THOMAS BREWER
from Our Brewer Ancestors
by Utilis L. Russell
Family tradition has it that Athere were three Brewer brothers who left their home in old England and came to America. However, the first Brewer to be proven as our ancestor is Thomas Brewer, who sailed up the Connecticut River, embarked at the village of Wethersfield and on the 18th day of January, 1682, married Sarah, daughter of Alexander and Alice Colfax Keeney.[1]
After their marriage, this young couple cast their gaze toward Glastonbury, which was also called by its Indian name, Kongscut, a new settlement on the east side of the great river from Wethersfield. At this place inducements were held out to persuade active, industrious men to settle, by giving them a small piece of farm land from the common lands, on condition they improve the same within a given number of years. Thomas and Sarah obtained some of this land, located on the hill of Minnoochaug, an Indian name for berry land, as wild berries were found here in great abundance.
Thomas and Sarah had ten children: Mary, Thomas Jr., Hezekiah, Sarah, Joseph, Benjamin, Daniel, our ancestor, Lydia, Amy and Alexander. Eight of their ten children married, producing a total of 27 grandchildren for Thomas and Sarah.
As their family grew and as they continued to be active in community affairs, the records show that more land was given to the family of Thomas Brewer from the common lands. Their existed a close bond between members of the family, they seemed to be Aall for one and one for alland worked closely on the farms as one unit, and this special characteristic has been observed in later generations.
Thomas and Sarah and their family were active members of the First Congregational Church of Glastonbury, their christenings and marriages are recorded in the church records, and their names are found on the church records as regular tithe payers. Their names also appear on the records of the town as holding positions of honor and trust for long periods of time.
No record has been found of the death of Thomas and Sarah, but it is assumed they died in the same place where their children were reared and where they lived, their lives of service to God and their fellowmen[2].
2. According to the Ancestral File, a computer data base published by the L.D.S. Church, July 1996 update, Thomas Brewer was born 29 May 1658 at Lynn, Essex County, Massachusetts, and married Sarah Keeney on 13 Jul 1682 in Connecticut. Ancestral File also gives the name of Thomas’ father as Thomas Brewer (AFN 5309-QD), who was born in 1600, Aof(which means they can’t prove that he was born there, but that he did live there) Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts and that he died in Hampton, New Hampshire on 23 Mar 1698 . This Thomas Brewer married Elizabeth Graves (AFN: 5309-RK), who was born about 1622, and is AofLynn, Essex Co. Massachusetts. This may be correct information obtained by another researcher after Utilis Russell published his work, or is an incorrect computer linking, and this needs to be proven.
[2] The Ancestral File, 1996 update, gives the date of death for Thomas as 8 Oct 1702 and for Sarah as 23 Feb 1683. No places of death or burial are given.