then moved on. 

Consider the following run of chronologically listed records involving Jacob Preyer and Lea Beeckman.

1. 6 May 1711. Marriage of Jacob Breuer and Lea Beeckmans [Luth. Ch. YBHS 1903:5 and 11].
2. 16 March 1712. Baptism of Johanna; parents: Jacob Preyer, Lea Beekman; sposnors: Casparus Preyer, Celitje Preyer [Evans, Thomas Grier (Ed.). Baptisms from 1639 to 1730 in the Reformed Dutch Church, New York. Collections of the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, Vol. 2. (New York):359. Hereafter RDC NY Bapt.].
3. 5 March 1714. Baptism of Johannes; parents: Jacob Preyer, Lea Beekman; sposnors: Pieter Post, Catharina Beekman [RDC NY Bapt.:374].
4. 15 December 1717. Baptism of Samuel; parents: Jacob Pryer, Lea Beekman; sposnors: Denys Woertman, Ytje Beekman [RDC NY Bapt.:401].
5. 4 January 1718. Baptism of Maria; parents: Denys Woertman, Margrietje Beekman; sponsors: Jacob Pryer, Maria Walton [RDC NY Bapt.:401].
6. 25 October 1719. Lutheran Church, NYC Communions:  Jacob Breuer [Stryker-Rodda, Kenn. "First Communions in the Lutheran Church of New York City, 1704 to 1769," New York Genealogical and Biographical Record Vol. 104 (1973)].
7. 27 May 1720. Baptism, At N. Y. At the house of Jacob Breueer, Jacobus, child of Jacob Breuer and wife Lea. Witnesses: Samuel Beeckman, Sr., and wife Magdalena [YBHS 1903:77]
8. 17 February 1723. Baptism of  Andries; parents: Jacob Preyer, Lea Beekman; witnesses: Ary Van Wolgum, Celia Preyer ["Records of the Reformed Dutch Church of Port Richmond, Staten Island, N.Y., Baptisms," New York Genealogical and Biographical Record Vol.36, 37 (1905, 1906) at 37:29].
9. 27 July 1725. Baptism of Andries; parents: Ary Van Woglum, Celia Preyer; witnesses: Jacob Preyer, Margrietje Ten Eyk [RDC Port Richmond, RECORD 37:33].
10. 12 December 1725. Baptism of Andries; parents: Johannes Preyer, Maria Rall; sponsors: Jacob Preyer, Lea Beekman [RDC Port Richmond, RECORD 37:33].
11. 31 July 1726. Baptism of Johanna; parents: Jacob Preyer, Lea Beekman; witnesses: Symon Symonsz, Maria Woersman, RDC Port Richmond, RECORD 37:122].
12. 24 April 1732. Will of Jacob Pryor of Richmond County, house carpenter, being very sick. My wife Leah shall have power to sell my negro man and as much goods as necessary to pay debts. I leave to my son Johannes, 5 shillings for his heirship, as heir in law, when he is of age. My wife has power to sell my lot of land which I now live on, also my tenement or dwelling house. After payment of debts, I leave 2/3 of remainder to be divided among my six children, Johannes, Samuel, Jacob, Andre, Peter and Johana, when they are of age. I make my wife executor. Witnesses: Richard Cole, Tunis Bogart, Simon Bogart. [New York (County) Surrogate's Court. Abstracts of Wills on File in the Surrogate's Office, City of New York (Vol. III 1730-1744). Collections of the New York Historical Society. New York: Printed for the Society, 1894):109. Abstracting Lib. 12:19. Digital image of the complete will is online at FamilySearch.org, New York Probate Records, Record of Wills, 1665-1916 (New York County), Wills, Vol. 12 1732-1736].
13. 4 April 1733. Inventory of Estate of Jacob Prier of Richmond County, taken by Symon & Tunis Bogert. Executor: Leah Prier. [Jones, Jas. Abstracts of Inventories, 1730-1752, Filed in the Surrogates Office, N. Y. City. Manuscript, 1898:11].
14. 5 February 1735. Indenture of Laghlon Fallen and Leah his wife of the County of Richmond in the Provence of New York, yeoman, executrix and executor of the last will and testament of Jacob Pryer late of the above said County of Richmond, deceased, and Johannes Pryer of the same place, eldest son and heir at law to the said Jacob Pryer deceased (of the one part) to William Johnson of the same place, yeoman (of the other part). For one hundred and eighty six pounds, a parcel of land in Richmond County against Smokeing(?) Point...eighty acres of land and eight acres of salt meadow. [Richmond County, N.Y. Deeds, D:36. Digital image online at FamilySearch.org, New York Land Records, Richmond Deeds 1732-1769 vol. D].

Of the above 14 entries three record Jacob's surname as Breuer. All three are the records from the New York Lutheran Church (marriage, communion and one baptism) so perhaps the error lies with the original records and not so much with the transcriptions which were done by different persons and at different times. Perhaps the originals are in very poor condition or perhaps the minister or scribe who wrote out the original entries simply wrote Ps that looked a lot like Bs. Either way, it is clear from the intermixing of these three records with the remaining eleven, that Jacob's correct surname was Preyer with variations of Pryer, Prier, Pryor. Other than these three records, there are no others involving a Jacob Breuer and a Lea Beeckman. Conclusion: there was no person named Jacob Breuer married to a woman named Leah Beeckman.

Finding a Family for Jacob Preyer

The Lutheran Church marriage record does state that Jacob was born at Bergen. This Bergen being the one in New Jersey and not the city Bergen in Norway. As he was married in 1711, and assuming that he was likely married while in his early twenties, as would have been typical for the time, we can approximate Jacob's birth as about 1690. The only family named Preyer who is found at Bergen at this time is that of Andries Preyer and Joanna Steynmets who were married by the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church of Bergen (now Jersey City, New Jersey) on 13 May 1688 ["Marriages in the Village of Bergen in New Jersey Beginning 1665," Yearbook of the Holland Society Bergen Book, 2nd Vol. (1914):65,  no. 85. May 13. Andries Preyer, y.m., from Crevelt in County Meurs, and Johanna Steynmetz, y.d., from Bergen, both living at Ahasymus. Were married after three proclamations of bans]. This record of marriage tells us that Andries Preyer was this family's immigrant ancestor from Europe to America. He was from "Crevelt in County Meurs." The County of Moers was (according to a Wikipedia entry) "a historical princely territory on the left bank of the Lower Rhine that included the towns of Moers and Krefeld." It appears to me that Krefeld (or Crefeld) would be the Crevelt mentioned in the marriage record. Present day Krefeld is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Joanna Steynmets was baptized at Bergen, 29 December 1667, a daughter of Casper Steynmets and Jannetje Gerritse ["Baptisms in the Village of Bergen in New Jersey Beginning 1666," Yearbook of the Holland Society of New York Bergen Book 1st Volume (1913):21]. This couple had three children born or baptized at Bergen: Seelitje (Celitje), 24 February 1694 [YBHS(1913):40]; Johannes, 18 May 1696 [YBHS(1913):42]; and Jenneke (Tenneke), 24 February 1699 [YBHS(1913):46]. Neither birth nor baptism records are found for their other two sons, the aforementioned Jacob Preyer, and Casparus Preyer who married in 1714, Sarah Andries. Both were certainly born between the year of their parent's marriage, 1688, and 1694. Andries Preyer was buried by the Church at Bergen, 16 November 1698 ["Burials in Bergen," Year Book of the Holland Society of New York Bergen Book, 3rd Volume (1915):30].

Lea Beeckman

We do not have a record of birth or baptism for Lea Beeckman. Married in 1711, it may be safe to assume that she was born around 1691. The baptism records of her children provide clues for her parents. We are also fortunate in that although there were two or three, apparently unrelated families named Beeckman/Beekman in the New York City area during the later half of the 1600s and early 1700s, and scores of individuals with that surname, there appears to be only one, Lea (Leah) Beeckman/Beekman. She is no doubt a daughter of Samuel Beekman, who was the voorleser (reader) for the New York Lutheran Church, and was buried by that church 14 February 1729. He was a son of Jochem Beekman and Margriet Hendricks. For the origins of this Beekman family I suggest that one start with Macy, Harry. "Origins of Some New Netherland Families," New York Genealogical and Biographical Record Vol.123 (1992):20 BEEKMAN. My hunch is that there is room to expand this work, however, I still suggest that any ambitious researcher out there start with this article. Samuel Beekman's wife, and Lea's mother, was Magdalen Fonteyn, a daughter of Carel Fonteyn and Catharina de Balie. She was baptized 2 October 1659 at the New Amsterdam Reformed Dutch Church [RDC NY Bapt.:54]. Although baptism records for children of Samuel and Magdalena are not found, my reconstruction of this family using other records finds six children, all of whom reached adulthood and left descendants, viz.: Charles Beekman (m. Ytje Van Zandt), Margarita Beekman (m. Denys Woertman), Catharina Beekman (m.1 Pieter Harlandt, m.2 Pieter Post), Lea Beekman (m.1 Jacob Preyer, m.2 Laughlon Fallon), Rachel Beekman (m.1 Johann Schmidt, m.2 John Woodside), Samuel Beekman (m. Mary Cordes). [I am not going to provide source citations here, again, any careful researcher wishing to do so should be able to reconstruct this family using the sources mentioned elsewhere in this post].

Lea Beeckman and Jacob Preyer, a house carpenter, lived first in New York City (meaning on Manhattan Island, and then likely around 1720-1723 relocated to Staten Island. Their children are all found above. There were seven. I have not followed them further. However, we can assume that the first child named Johanna (1712) died early as a second Johanna was baptized in 1726. The remaining five were sons. Samuel (1717) married by New Jersey license, 3 March 1749, Annatje Van Gelder [Nelson, William. Documents Relating to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey. Volume XXII. Marriage Records, 1665-1800. Archives of the State of New Jersey. First Series. Paterson, N.J.: Press Printing and Publishing Co., 1900:306. Samuel Pryer, Staten Island, and Anne Van Gilder, Staten Island]. She was baptized 25 April 1709 [RDC NY Bapt.:338, Annatje; parents: Hendrikus Van Gelder, Femmetje Wynants; witnesses: Jacob Swaan, Helena Van Gelder, j.d.] and so age 40 when first married. I don't believe the couple had any children. I believe that it was Jacob and Lea's son, Jacob (1720) who was the Jacob Prier who married Rachel Reckhow by New Jersey license, 16 January 1746 [NJ Marriage Records, 1665-1800:305. Jacob Prier, Staten Island and Rachel Reckhow, Staten Island]. I did notice records which may well belong to the other sons, Johannes (1714), Andries (1723) and Pieter (1732), but again, I did not spend time reconstructing this generation. I don't doubt that there are descendants living today. The above six children were named in Jacob's will dated 5 February 1735.

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Additions and Corrections to the BGD: Losier, Bruyn and Brouwer

 There are three family profiles found on the Brouwer Genealogy Database that could benefit from some additional information that was not initially included during the years when the BGD was actively updated. This post addresses the families of Johannes Brouwer and Antje Lozier, the family of Benjamin Losier and Dina De Groot, and the family of Trientje Losier and Jakobus Bruyn. 

The family of Benjamin Losier, whose name is variously found in records as Losier, Lozier, Luzier, Lizier, Lezier, Lazier and more, is missing a full list of his children and their baptism records. "Benjamin Lezier, y.m. born and living at Hakkensak and Dina De Groot, widow of Petrus Brouwer, born and living at Schraalenburgh," were married at the Schraalenburgh Dutch Reformed Church in Bergen County, New Jersey, 8 February 1734. Benjamin was not yet 26 years old when married. His wife, Dina De Groot, a widow, was three years his senior, and in her 29th year. They had four children baptized at Schraalenburgh:

1- Trynntijn, bapt. 15 December 1734; parents: Benjamin Lesier, Dina De Groot; witnesses: Niclaes Lesier, Antje, his wife. (She married Jakobus Bruyn).

2-  Petrus, bapt. 26 December 1737; parents: Benjamin Lesier, Dina De Groot; witnesses: Pieter Demarest, Osseltjin, his wife.

3- Antjin, bapt. 29 March 1741; parents: Benjamin Luzier, Dina De Groot; witnesses: Joannes Akkerman and wife. (She married Johannes Brouwer).

4- Niclaes, born 24 February 1745, bapt. 17 March 1745; parents: Benjamin Lizier, Dina De Groot; witnesses: Pieter Westervelt, Belitje Brouwer.

Source for the above baptisms and the Lezier-De Groot marriage:  First Reformed Church (Hackensack N.J.). Records of the Reformed Dutch Churches of Hackensack and Schraalenburgh, New Jersey. New York: Collections of the Holland Society, 1891.

The above baptism records update the estimated dates of birth for both Trientje (Trynntijn) and Antje (Antijn) that are found on the BGD.

Dina de Groot had previously been married to Peter Brouwer, son of (10)* Abraham Brouwer and Lea Demarest, and had three Brouwer daughters (Maria, Beeltje and Lea) baptized between 1724 and 1730. They of course are half-siblings of the four children she had by her second husband, Benjamin Losier. Benjamin's will, written 31 July 1772 and proved 24 March 1785, mentions his wife Dinah, but only two of their children, Trientje and Antje (called Anita in the transcription of the will, perhaps an error on the transcriber's part) and appoints his two sons-in-law, "John Brower and Jacobus Brown," as executors.

Trientje Losier: The BGD shows her birth as "say 1742." This convention of using "say" when an actual record of a birth or baptism date is not found has come into style, so to speak, over the past couple of decades among those who publish in the leading genealogical journals. Personally, I don't care for it, it sounds a bit too flippant, and I regret having used it in the past. I prefer to use, "perhaps born about ___" and to augment that with a life event (like a marriage) to at least somewhat legitimize the estimate. At any rate, change Trientje's date of birth from "say 1742" to baptized 15 December 1734, as per the above mentioned record. Obviously, I was off by a good deal with my initial estimation, and the reason for that being that I did not have a full picture of the family of Trientje Losier and Jakobus Bruyn at the time the BGD was last updated, which was late 2015. And so within this paragraph a lesson on the pitfalls of an incomplete family genealogy.

Trientje married Jakobus Bruyn with a New Jersey license dated 5 October 1754 (Nelson, William. Documents Relating to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey. Volume XXII. Marriage Records, 1665-1800. Archives of the State of New Jersey. First Series:34). The transcription here calls them Jacobus Brown, New York and Catharine Leasear, New York, meaning that both were living in New York at the time. The marriage was also recorded by the Reformed Dutch Church at Second River (Belleville), Essex Co., New Jersey. This image taken off of Ancestry.com which cites "Holland Society of New York; New York, New York; Second River, New Jersey and New Town, Long Island, Book 58," as the source. The entry is second from the bottom.

 The BGD shows this couple with three children. This is incomplete, they had ten children, all baptized at the New York Reformed Dutch Church between 1755 and 1776. But first, we'll back up a bit and look at Jakobus Bruyn himself.

Jacobus, child of Anthony Bruyn and Ariaentie Joraleman, was baptized 6 September 1730 at the Dutch Reformed Church at Second River (Belleville), New Jersey ["Baptismal Register of Second River (Belleville) Dutch Reformed Church, 1727-1794," The Genealogical Magazine of New Jersey Vol. 3 (1927):44]. The record gives his date of birth as 25 August 1730. The witnesses were Jacob Joraleman and Pietertie Cuyper. They were the child's maternal grandparents. Jakobus was the younger of two children of Anthony Bruyn and Ariaentie Joralemon. Anthony appears to have died around 1732. Ariaentie married Gerrit Wouterse by 1735. Jakobus' older sister, Margrietje, was born 17 December 1728 and baptized 22 December 1728 at Second River ["Baptismal Register of Second River (Belleville) Dutch Reformed Church, 1727-1794," The Genealogical Magazine of New Jersey Vol. 3 (1927):42]. The witnesses were Hendrik Bruin and Margrietje Lacomby, the child's paternal grandparents. Both Jacobus and Margrietje are mentioned in the will of their grandfather, Hendrick Brown, Sr., of Second River, blacksmith, dated 24 January 1745/46 and proved 14 March 1757. Jakobus is called "Jacobus Brown," and Margrietje is called, "Margaret King" [Honeyman, A. Van Doren. Documents Relating to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey, First Series Vol. 32; Calender of New Jersey Wills, Administrations, Etc. Vol. 3 1751-1760:43, abstracting Lib. F:453]. A genealogy of the early generations of the Bruyn (Brown) Family of Second River was published in 1964 - Kent, George F.. "Bruyn (Brown) Family of Second River (Belleville), N. J.," The American Genealogist Vol. 40 (1964):116-26, 172-77. This account tells us that Margrietje married Arien Kening (Koning, King), 4 June 1744 [Kent, TAG 40:119]. It doesn't tell us where, I haven't investigated it further myself, but I don't doubt it and I would suggest to anywhere to cares to follow Margrietje further to start with the Second River Church records. Reconstructing the first two generations of this Bruyn family is difficult. They were early in Bergen and/or Essex Counties, New Jersey and records of the Second River Church do not begin until 1727. The earlier, Bergen Church records are somewhat incomplete, and while there is a bit of conjecture in George F. Kent's account, he does a pretty good job and it does make sense when looked at in it's entirety. There is one error of note though (that I find, see below for an additional error). Kent tells us that Jacobus married, second, "Sally Smith, widow" 10 March 1781 at Acquackanonk and that they had a daughter, Tryrntje baptized there 18 July 1790 (born 29 March 1790). The Acquackanonk Church records include the marriage of "Jacobus Bruyn, wid., and Selly Smith, wid. of Mr. Immory." While the second marriage for Jacobus is probably correct, the placement of the child, Tryntje here, doesn't appear to be correct. The Acquackanonk record names her parents as Jacob Bruyn and Engeltje Van Es. [Kelly, Arthur C.M.. Vital Records of the Protestant Dutch Reformed Church at Acquackanonk (Passaic, New Jersey) 1727-1816. Rhinebeck, New York: Kinship, 1992: 228, no. 505 (for the marriage); 85, no. 1842 (for the baptism)]. One further note - Jakobus Bruyn's father, Anthony Bruyn's maternal grandparents were Anthony Lacomba and Steyntje (Christina) Jans and Kent refers us to TAG 35:246, where we find an inquiry from none other that the eminent genealogist Donald Lines Jacobus requesting "further details" on the family of Anthony Lacomba. I'd suggest to anyone wishing to pursue this further, to start with D. L. Jacobus' inquiry.

Back to the children of Trientje Losier and Jakubus Bruyn. Records of their baptisms are found in the Reformed Dutch Church of New York (City). I'm using the following source for that information: Wright, Tobias Alexander (ed.). Baptisms from 1731 to 1800 in the Reformed Dutch Church, New York. Collections of the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, Vol. 3. New York: Printed for the Society, 1902. The number in brackets preceding the baptism record refers to the page number in this volume on which said record is found. Ten children (followed by a brief note):

1- [203] 11 June 1755, Anthonie; parents: Jakobus Bruyn, Tryntie Losier; sponsors: Benjamin Losier, Dina de Groot, z.h.v. (Kent, at TAG 40:172, tells us that he married Elizabeth Francisco at Acquackanonk, 24 November 1781, and served in the Revolutionary War from Essex County, NJ, 28 May 1777. He lists the baptism records of seven children, saying the first was at New York, the last six at Acquackanonk, but I find all at Acquakanonk and none in New York).

2- [218] 8 April 1757, Benjamin; parents: Jakobus Bruyn, Tryntie Lesier; sponsors: Petrus Lesier, Antje Lesier, j.d. (not followed further by Kent).

3- [240] 20 January 1760, Petrus; parents: Jakobus Bruyn, Tryntje Lesier; sponsors: Johannis Brouwer, Ariaantje Jeronimo, Wed. v. Gerrit Wouterse. (Not followed further by Kent. Petrus is on the BGD. The sponsor, Ariaantje Jeronimo is the child's paternal grandmother, Ariaentje Joraleman).

4- [253] 7 October 1761, Hendrik; parents: Jakobus Bruyn, Tryntie Lesier; sponsors: Lukas Lesier, Annetje Vellok, z.h. (He died young, a second Hendrik is baptized in 1771).

5- [271] 5 February 1764, Jakobus; parents: Jakobus Bruyn, Tryntie Lesier; sponsors Nicholas Lesier, Fytje Klokkenaar, z.h.v. (He died young. A son James is baptized in 1765. Jacob and James being equivalent names. Jakobus is on the BGD).

6- [287] 22 December 1765, James; parents: Jakobus Bruyn, Tryntie Lesier; sponsors: Harmanus Taalman, Beletje Brouwer, z.h.v. (Kent does not follow him further. The sponsor Beletje Brouwer is a daughter of Dina de Groot and her first husband, Peter Brouwer, and half sister of the child's mother. James is on the BGD. I have not followed him further).

7- [311] 4 Jun 1769, 311, Tryntje; parents: Jakobus Bruin, Tryntje Losier; no sponsors recorded. (She died young. A daughter Catharine was baptized in 1776. The surname, transcribed here as BRUIN, is an example of a y simply being replaced by an i. This is something that you will frequently encounter in colonial period records written by a person whose first language was Dutch. Y and I were used interchangeably. The name would not have been pronounced bru-in, as in a bear or the hockey team in Boston. Substitute an i for a y but pronounce the name as if you are reading a y, which essentially is silent, BRUN).

8- [323] 22 July 1771, Hendrik; parents: Jakobus Bruyn, Tryntie Lesier; sponsors: John Van Weert, Catharina Taers, z.h.v. (the second Hendrik, he also died young. Any familial relationship between the sponsors and the parents is not immediately apparent. The couples did sponsor children for each other on several occasions. Perhaps they were close friends).

9- [337] 26 September 1773, Hendrik; parents: Jakobus Bruyn, Tryntie Lezier; sponsors: Jan Van Weert, Catharina Toers, z.h.v. (the third Hendrik. Not followed further by Kent).

10- [350] 7 January 1776, Catharine; parents: Jacobus Brown, Catharine Lasier; sponsors: Harmanus Taulman, Catharine Blauvelt. (Second Catharine/Tryntje, the names being English and Dutch equivalents of each other. The sponsor, Harmanus Taulman is the same Harmanus Taalman who sponsored James in 1765. Catahrine/Katrina Blauvelt being his second of three wives. The family name here is recorded as BROWN, an English equivalent of the Dutch, BRUYN. Kent suggests that she died young, but that is because he mistakenly gave Jakobus a third daughter Tryntje, by his second wife, which upon examination was in error. I have not followed this Catharine/Tryntje, further, she may not have died young).

Jakobus Bruyn  is recorded as a member of the Reformed Dutch Church in New York in 1756 ["Records of the Reformed Dutch Church in the City of New York - Church Members List," New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, 61(1930):170]. 

Both Jakobus and Trientje were sponsors for the baptism of Maria, daughter of Johannes Brouwer and Antje Lesier, 16 October 1763 [Baptisms, NY RDC, 269]. Here Jakobus is recorded as Jakobus BROUWER. Perhaps this was an error when first recorded back in 1763, i.e. as found on the original, or, more likely it was an error made during the transcription of the original record. There are errors in the transcribed records that we all use as the "primary" source when working on these colonial period families. They only become apparent when we can find and consider all, or at least sufficient multiple records regarding any one individual. Another example of this will presented in a soon to be published post on this website. So stay tuned.

7 December 1766, Jakob Bruyn and Catharina Lesier, z.h.v. [zyn huis vrouw (literal translation: his house wife)], were sponsors for Maria, daughter of Jan Van Weert and Catharina Toers [Baptisms, NY RDC 294. Thus reciprocating the role of sponsors preformed by Jan and Catharina in two baptisms seen above]. 

30 November 1771, Administration on the estate of Hendrick Brown of Essex County, died intestate, was granted to Jacobus Brown, "nephew to the said deceased" [Honeyman, A. Van Doren. Documents Relating to the Colonial and Revolutionary History of the State of New Jersey, First Series Vol. 34; Calender of New Jersey Wills, Administrations, Etc., 5:68, Abstracting Lib. K:412. This Hendrick Brown, a brother of Jakobus Bruyn's father, Anthony, was likely the eldest son of Hendrick Bruyn and Margrietje Lacombe. He apparently never married. Kent, TAG 40:119 which incorrectly states that he married a Martha Mead/Meet; Royse TAG 41:148, which corrects this error, and alerts us to the potential pitfalls of relying solely on the published abstracts of probate records]. 

13 July 1772, In a mortgage deed, John Brown of Newark, Essex County, New Jersey, conveys to Jacobus Brown of New York, carpenter, for one hundred and twenty five pounds, a parcel of land that Hendrick Brown, deceased, formerly bought of John Gardiner as appears by a deed of conveyance from said John Gardiner to Hendrick Hendricksen Van Rane, dated 12 November 1692. [Kent, TAG 40:116, Abstracting Essex County Mortgages A:383 (and further condensed by me, so please consult the original). Kent uses this conveyance for the starting point of discovering the origin of the Bruyn family at Second River, concluding that the progenitor of the Bruyn Family was Hendrick Hendricksen van Reine].

31 July 1772, Benjamin Lazier, of New York City, carman, executed his will naming his sons-in-law, Jacobus Brown and John Brower, executors. [see above and the BGD]. 

10 March 1781, the marriage of Jacobus Bruyn, wid. and Selly Smith, wid. of Mr. Immory, mentioned above. [Is "Immory a rendering of Emory or Emery???].

15 September 1782, Jacobus Bruyn and Sara Smith were witnesses, at Acquackanonk, to the baptism of Catharina, child of Anthony Bruyn and Elisabeth Francisco. [Kelly, Acquackanonk VRs 66, no. 1437. Sally is a diminutive for Sara. This records helps confirm that it was in fact "our" Jacobus Bruyn, who married as his second wife, "Sally Smith, widow" as suggested by Kent].

The just mentioned baptism is the last record that I have found for Jakabus Bruyn. I searched, but could not find a will or probate record in either the New York or New Jersey published abstracts. Kent does not mention an estate settlement nor does he offer a date of death or burial. The New York probate abstracts end in 1801, and the New Jersey abstracts in 1817. Jakobus would have been only age 52 in 1782, and would have turned 71 in 1801, so it is conceivable that he lived past both dates. I have not checked U.S. census records for New York in 1790 or 1800, and that might be a place for those interested to start. Census records in New Jersey for the years 1790, 1800 and 1810 are lost. It should also be considered that at the start of the Revolutionary War, when the British occupied New York City (late August 1776 until 1783) many families did leave the city, and many went to Bergen and Essex Counties in New Jersey, where the Bruyn family had its roots. Probate records for New York and New Jersey past the years 1801 and 1817 can be found online at FamilySearch.org, so again, interested individuals should search there.  

Before we move on I would just add that those interested in the Bruyn Family of Second River, beyond Jakobus Bruyn's line, in addition to Kent's article in TAG 40 (1964), also see Mrs. Dayton Royse, "Bruyn (Brown) Family of New Jersey," TAG 41 (1965): 148-52, which makes an important correction to Kent's article and expands the family a bit further. I mentioned this above, but I repeat it here. This is an important article illuminating a not to uncommon problem with abstracted records.

Antje Lozier. Change Antje's approximate date of birth from "circa 1740" to baptized 29 March 1741 at the Dutch Reformed Church, Schaalenburgh, Bergen Co., New Jersey, as mentioned above. In the case of Antje, we have a record of her death, November 1815, giving her age as 75 years, which allowed us a more accurate approximation of her birth date as compared to her sister, Trientje. Her actual baptism record improves upon that.

Johannes Brouwer. Currently we have nothing to add or correct on Antje Lozier's husband, Johannes Brouwer. However, in the interest is searching for potential male heirs that may have descendants who might participate in the Brewer DNA Project's quest for a more complete understanding of Adam Brouwer's heirs, I'll just review Johannes' will. A digital image of the will from NY County Wills 52:422-23 is online at FamilySearch. The will is dated 10 November 1812. It was proved 4 October 1815. He is called, John Brower of the City of New York, Gentleman. He had died in September of 1815, so the will was probated soon after his death. He mentions his wife, Ann (the English equivalent of the Dutch, Antje) Brower, who is to receive all real estate and all interest on bonds and mortgages, except $2000 "herein after disposed of." He then leaves a legacy of $120 annually to "Mary Anderson, whom I have brought up, and who now lives with me." Of the seven children for whom we have records of baptism (1760-1779) he only mentions two. The two are "my beloved daughter Mary (the wife of Benjamin Romaine of the said City, Gentleman) and Dinah (the wife of Peter Walker of said City, Taylor)." We know that the first child, Maria, baptized 17 September 1760, died young, as a second Maria (who married Benjamin Romaine) was baptized 16 October 1763. The four remaining children, two sons, Benjamin (bapt. 9 May 1762) and Samuel (bapt. 23 August 1779) and two daughters, Belitje (bapt. 15 February 1767) and Tryntje (bapt. 8 May 1774) are not mentioned, nor are any heirs of any of them mentioned in John's will. Now, it's possible that one, or more, of these children did reach adulthood and were living at the time John Brower wrote his will, and John Brower had given their "share(s)" of his estate at some earlier date, perhaps in the form of some conveyance of real estate. To see if this might be the case we'd have to check and search through New York City conveyances for some deed that may have been recorded there. You should also search for deeds that may exist in which the living heirs of John Brower sell inherited real estate (something that I have not yet done myself). Otherwise, it's more likely that all four unmentioned children died prior to their father's will of 1812, and did not leave heirs. John was a member of the Reformed Church in New York City at Greenwich in 1806, as was Mary Anderson, and we also should check for other members named Brower, or for burials of children of a John Brower that may have been recorded in the New York Reformed Church's record books, for further confirmation one way or the other. Lacking that research, I'd say that John Brower's line "daughtered out" and that the sons Benjamin and Samuel died without male heirs who may have left descendants living today.

 *See the post of September 24, 2022, "The Grandsons of Adam Brouwer: Prelude," for an explanation of the number (10). 

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Additions to Cornelius Brewer of Shrewsbury, New Jersey

The previous post of January 29, 2020 corrects Gilbert Brewer/Brower, the son of Cornelius Brewer and Jane Williamson. With this post we will update Cornelius Brewer's profile as found on the Brouwer Genealogy Database (BGD). As a reminder, the BGD can no longer be updated. What was placed online there with the last update of early 2016 is there to stay, errors and all. As the need arises, I will be using posts here to correct and/or add to what is found on the BGD.

We can start by adding a date of death for Cornelius Brewer. The New Jersey Death and Burials, 1720-1988 Index found at FamilySearch.org, gives the date and place of death for Cornelius Brewer as 27 July 1860 at Port Washington (sic), Monmouth County, New Jersey. While the date is likely correct, the location is a problem. There is no accompanying image with this record, but there is no location within Monmouth County, New Jersey called Port Washington. Port Washington is a hamlet within the Town of North Hempstead in Nassau County, New York. Cornelius Brewer, age 85, born in New Jersey is found on the 1860 U. S. census at Shrewsbury, Monmouth Co., New Jersey. He is in the household of George Jeffery (age 34) and Elizabeth Jeffery (age 30), and the sheet that they are enumerated on is dated 17 July 1860. It's likely that Cornelius died at Shrewsbury. Family relationships were not recorded on the 1860 U. S. census, but it appears that Elizabeth is Cornelius Brewer's daughter, but with her age understated by perhaps ten years.

Cornelius Brewer was married twice. His first marriage was to Jane Williamson, and she apparently died by 30 December 1815 when Cornelius married his second wife. The marriage record of Cornelius Brewer and Lydia Hurley, on 30 December 1815, in Monmouth County, recorded 27 January 1816 by Justice William Brinley can be found in New Jersey County Marriages, 1682-1956 at FamilySearch. An image is available with this record. The household of Cornelius Brewer, found on the 1850 U. S. census at Atlantic Township, Monmouth Co., New Jersey, includes Lydia Brewer, age 65. Cornelius is age 78. Also in the household are David Brewer, age 51 and Elizabeth Brewer, age 30. Marital status is not filled in on the sheet, and it appears likely that the two are children of Cornelius. The BGD shows Elizabeth as a daughter of Jane Williamson, however, based upon her age, it is more likely that she is a daughter of Lydia Hurley. Lydia is not recorded on the 1860 census. Civil records, such as the U. S. census and New Jersey vital records, record Cornelius with the surname BREWER, while the Reformed Dutch Church records (Freehold-Middletown) record him with the surname BROWER or BROUWER. This seems to be a typical pattern for New Jersey where many Dutch or German names were Anglicized by court and government recorders or clerks. I have not found a burial record for Cornelius nor for either of his two wives.

Additions to the children of Cornelius Brewer/Brower:

David Brewer - David was baptized at Freehold-Middletown on 8 July 1799. As his parents were married on 10 February 1798, it is apparent that he is his parents first child. The New Jersey Births and Christenings, 1660-1980 index at FamilySearch, however, gives a date of birth as 16 November 1799, which pre-dates the baptism date, although it cites the Dutch Reformed Church record (no image available in the FamilySearch index). The deed cited in the post of January 29, 2019, mentions David as an heir of his mother Jane Williamson and his grandfather William Williamson. It also mentions that he has a wife named Caroline. The deed was dated 20 March 1838. "New Jersey, United Methodist Church Records, 1800-1970," found at Ancestry.com, has a marriage for David Brewer to Caroline Maps, both of Shrewsbury, date of 2 March 1826. See the fourth entry down from the top on the image below.

United Methodist Church Marriages (download from Ancestry.com)

I don't doubt that this marriage belongs to David Brewer, the son of Cornelius Brewer and Jane Williamson. Curiously though, Caroline is the only spouse who does not sign the deed. Gilbert and Johnston's wives both signed (Monmouth Deeds V3:35). Apparently David and Caroline separated prior to, at least, 1850, perhaps earlier. They did, however, have a son Henry Brower, born 19 September 1831. The 1830 U. S. census lists David Brewer at Shrewsbury with a household of 1 male age 30-40, 1 female under age 5 and 1 female age 20-30. This likely implies that David and Caroline had a daughter born prior to the taking of the census, but perhaps died in childhood as I can find no other reference to her. I do not find David at Shrewsbury in a search of the 1840 U.S. census, however, the household of Cornelius Brewer includes a male age 40-50 who may well be David, implying that he and Caroline separated prior to 1840, and probably before 1838 as she did not sign the deed. As mentioned above, in 1850, David, age 51, is found in the household of his father, Cornelius Brewer. In 1850, Caroline Brower, age 40 and Henry Brower age 18, are found in the household of Zenas Maps, age 64 and Nancy Maps, age 62, Caroline's parents, at Ocean, Monmouth County, New Jersey. Caroline can be found, as Caroline Brower, on census records from 1860 through 1880 in Ocean, specifically at Eatontown which was created in 1873 out of parts of Ocean and Shrewsbury. She died 12 October 1893 and is buried at the Old First Methodist Church Cemetery in West Long Branch (Find-A-Grave memorial #5011796 which mentions obituaries in the Red Bank Register of October 18, 1893. I am unable to find David on the 1860 U. S. census or the 1865 New Jersey State census, however, the 1870 U. S. census has David Brewer, age 70, in Ocean (Eatontown Post Office), domiciled in the Town Poor House. No record of his death or burial has been found. I suspect he died during the 1870s. David and Caroline's son, Henry Brower, was born 19 September 1831 and died 25 April 1901 and is buried in the Old First Methodist Cemetery. He married Jane Price (1838-1895) on 19 November 1865. The couple had two children. Daughter, Katherine/Kate P. Brower (1868-1952) married George L. Gibbs (1864-1920). Son, Harry Maps Brower (1873-1942) married Pearl M. Schack (Shock in the marriage record transcription) and had two daughters. Numerous records for the descendants of David and Caroline can be found online at Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org and Find-A-Grave and I'll leave it to those interested to search them out. There are some nice portrait photographs of Caroline (Maps) Brower, Henry Brower and Jane Price that can be found on Ancestry.com. There are none of David. He is not even mentioned in their obituaries.

Gilbert Brower/Brewer, the second son of Cornelius and Jane (Williamson) Brewer, was born 11 September 1801, and baptized 18 November 1802 as per the register of the Dutch Reformed Church at Freehold and Middletown. We briefly cover Gilbert in the January 29, 2020 post. As mentioned there, Gilbert died in 1847, thirteen years prior to his father. His wife, Deborah Tabor Morris, remarried Francis Whitmill (1813-1892) and died in 1857. User submitted trees on Ancestry.com place her as a daughter of Jacob Morris and Anne Lewis Wolcott, and although I have not researched this myself, I don't doubt it as Gilbert and Deborah, twice named a son, Jacob Morris Brower. On the 1850 U. S. census Deborah is found in Brooklyn, New York with her second husband who is enumerated as "Thos. Whitmall," and three of her Brower children, William, Gilbert H. and Jacob M. Also in the household are Mary Whitmall, age 10 and Elizabeth Whitmall, age 7, who must be from a previous marriage of Deborah's second husband. Gilbert and Deborah had eight children, three of whom (Jane, a second Jane, and a first Jacob Morris Brower) all died in infancy or very early childhood. A second Jacob Morris Brower (1842-1861) died at Alexandria, Virginia after enlisting for service during the Civil War. Names, dates of birth and death of the children is taken from a transcript of a Bible record held by the Jersey Blue Chapter of the D.A.R. Provenance for the Bible record is not stated. The copy of the transcript, online here, was received from William B. Bogardus. Gilbert is called "Gilbert Henry Brower" in this document but I find no other record for Gilbert that uses that name. A son was named Gilbert Henry Brower (1838-1914). His profile on the BGD can be updated. In addition to the four children found there, add two more who died in childhood, Deborah Tabor Brower (5 July 1871-3 November 1871) and Ida Lavenia Brower (24 September 1877-14 July 1878). Both are buried at Brooklyn's Green-Wood Cemetery. The younger Gilbert's wife was Hannah Elizabeth Travis (1845-1903). She died in New Jersey, and an obituary appears in The Brooklyn Citizen of April 4, 1903. User submitted trees on Ancestry.com place her as a daughter of John Conklin Travis and Hannah Ketcham. I have not researched this through. Four of Gilbert and Hannah's children reached adulthood, married and had children. Daniel Ketcham Brower (1867-1943) married Mary Elizabeth Evans and had four children. Zeruah Ann Brower (1869-1908) married John Cosman Wandell and had a daughter Gertrude Wandell. John C. Wandell married again after Zeruah's death, died himself in 1947 and had other children from his second marriage. In 1870 and in 1880 Gilbert and his family is found in Brooklyn, New York. However, it appears that for at least a few years in between, during the 1870s, the family lived at Isle La Motte, Grand Isle Co., Vermont which is in Lake Champlain in northern Vermont near the Canadian border. Daughter Ida Lavenia, mentioned above, has a record of birth there, as does daughter Hannah Augusta Brower (1875-1954) who married Allen Marvin Hall (1873-1940) and had five sons. This family lived at Isle La Motte. The profile of Hannah Augusta Brower on the BGD can be corrected by eliminating the suggestion that she was "probably born in Brooklyn." She was born at Isle La Motte. Gilbert and Hannah's daughter Mary E. Brower (ca. 1879-1957) married Edward Hartshorne Green (1881-1957) and had a son, Edward H. Green, Jr. They lived first at Brooklyn and then at various locations in Monmouth County, New Jersey. Researchers of the descendants of Gilbert H. Brower and Hannah E. Travis can find a good amount on their descendants, including some nice portrait photographs, on Ancestry.com (subscription required).
Gilbert Brower (1801-1847) and Deborah T. Morris' other children are, Charles K. Brower, born 3 December 1826 according to that Bible record, although is birth date is given as August 1825 on the 1905 New Jersey State census. Charles appears to have been married twice. In a  deed dated 18 January 1855 (Monmouth Co. Deeds H6:594) Charles Brower and Mary his wife of Ocean Twp. convey property to Joseph King. The deed mentions that the property was purchased by the guardians of Gilbert Henry Brower, Jacob Brower and William W. Brower, by Deborah T. Brower and Samuel G. Morris. Also see Monmouth Co. Deeds V5:520, where Deborah T. Brower and Samuel G. Morris, acting as guardians of the above named, sell this property to Charles Brower of Monmouth County in 1849. I have been unable to locate Charles and Mary on either the 1850 or 1860 U. S. census records in Monmouth County. On 24 June 1865, Charles K. Brower married Sarah Jane Booth at Jersey City, Hudson Co., New Jersey. The couple, usually found as Charles K. and Jane Brower, can be found on U. S. and New Jersey State census records and City Directories, in Jersey City in 1870, 1873, 1880, 1885, 1890, 1895, 1896, 1900, 1902 and lastly in 1905. Charles' occupation is consistently given as plasterer or mason. They appear to have had one daughter, most often called Ella, but also Ellen or Elizabeth. She was born about 1865 and the 1930 U. S. census finds an Ella Brower, age 65, single, head of household, on Concord Street in Jersey City. Ages, as given on the various census records, for both Charles K. and Jane, vary a bit. It seems that Jane was born about 1830, or in the late 1820s, in Virginia. The 1900 census gives her birth as May 1830 in Virginia. Neither death nor burial records have been found for either Charles K or Jane, nor for their daughter Ella.
Gilbert and Deborah's son William W. Brower was born 15 January 1832 as per the Bible record. He was married to Charlotte Emily Thompson (1835-1910) daughter of James Alexander Thompson and Catherine S. Kay, probably in 1851. William is found on the 1850 U. S. census in Brooklyn in the household of his mother and her second husband, Francis Whitmill, while his and Charlotte's son, Gilbert M. Brower was born about 1852. William and Charlotte were separated, probably divorced, by 1867 when she married John Polhemus Lake (11 July 1867 in Brooklyn) who had also been previously married. I find William and Charlotte, with children Gilbert, William, Deborah and Catherine, in Brooklyn in 1860 (U. S. census). William served during the Civil War, and this appears to be the time when the couple separated. Civil War records are pretty consistent in calling him, William W. Brower, giving his occupation as carpenter, and his service in New York's 145th Regt. of Volunteers. I cannot find William in 1870 or 1880, but in 1887 William W. Brower, age 56, born in New Jersey, carpenter, served in NY's 145th, married, last lived at Newark, N. J., is in a U. S. Home for Disabled Veterans in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His wife is given as Alice, living at New Bedford, Massachusetts. He was admitted 9 September 1887 and discharged 8 September 1888. William W. Brower died 4 February 1896 and is buried at Cypress Hills National Cemetery in Brooklyn. I've found nothing further on his second wife, Alice. The record regarding his stay in Milwaukee states that he and Alice had no children under the age of 16. William and Charlotte's children remained with their mother who continued to live in Brooklyn. Her second husband died in 1897. Charlotte lived until 1910 and is buried at Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn. Son Gilbert M. Brower (1852-1913) does not appear to have married, although I cannot locate him in 1900 or 1910. Son, William Brower was born about 1854, and although there are numerous records for men named William H. Brower, born about that time, available on Ancestry.com, I've yet to find one that convincingly connects to this son. More work needs to be done here. William and Charlotte also had three daughters. Deborah Brower (ca. 1856-1942) married three times and had children by her first two husbands, George H. Scragg and Harry Ambrose LaTour. Her third husband was Ralph E. Price, apparently Ralph Waldo Emerson Price, born in Virginia, who had previously been married to Clara B. Lake, a daughter of John Polhemus Lake (above) and his first wife, Sarah Clayton (died 1864). Catherine Brower, age one on the 1860 census, but no further record has been identified for her. And, Matilda R. Brower, born about 1863, although the 1900 U. S. census says born September 1861, married three times, and had children by her first two husbands, Jacob Bertisch (1858-1891) and Robert N. Blackhall (1831-1909). Her third husband was Charles J. Vaughn. A passenger ship manifest from 1930, calling her Mathilda R. Blackhall, gives her date of birth as 30 Sept. 1865, but I'm skeptical. Later census records tend to understate her age when compared to those from earlier in her life. She was traveling with her daughter Charlotte T. Stimpson who according to the manifest was born 12 Sept. 1681 (consistent with the 1900 U. S. census), implying that Matilda was 16 when she was born. They were returning to New York from Cherbourg, France. Matilda had lived in Englewood Cliffs, Bergen Co., New Jersey, and the obituary of Martha R. Blackhall is in The Record (Hackensack, N.J.) of June 20, 1944. Her reported age places her birth at about 1863, the place stated as Brooklyn.
Gilbert and Deborah's two daughters who reached adulthood were Lydia H. Brower, born 26 February 1828, married first Oscar Woolley (1832-1866), two daughters (Mary E. and Jennie R. Woolley). Her second husband was Abram/Abraham C. Carman, son of Elijah Carman as per their marriage record of 30 October 1869 in Jersey City. Lydia was deceased by 1880 when her second husband is found as a widower on the U. S. census at Jersey City, the other member of the household being his "step-daughter" Jennie R. Smith. Jennie had married Richard H. Smith on 12 October 1871 in Jersey City and was a widow herself on the 1880 census. Mary E. Woolley was married to George Watson, formerly Dixon/Dickson, and had two sons. Apparently George, had been born George Dickson, had been paid by some individual to serve in his place during the Civil War, deserted himself, and took the name of Watson to conceal this. He had also been previously married and had three children by his first wife who was also named Mary. Serepta Ann Brower, born 26 May 1829, also called simply, Ann or Annie, married Lewis C. Worthley (1822-1904) and died 6 April 1893 in Shrewsbury. She is buried at Evergreen Cemetery in Little Silver, New Jersey. Lewis and Serepta Ann had seven children including a son named Gilbert.

The majority of descendants of Cornelius Brewer and Jane Williamson appear to be descended from their son Gilbert Brower (1801-1847) and his wife Deborah T. Morris. Cornelius and Jane's son William, born 27 June 1806, baptized at Freehold-Middletown, 22 September 1807 was deceased, as per the Monmouth County deed involving the heirs of William Williamson, by 20 March 1838. There is no mention of William's heirs in this deed, and since if any had existed they would have been entitled to their father's portion, and therefore would likely have been named, but are not, I would assume that he left no heirs.

No record of baptism or birth is found for Cornelius' son Johnston, or Johnson, Brower/Brewer. The deed calls Johnson an heir of Jane Williamson, so I would assume he is her son based on this in conjunction with his age as reported on the census records from 1850 and 1880 which point to about 1813. However, he is age 54 in 1870 (so b. ca. 1816), and couple this with the fact that there is a gap of seven years between Johnson and his next known older sibling (William) of seven years, suggests that he may perhaps be a son of Cornelius' second wife Lydia Hurley. His given name, Johnson or Johnston, which is clearly a surname, perhaps of an ancestor, is not found in his Brower ancestry. Whether or not that name appears in the ancestry of Jane Williamson or of Lydia Hurley, may help to settle the question. He is usually called Johnson Brower in records, and he married Louisa Allen on 19 November 1836 in Monmouth County. I have not researched Louisa fully, but she is claimed to be a daughter of Jacob Allen and Anne Smith. Johnson and Louisa's son Jacob Allen Brower died 14 December 1856, age 12 years. The couple had two daughters, Sarah J. Brower (1852-1892) who married George B. Coffee (1850-1920), had two sons (Joseph Ellis Coffee and George J. or V. Coffee). Her husband remarried after her death. The second daughter was Teresa Brower, age 7 in 1860 and age 17 in 1870, but no further record identified with her. She is called "Thressa L. Brower" in 1860. Louisa (Allen) Brower died 17 April 1890 in Jersey City, New Jersey. She is found in the New York City Directory of 1884, at 119 East 81st Street, as Louisa Brower, widow of Johnson). She is on the 1885 New Jersey State census at Jersey City, New Jersey in the household of her son-in-law George Coffee and his wife (Louisa's daughter) Sallie Coffee (Sallie/Sally being a common nickname for Sarah). No record of Johnson's death is found, but it is apparent that he died in or by 1884. The 1887 Jersey City Directory also lists Louisa Brower, widow of Johnson). Johnston Brower (with Louisa) is found on the 1880 U. S. census at Neptune, New Jersey, age given as 67, occupation: "keeping boarders." The daughter Teresa is not included there. Perhaps if deeds or a probate record for Johnson can be found there may be a clue as to her whereabouts.

Cornelius Brewer's youngest child appears to be Elizabeth, and although there is variation among them, the ages she is recorded with beginning in 1850 and thereafter, indicate that she was more probably a daughter of Cornelius' second wife, Lydia Hurley. Elizabeth was married to George Jeffrey (Jeffrie, Jeffery) by 1850. They are found in 1850 at Atlantic, N. J. where she is age 30, in 1860 at Shrewsbury where she is also age 30 (so clearly an error here), in 1870 at Shrewsbury, where she is age 52, in 1880 at Shrewsbury where she is age 55 (certainly wrong) and as a widow in 1900 at Shrewsbury, age 80, born April 1820, a boarder in the household of Mary Peterson. There is no record of children for Elizabeth and George Jeffrey. He died 2 February 1891 and his obituary published in the Red Bank Register on February 10, mentions that his wife was Elizabeth Brower, daughter of Cornelius Brower of Long Branch and that "his wife, but no children," survive him. George was a son of Elihu and Catharine Jeffrey. I have been unable to find a record of death or obituary for Elizabeth (Brower) Coffee, and have not found her in 1910.

BGB 674