The following defines several issues specific to posted claims concerning John/Elsie Brewer of Ohio
Introduction:
Because of the multiple close connections to the important problems in our Brewer family genealogy, Glen L. Brewer’s pedigree connection to Johannes Brouwer, Michael Brewer, and to the problem of the Rose/Embody/Olson puzzle is important. Its solution could shed light on other important puzzles. However, it has become increasingly obvious that the information about John/Elsie Brewer of Adams Co. Ohio has been fraught with serious errors from the beginning.
Erroneous Claim to be an ancestor of Adam Brouwer
As you are probably well aware by now, the claim that “John Brewer who married Elsie Dunbar is a descendant of Adam Brouwer Berkhoven through being a son of Abraham Uldricks Brouwer ( Uldirick, Pieter Adams, Adam) has been proved to be false. By comparing DNA haplotypes it was shown that no relationship exists between John Brewer of Ohio and Adam Brouwer of New Netherland within genealogical time spans. This was reported in the article in the NYG&B RECORD Vol 138, No.4 (October 2oo7):245-260 - page 245 “DNA Analysis: Adam Brouwer Berckhoven, Elias Brouwer of New Jersey, and John Brewer of Ohio.” Richard D. Brewer, Scott Kraus and William B. Bogardus
Mistaken claim of his wife Elsie Lewis to be Elsie Barnet or Dunbar
John’s first wife is generally claimed to be Elsie, surname unknown, but who has sometimes been said to be a Dunbar, Lewis, or Barnet. As of 28 December 2008-- John’s wife is no longer unknown, she is shown to be Elsie Lewis in the New Jersey Will of Barnet Lewis of Bernards Township, Somerset Co. dated 12 February 1807. The Will is found in the State of New Jersey Archives First Series, vol. 40, Calendar of New Jersey Wills 1806-1809, p.215. This Will of Barnet Lewis clearly indicates that the wife of John was Elsie Lewis, sister of Barnet Lewis. Earlier researchers failed to note the comma between Lewis and Barnet in the Will, Lewis being the surname, and so listed his sister as Elsie Barnet rather than Elsie Lewis. Their mother’s maiden name is believed to be Elsie Barnet (not yet proven)-- which also explains the sometime prior misidentifications of Elsie as a Barnet. Elsie Lewis is named after her mother. The son of John4 and Elsie Lewis was named Edward after Elsie’s father Edward Lewis. John4’s second wife has been said to be named Sarah Howell. The marriage to Sarah was 1777. The claim she is Elsie Dunbar has no known corroboration of any kind
Erroneous Claim to be the John Brewer who served under Lt. Col Klock in the Rev war
The line in the pedigree of Glen claiming John Brewer (1733) served under Col. Klock during the revolution is the result of a misidentification. The John referred to is not John Brewer (1733) who married Elsie Lewis, and the claims made in the pedigree references, including the DAR reports that this Rev. War service pertained to John Brewer (husband of Elsie Lewis & Sara Howell) are incorrect. Chris Chester has shown the John Brower who served under Col. Jacob Klock in the Tryon Co. Militia was a son of Harmanus Brouwer, a descendant of Willem Brouwer. The information on Johannes Brouwer/John Brower/Johan Brower can be found on the The “Brouwer Genealogy Database at: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~brouwergenealogydata/).
He was bapt. 1 Jan 1759, died between 25 March and 12 October 1829. Both his father, Harmanus and his brother William served in this same regiment.
Mistaken date of birth is associated with a Jan Brewer 1733 who was descended from Adam Brouwer:
John Brewer is claimed to have been born 26 March 1733, but, as pointed out by Chris Chester, the 1733 date has no verification and may be the result of confusing him with a Jan Brewer baptized 11 Mar 1733, at the Hackensack Dutch Church -- this Jan married Rachel Braaklen and is the son of Abraham Brouwer and Elizabeth Ackerman in the Adam Brouwer line. There is therefore no reason to continue to try and force John/Elsie into the straightjacket of matching an unsupported 1733 date. Based on his marriage to Elsie by 1773, the allowable date of birth for John is simply on or before 1753, assuming he was at least 20 at marriage.
Problem of gap in children birth sequence
As previously discussed on this website under Speculations: If John Bruer who married Ann Hulse in 1764 is our John Brewer and if we continued to assume his birth is ca. 1733, he would be marrying at 31 for the 1st time, and if so there likely exists two or three earlier children, thus far unaccounted for, possibly born 1765, 1767, and 1769 and who, at the time of the marriage to Elsie in 1773 would have been ages 8, 6, and 4.
A list of the children of John, indicating gaps in birth sequences if we assume John was born in 1733 and marriages (those claimed and speculated) are based on the information on birth sequences provided by Glen’s father. What happened during the years 1758 -1764? Earlier marriage? perhaps Ann Hulse? Then there is a 10 year gap -- with Marriage to Elsie by 1773 with Mary (26 Jun or July 1774) being their first documented child which allows for a birth of John as late as 1753 (assuming 20 at marriage) as mentioned earlier.
Questionable identification of John Brewer on census in Fayette Co., Ohio -- the family does not match the family of John Brewer of Adams Co.
John Brewer appears on the 1790 census at Bullskin township, Fayetteville, PA but this may not be our John (1733). Chris Chester has pointed out that the John Brewer in Bullskin, Fayette Co., PA in 1790 has one male over 16, 1 male under 16, 2 females, which comes across as a YOUNG family (and doesn’t correspond to the family of seven children born 1774 to 1790 listed earlier). It may represent instead, the family of a different John Brewer (1761) - -the brother of David Brewer(1762) discussed earlier who married Euphemia Warner.
In summary, in seeking links back to Johannes Brouwer and in looking for connections to Michael Brewer, David Brewer, and the problem of the Rose/Embody/Olson puzzle I suggest keeping an open mind regarding the very early ancestry of Glen:
Kit 60686 Glen Brewer ( gbrewer@yahoo.com)
1) John Brewer (b. ca 1733 in NY or PA) of Adams Co., Ohio (earlier resided in Bullskin Township, Fayette Co. PA) m. Elsie Lewis (sometimes said to be Dunbar)
2) Richard Brewer b.1790 PA, m. Christina Roderick in Pike Co. OH
3) David Brewer b. 1826, Pike Co. OH m. Maria Lynch in Vermillion Co., IL
4) Isaac Brewer b. 1857, Vermillion Co., IL. m: Anna Derrough
5) Leon David Brewer b.1903, Philo, IL
Glen Leon Brewer