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Brewer Descendants of Johannes (Jan) Brouwer

Welcome to the Brewer line of Jan Brouwer (1632-1702) of New Amersfoort (Flatlands), New Netherland (New York)

The purpose of this site is to expand upon the results of the Brewer DNA Surname Project hosted by FamilyTreeDNA (FTDNA)  at:

www.familytreedna.com/public/BrewerDNA/

The Brewer Surname Project uses Y-DNA test results to identify family groups of genetically related living male participants through their matching haplotypes (genetic signatures).  Such testing can show a definite relationship exists between two or more males and that they share a common ancestor within genealogical time spans, but not with whom or when.  Documented genealogical pedigrees add the missing information.  The two sets of data (paper trail and DNA results) compliment and support one another.  Here, on this site, we provide the genealogical pedigrees, keyed to the DNA test by individual Kit number.  This information is presented on the “Pedigrees” page where you may find your own genealogical connection to a participant and contact information enabling you to exchange family research with them. 

(Note: to navigate this site, click on the name of the page you wish to visit located in the side bar at the left of each page)

[ Feb, 2015] An Application of FTDNA’s BIG Y Test to our Brewer Y-DNA Project:  The past few years has witnessed a revolution in genetic genealogy. The breakthrough is due to the introduction by FTDNA of Next-Generation Sequencing technology providing massive sequencing of the Y-Chromosome at reasonable costs to the public called “BIG Y”.

We have analyzed BIG Y test results for four Brewer DNA project participants and the results are  presented in a series of three reports available on line for download to your computer. See the Executive Summary here link to document  and an Addendum (Aug 2015) found here  

We describe the results of sampling ~ 20 million Y-DNA base pairs to sequence ~ 10-11 Mb in each of the participants yielding 63,000 SNPs including more than 1,400 in our line, 30 of which are unique to us. Unique family SNPs discovered by analysis of the BIG Y along with ~ 400 marker STR haplotypes have been used to calibrate specific mutation rates applicable to our ancestral line and used to estimate the TMRCA between our Brewer family descendants of Jan Brouwer (1632-1702).

Our results enable us to determine both the deep ancestry of our family and recent ancestry as well. As seen in the reports linked above, approximately 1 mutation every 1.6 generations are expected. This is in contrast to past technology limiting us to use of targeted specific SNPs that only defined haplogroups of many men related tens of thousands of years ago. A new branch of the Human Phylogenetic tree has been identified for our family and family specific SNP mutations that enable individuals possibly related to the Jan Brouwer group, but with incomplete documentation, to verify their position on our tree by purchasing single SNP tests. We hope to use such unique SNP tests to facilitate inexpensive testing of individuals in North Western Europe to help locate the ancestral home of Jan Brouwer.

Sharing research and family information amongst the matched members has helped some individuals extend their pedigree three or more generations and to clear up mistaken connections, while others have discovered connections they were previously unaware of.  DNA testing has proved to be a fruitful genealogical tool for all of us.

 Are You related to the 17th century immigrant Johannes Brouwer?  

Find Out Now! -- 

With the pedigrees available, we can identify the Most Recent Common Ancestor (MRCA) of the participants and, coupled with the DNA results, we are able to make available for the first time derived Ancestral Y- chromosome Haplotypes (the male genetic signature of the earliest known ancestor), at a significant 37 marker accuracy, for the family patriarchs (MRCAs) including the likely genetic signature of Johannes (Jan) Brouwer of Flatlands. That data is presented on the “MRCA” page.

Unique Jan Brouwer Genetic Marker Found: Results from extending the Y-DNA test to 67 markers in some members of the Jan Brouwer descendants has revealed that we have a marker value that is so rare that it is specific to identifying our own family branch within the larger haplogroup I2b1c. A very rare DYS565 Allele value of 7 repeats has been found in the Jan Brouwer descendants. This value defines a unique family branch within the major haplogroup I2b1c; a mutation that likely occurred in an ancestor living in the Belgium / Netherlands / Germany region 400 to 700 years before the present.  If two people share the allele value on this marker and are similar enough across the rest of the markers to share a common ancestor in a genealogical time frame, then they belong to the same family branch and everyone without the rare allele does not. For a more detailed report click here

[ April 19, 2012]  A new document is available presenting a narrative story of our ancestral patriarch Jan Brouwer and his family, recounting their emigration to the New World from Holland in 1656 and their subsequent life in New Amsterdam (1657-1664) and New Amersfoort (called Flatlands by the English after 1665) on Long Island, from 1665-1702 . The Document is posted on Google-drive and can be accessed on line by clicking the link  Jan Brouwer Historical narrative  . Although it can be read on-line, the resolution provided by google in this mode is poor, very much poorer than the document itself, so the viewing of pictures and text is compromised making it difficult to read. To bypass this problem you can download the document to your computer where you can read it with crisp, sharp text and pictures, a much more satisfying experience. Click on the above link, select "File" in the upper left corner and click on "Download." It will download as a PDF document.  Embedded in the narrative are links to a short video of Amsterdam in the Dutch Golden Age of the 17th century, and a video virtual fly-by of old "New Amsterdam" in 1664. They are an integral part of the story and will enrich your appreciation of the era in which Jan Brouwer lived.

Finally, the “Speculation” page deals with speculative ideas and material specific to finding documentation linking the pedigrees of the DNA project participants to the ancestral  Johannes Brouwer family.