New Book By David Brewer: Brewer Families of Moore, Chatham and Randolph Counties, North Carolina

 David Brewer, a co-administrator for the Brewer DNA Project (Family Tree DNA) has just published a new book, Brewer Families of Moore, Chatham and Randolph Counties, North Carolina: In Search of the Descendants of George Brewer of Brunswick County,Virginia. 

A description of his new book in David's words:

"In 2018, I wrote a book about the Brewer families from Moore and Southwest Chatham Counties, North Carolina. A lot has happened since then, both on the DNA and record fronts. So, I've completely rewritten the book, adding much more material and keeping track of current DNA advances. The new book more broadly focuses on the Brewer families who lived in Moore, Chatham and Randolph Counties, North Carolina in the period between 1750 and 1850. It compiles and integrates existing research with newer information, including current results of YDNA genetic testing of male descendants of the Brewers from this tri-county region. One of the conclusions the book reaches is that three sons of George Brewer of Brunswick County, Howell I, Lanier I, and John, (and their descendants) were present in northern Moore, southwestern Chatham, and southeast Randolph Counties between 1750 and 1850. 

Unlike the first version, this book also discusses in detail the Haw River Brewers, including George Brewer's probable sons Henry, Oliver, and Nathaniel Brewer, as well as probable descendants of George's son Nicholas Brewer, and several other possibly related Brewer families from northern Chatham County, including the families of John, Samuel and Abel Brewer. The book also discusses in detail descendants of these Brewer families who moved to Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, and South Carolina in the early decades of the 1800's. 

The book begins with a chronology, based on publicly recorded data, of early Brewer presence in the region and then turns to a more detailed discussion of particular individuals. Subjects of extended discussion include Lanier Brewers I and II, the Howell Brewers, Ambrose Brewer, men named Drury Brewer, Harmon Brewer, the Willis Brewers of Moore County, Kentucky and Ohio, Sampson Brewer, Micajah (Cager) Brewer, Nicholas Brewer of Bear Creek, the Tick Creek Brewers of southwest Chatham County, the Haw and New Hope River Brewers of Chatham, and the William Brewer family of Randolph County, North Carolina and Morgan County, Indiana, among other lines. 

With that peek under the hood, I've published the new book with Kindle Direct Publishing in both e-book and paperback formats. The e-book is less expensive and more reader-friendly, with an interactive table of contents and hot linked end notes. This makes it easy to navigate. The paperback version is priced at $15. The e-book is priced at $4.99. You can find both versions online at Amazon. I look forward to your comments and questions."

 

 

David can be contacted through the About us page on the Brewer DNA Project website. This book we be of interest to anyone working on tracing their Brewer ancestry to one of the numerous Brewer families whose origins are found in the southeastern U.S. states, whether they are descendants of George Brewer of Brunswick County, Virginia or otherwise.

Thank you David. I'm looking forward to reading the book.

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New Publication From David V. Brewer, "Brewer Families of Moore, Chatham, and Randolph Counties, North Carolina"

 Just released and placed online last night, the full title: "Brewer Families of Moore, Chatham, and Randolph Counties, North Carolina: In Search of the Descendants of George Brewer of Brunswick County, Virginia," is the latest work from David V. Brewer, a co-administrator of the Brewer DNA Project who oversees the Project's Group known as "Lanier-Brewer." David has very generously made his 357 page paper available with the link below. But first, I suggest you read through David's preview and synopsis as originally posted on the Brewer DNA Project's Activity Feed page:

"In 2018, I wrote a paper about the Brewers from Moore and Southwest Chatham Counties, North Carolina, mainly because I knew that my ancestors haled from there. I finished too quickly, missing many details, clues, and family connections. I also made the mistake of thinking I needed to publish something on paper, which I've learned makes it even harder to correct mistakes. Since then, picking up more leads and confronting mistakes where I'd been too quick in the curves, helped me appreciate the value of patience in this hobby. So, the link below will take you to a broader, hopefully more carefully researched, yet still hopelessly incomplete effort to sort out and trace the Brewers of the tri-county region (Moore, Chatham, Randolph). Unlike the first version, this version of the paper discusses in detail the Haw River Brewers, including Henry, Oliver, and Nathaniel Brewer, as well as the descendants of Nicholas Brewer and several Brewer families from northern Chatham County, including the families of John, Samuel and Abel Brewer, who were closely associated with the other Brewers in the area. The paper also discusses in detail descendants of the tri-county Brewers who moved to Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, and South Carolina in the early decades of the 1800's. 

 "I'm now even more convinced that most of the sons of George Brewer (1680?-1744?) of Brunswick County, Virginia moved to the tri-county region in the 1750's and 1760's. Among those sons, Howell (I), Lanier (I), and probably John and their offspring settled in southwest Chatham, northern Moore, and southeast Randolph Counties. Henry, Oliver, and probably Nathaniel settled in the Haw River area of central and northern Chatham County, as did sons of Nicholas Brewer (I). In fact, the only two branches of George's supposed male descendants that didn't move to the tri-county region in that era were William and George Brewer Jr. and their children. Interestingly, DNA evidence has shown that several Brewer Project members who credibly trace their ancestry to those two men, unlike the descendants of Lanier (I), Howell (I), John, Henry, and either Oliver or Nathaniel, aren't positive for haplogroup I-Y82422. The significance of that variance remains unclear. 

"As before, this paper is not a list of family trees or pedigrees. All you need to do is poke at the pedigrees in hundreds of Brewer family trees purporting to date back to the 1700's that are posted on Ancestry.com to see that the vast majority of them simply are not adequately supported by credible data. In my view, the certainty that we all understandably seek isn't possible at this stage of our collective knowledge. There simply are too many record gaps in virtually all the lines under study. Instead, my goal has been to compile and integrate existing research about the obscure period between 1750 and 1850 with some newer information, including the early results of YDNA genetic testing of male line descendants of the Brewer families from this region. At most, this is just a next step in the process of filling gaps in our knowledge. 

"But that doesn't mean we should demand too much certainty before drawing tentative conclusions. For example, the paper addresses two questions that researchers of the extended Brewer families of the tri-county region must confront. How do we know whether Howell Brewer I was the father of Howell Brewer II, and how do we know whether Lanier Brewer I was the father of Lanier Brewer II. The simple answer to both questions is we don’t know. But that’s a bit of a dodge as more layers of genetic evidence have been unpeeled, most of them in the last decade. The fact is that we have three distinct subgroups of closely related Brewer descendants who can trace their ancestry to the tri-county region and, from there, most probably to George Brewer of Brunswick. The first, haplogroup I-Y15300, subclade I-Y182422, Brewer DNA Project subgroup A, probably consists of descendants of John Brewer, the son of George Brewer. In addition, there are two more defined branches of subclade I-Y182422 that probably are more than 250 years old years old. Descendants of Willis Brewer (born in the 1760’s), Royal Brewer (born about 1770-1775), Henry Brewer (born about 1780), Solomon Brewer (born about 1785), Wiley Brewer (born about 1790), Jenkins Brewer (born 1812-1815), and Andrew Brewer (born about 1818) all have tested positive for subclade I-Y29640. The common ancestor of these men almost certainly was born in the early to mid-1700’s, and no later than the 1740’s. As discussed in the paper, we have an even further refinement of this line showing that another sub-branch, SNP FTD55716, probably arose in the mid-1700’s. Lanier Brewer II, likely born in the 1740’s or 1750’s, probably wasn’t positive for that mutation, but I suspect that a sibling of his was. That man, in turn, probably was the grandfather or great grandfather of Willis, Jenkins, and Andrew Brewer. 

"A somewhat similar pattern exists for descendants of haplogroup I-Y15300, I-Y182422, subclade I-Y23708. Descendants of Isaac Brewer (born 1763), Harmon Brewer (born mid-1760’s), and Cornelius Brewer (born early 1780’s), as examples, all are positive for subclade I-Y23708. The first-hand account of Isaac Brewer stated that his father was Howell Brewer (II), who almost certainly was born before 1745. Isaac Brewer stated that he had an Uncle John Brewer, and more than 100 years ago, Street Brewer passed on the family history that Harmon Brewer’s father was John Brewer. If that information is correct, and there’s no reason apart from sheer fussiness to ignore it -- especially in light of YDNA evidence that descendants of Harmon and Howell II are both positive for subclade I-Y23708 – then the grandfather of Isaac and Harmon Brewer also probably would have been positive for subclade I-Y23708. That man would have been born no later than the early 1720’s and, based on what we know about the earliest Brewer migrants to the tri-county area, there are three reasonable possibilities: Howell I, Lanier I, and John Brewer. 

"Again, the paper argues that descendants of George Brewer's son John probably fall into Haplogroup I-Y15300, I-Y182422, Brewer Project Subgroup A. If that's right, this leaves Howell I and Lanier I. Because subclade I-Y23708 probably arose in their generation, and membership in that subclade and subclade I-Y29640 is mutually exclusive, those two subclades most likely are separate YDNA branches representing those two sons of George Brewer. True, we can’t yet say to a reasonable probability whether subclade I-Y29640 arose in the first or second generation after George Brewer. But that doesn’t undermine the essential point that these two subclades probably are distinct earmarks for descendants of Howell I and Lanier I. 

"As discussed in the paper, there are generations of old stories in the families of Solomon (born about 1785), Wiley (born about 1790), and George Brewer (born about 1775) that the father of those men was named Lanier Brewer. Those stories, shared among geographically separated family clusters whose descendants all are positive for subclade I-Y29640, ultimately tip the scales for me. If we conducted a civil trial where the proponent’s burden of proof is by a preponderance of the evidence, most jurors would give the answer common sense suggests is correct: Descendants of Howell Brewer I are positive for subclade I-Y23708, and descendants of Lanier Brewer I are positive for subclade I-Y29640, with one of his sons (not Lanier II) probably having been the source of the further downstream mutation of SNP FTD55716. The same evidence wouldn’t satisfy the criminal law standard of proof beyond a reasonable doubt. But my instinct tells me that, in time, more evidence will. And, if not, there will be many opportunities to reconsider. 

"With that peek under the hood, here's the link to the current version of the paper:

 

Brewer Families of Moore, Chatham and Randolph Counties, North Carolina: In Search of the Descendants of George Brewer of Brunswick County, Virginia

 

I look forward to your comments, questions and corrections."

 

Thank you David.

 

David can be contacted through the Brewer DNA Project website. And a little note of my own: The paper is a relatively large file, should it not completely load on your computer, close it, then try again. It should then load.

 

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"Tracing A Branch of the Brewer Families of Colonial Virginia to North Carolina and Beyond"

 David V. Brewer, a co-administrator of the Brewer DNA Project and responsible for the "Lanier-Brewer" Group has just published online his latest book of research focused on the Brewer families descended from or closely related to George Brewer of Brunswick County, Virginia. And so, in David's words as posted to the Brewer DNA Project's Activity Feed on September 5th:

"I’ve now completed a book entitled Tracing A Branch of the Brewer Families of Colonial Virginia to North Carolina and Beyond, which follows the historical path of a numerous branch of Brewers who migrated from England to Virginia in the 17th Century. That branch is identified as Haplogroup I-Y15300, subclade I-Y21524. We currently have 10 members in the Brewer DNA Project who are confirmed for this subclade through BigY/700 testing. We also have several other members who haven’t tested at the Big Y level yet probably are members of this extended family group. 

 For the most part, the book covers the period between the late 17th Century and mid-19th Century, which constitutes the primary “brick wall” era for many people with roots in the Colonial and Early American South. The record evidence suggests to me that the most recent common ancestor for those tested in subclade I-Y21524 probably was born in England or Virginia in the latter 1600’s. Specifically, the book concludes that this group probably descends from a family that lived in Surry/Sussex Counties, Virginia between the late 1600’s and early 1750’s, through men named Thomas Brewer and John Brewer and their possible father, another John Brewer. It’s sometimes asserted that the above mentioned Thomas Brewer might have been a direct descendant of John Brewer I, the so-called Ancient Planter of Jamestown, through his probable descendant Thomas Brewer of Nansemond County, Virginia. The book concludes that available record evidence doesn’t support that hypothesis but further concludes that the two lines nevertheless might be related. 

 The book follows the path of the members of subclade I-Y21524 from southside Virginia to Edgecombe and Halifax Counties, North Carolina, from there to Rowan and Surry Counties, North Carolina, and from there to Kentucky, Tennessee, and Alabama, with respect to one sub-branch, from Rowan and Surry Counties to Indiana (some via Tennessee) and from there to other midwestern states, with respect to a second sub-branch, and from Halifax County to Tennessee, then to Mississippi and later Texas, as to a third sub-branch. By the mid-19th Century, this family group had dispersed throughout the Midwest and Southern states, following a similar path to that of many Colonial Virginia families. 

The book also covers in detail several other distinct branches of the Brewer families of the Colonial and Early American South, including among others the descendants of John Brewer I of Jamestown, John Brewer I’s probable descendant Thomas Brewer of Nansemond County, William Brewer of Isle of Wight County, Virginia, Nicholas Brewer of Prince George County, Virginia, John Brewer of Southampton County, Virginia, Robert Brewer of Nansemond County, Virginia, the John Brewer family of Nansemond County, Virginia, the Moses Brewer families of Halifax and Wayne Counties, North Carolina, the Joseph Brewer family of Granville/Bute/Warren Counties, North Carolina, and the Sackfield Brewer and Sackford Brewster lines in Virginia. In addition, the book considers several men that have not been broadly discussed, including one or more (possibly overlapping) men named John Brewer who, in the early 1700’s, owned land on Assamoosick Swamp, Virginia, in Isle of Wight County, Virginia, and in Prince George County, Virginia, another John Brewer from Halifax County, North Carolina, and William, John, and Robert Brewer of Martin County, North Carolina. 

 My approach was to start with the most reliable available record evidence, which almost always is found in more recent generations. This requires a reverse chronological approach. When I hit a logjam, I tried to remember four things: (1) many records have been lost or destroyed, especially from the pre-Civil War South where we are focused, but that doesn't mean that more finds won't be unearthed in the future, especially with improved digital access to old records; (2) many of our ancestors didn’t read or write, so they left a much smaller written legacy than we would like; (3) having an open mind and being willing to revisit previous opinions is important; and (4) like it or not, this line of Brewers constantly recycled first names, generation after generation, which has created an obstacle for researchers trying to sort out individuals, even within the same generation and geographical area. Of course, our ancestors couldn't have cared less about that, but we certainly do. 

 This book is a work in progress, meant to be supplemented, corrected, and superseded, where appropriate, by the fruits of further research. I will accept all comments and suggested edits with a positive spirit. The identities of individual members of this subclade have been screened to protect their genetic privacy rights. Whether they choose to waive those rights in the course of future dialogue is strictly up to them. I’m pleased to share the book with members of the Brewer DNA Project through the following Google Drive share link: Tracing A Branch of the Brewer Families of Colonial Virginia to North Carolina and Beyond. I look forward to your thoughts and comments. Once I compile comments and make corrections, I’ll add an index and circulate the book more broadly. In the meantime, you can key word search the draft by using your standard pdf search method. Thanks for your interest. Dave Brewer."

And to the above I will just add that in a comment to the post of August 20, 2022, "Edmund Brewer of Robertson County, Tennesee: A Correction to the Brewer-Lanier Database," David mentions that Edmund Brewer is briefly discussed on page 132 of the book and that it is possible that he was originally from Martin County, North Carolina.

Thanks David, I am sure that this work will be of great interest and help to those researching this very large group of Brewer families. And once again, I very strongly encourage those researching their Brewer family ancestry, to contact the administrators at the Brewer DNA Project, through email links available on the Project's website, and join the project by having a close male relation (if you are not one yourself) take a Y-DNA test. 

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Some Previously Unreleased Material for Brewers in the South

Here are a few documents in PDF format that I've found will combing through the collection of material that has been sent to, or otherwise accumulated by me over the years. Many items just get "filed" as they were not of particular concern to me at the time they were received. Hopefully they will be of use to some of you.

Howell Brewer and Ambrose Brewer Timeline. This was compiled by Foy Varner back around 2010, and he wishes to pass on the caveat that some inferences may be incorrect. An example being that "Tice's" Creek might be Tyson's Creek or perhaps Tick Creek, which are just a few miles from each other. Those with specific questions should contact Foy directly.

I've mentioned in the past on numerous posts, the William B. Bogardus Collection. The, currently offline, Brouwer Genealogy Database had a page of links devoted to many of the files originally collected by Bill Bogardus, which I scanned and placed online so as to be available to all who were interested. Many are currently offline do to the meltdown at RootsWeb. Hopefully they'll be back, but who knows when or even if they will be. I had the collection back in the winter of 2008-09, and digitized perhaps 70% or so of what I had. While most of the correspondence and documents were related to the Brewer, Brower and Brouwer families with origins in New Netherland, New York and New Jersey, there were a few from outside the area. Here now are a few that relate to Brewer families with origins in the southern states:

John C. Brewer (b. 1817, Randolph Co., NC) son of William Brewer and Elizabeth Cavaness, in Biographical History of Tippecanoe, White, Jasper, Newton, Benton, Warren and Pulaski Counties, Indiana, Vol. 11 (Chicago: Lewis Publishing, 1899). A brief biography from a late 19th century "mug book."

Descendants of John C. Brewer and Mary Elizabeth Wilhite (no author or date). Family Group sheets. The compiler is not stated. The family originated in Randolph County, North Carolina and then relocated to Morgan County, Indiana.


Records of Terrell Brewer and Descendants of North Carolina, b. 1796, son of Nathan. This consists of compiled Family Group sheets, compiler not stated, for Terrell Brewer (1796-1856), son of Nathan Brewer (mother not stated) and his wife, Margaret Rushton, and for their son Josiah R. Brewer (1827-1902) and his wife, Margaret Elmore.

History of Brewer Family of North Carolina, Tennessee, Indiana and Illinois..., by the Officers of Brewer Family of N. C., Tenn., Ind. & Ill. (names then stated, dated 1936). Fourteen pages (typescript) which is not the complete document. Focused on descendants of a Thomas Brewer "born 1760-1770 in perhaps NC or SC, Md. or Va."

_______________

This Abstract of the Will of Thomas Morris of Greensville County, Virginia, dated 9 February 1782, was made and provided to me by Diane Daniel in early 2015. Mentioned in the will is his son-in-law John Brewer who also is appointed as one of the executors. John Brewer was married to Thomas Morris' daughter Bethiah Morris. John Brewer relocated from Brunswick Co., Virginia to Hancock Co., Georgia by 1794. He was a son of George Brewer and Abigail Wyche, and a grandson of George Brewer and Sarah Lanier.

Brewer Families of Moore and Southwest Chatham Counties, North Carolina, by David V. Brewer. This is a 220 page PDF which should prove to be valuable to those searching for their Brewer lines in North Carolina. David is a co-administrator of the Brewer DNA Project with focus on the "Lanier-Brewer" sub-group. He can be contacted through the Project's main webpage.

I'll continue to look for documents and files not yet online and will add them via blog posts like this as they appear. So, check back often.

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