Sackfield Brewer (1634 - 1725)

Born 1634 in England

Descendants

Died Nov 1725 at about age 91 in Charles City County, Virginia Colony, British America

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Biography

Sackfield Brewer wrote his will: 2 October 1699. (See Death Section)

Virginia land patents show that Mrs. Jane Harmer was given 2,000 acres of land in Northumberland County in 1652 for the transport of 40 people, who included a Sackfield Brew. Since many of the 40 names were abbreviated, Brew could very well be an abbreviation of Brewer. The records of Northumberland are intact, but those so far searched make no reference to a Sackfield Brew or Brewer, but this is not unusual. Headrights were bought, sold, saved and traded, so even though Mrs. Harmer's grant was in Northumberland, Sackfield may have served his Indenture elsewhere. For the same reason, Sackfield may have actually immigrated from two to five years prior to 1652.^[1][2]

Following is a quote from "The Dismukes and Their Kin," by Bernice Dismukes:  :"Sackville Brewer of London, England, was brought to Northumberland County, Virginia in 1652 by Mrs. Jane MARMER [sic], who later was widowed and became his wife. Issue: Edmond and probably John, Thomas and others." [This note added 10 Apr 2003. London is new info as is the marriage of Sackfield and Jane Harmer. Needs research.)(1Jul 03, my research indicates that ages could not possibly match. A marriage of Sackfield and Jane Harmer seems far fetched.)^[3]

This paragraph from: "The Brewer Families of Colonial Virginia, 1626-1776", by Marvin T. Broyhill III):

"Sackfield Brewer, the Immigrant, probably lived most of his life in James City County and the all but total loss of its records explain the loss of his will and virtually all other references to him. The rather sketchy information provided by the few surviving records does provide a very rough biography. Assuming he was 18 when he came to Virginia about 1650 (two years prior to date of Patent), he was born around 1632. He served out his indenture and settled in James City County. By 1655, he had saved enough money to buy a farm (he named it Peace Hill) and marry. Most people made their wills when old age, sickness or disease made death seem certain and soon. The date of his will (2 October 1699) suggests that he died within a few years of it being made. however, the name Sackfield Brewer is listed on 1704 Rent Rolls, but this could refer to either his land or his grandson, who carried the same name."^[1]

Cavaliers and Pioneers: Abstracts of VA Land Patents and Grants 1623-66, Nugent. Page 275 identifies the 2000 acres discussed above and lists the 40 people transported. Page 298 assigns above land to Thomas Fowke 10 Jun 1654. On page 484 George Morris and Richard Scrudge are granted 740 acres in James City County, 16 Apr 1663, for transport of 15 persons including JANE HARMER. [Could be she had never before been to colonies or she returned to England for a time and then back to VA.]^[4]

Family trees and biographies contain conflicting data about Sackfield Brewer.

Birth

Sackfield Brewer could not have been born in Louisa County, Virginia; it was not formed until 1742. Louisa was part of territory that was originally Charles River County, one of the eight original "Shires" or "Counties" formed in 1634. The name "Charles River" was changed to "York" in 1643. New Kent was formed from York in 1654, Hanover from New Kent in 1721 and Louisa from Hanover in 1742.

It is possible that Sackfield was not born in Virginia. A person called Sackfield Brew was imported to Virginia in 1652 by Mrs. Jane Harmer of Northumberland County, Virginia.^[5] It is not certain this is Sackfield Brewer, but it seems likely.

Death

All family trees seem to use the death date for Sackfield Brewer of 20 October 1699. This is the date his will was written, but it is not the date he died. Sackfield was living in Charles City County, Virginia Colony as late as 3 November 1725 when he and wife Elinor sold 125 acres of land to William Atkinson.^[6]

It seems that Sackfield died shortly after this sale. On 4 January 1726, "William Maclin and Kathrine [Brewer] his wife, of Surry Co." sold 150 acres in Westover Parish, Charles City County, to Richard Ingram. "Land was devised to said Kathrine by will of her father Sackfield Brewer, dec'd, dated 20 Oct. 1699;..."^[7] Estimated death date for Sackfield Brewer would be November 1725. This would assume the will was proven in December 1725 to allow for the sale of land in January 1726.

Children

Most researchers include one daughter for Sackfield and Elinor Brewer, Kathryn (Kathrine), born about 1680 in James City County. From the records below we discover that there was a son, James Brewer, who owned land in Charles City County in 1724.

John Brewer, husband of Mary Murry, may have been a son or grandson of Sackfield and Elinor. He apparently died sometime before June 1729, when his widow Mary and their (unnamed) son are included in the will of Mary's father, William Murry. He was fairly young at the time, since he had a son still in school.

DNA

https://www.familytreedna.com/public/BrewerDNA?iframe=yresults

The Y-dna (males only born Brewer, and a direct male to male descent from Sackfield Brewer) have been tested at Family Tree DNA.

There are 6 test participants. What is proven is that the male Y-DNA of descendants of Sackfield Brewer do NOT match George Brewer-710 who married Sarah Lanier.

They also do NOT match Lewis Brewer-834, who named a son as Lanier Brewer.

Timeline

Many records of James City County and Charles City County from this time were lost. Not all land transactions by Sackfield Brewer have been discovered.

1634-1637 Birth of Sackfield Brewer
1652 Arrival in Virginia Colony
1680 Birth of daughter Kathryne Brewer in James City County, Virginia Colony
1698 Residence in James City County: "162. John Pettiver. Octr. 15, 1698. 43 acres. On the North side of Pease hill creek, bounded &c. in Sackville Brewers line."^[8]
1714 Residence in James City County: "230. Catherine Barrett. Decr 23, 1714. 400 acres. On the West side of Chickahominy river. Beg.g, &c., by the marsh side of the sd river, &c., a new line dividing this from Sackfield Brewers land, & the land of Simon Jeffreys.^[9] Note: Is Catherine Barrett perhaps the mother of Elinor (Barrett) Brewer? She owned land adjoining land left to Elinor Brewer by her father which she and Sackfield Brewer would later sell to William Atkinson
1724 Residence in Charles City County: "p. 33 Deed ( ) 1724 Sackfield Brewer of Charles City Co., to William Attkinson of James City Co., for £47, 124 acres on head of James Duke's Mill Creek, bounded by the creek that divides said Brewer and his son James Brewer's land, James Duke's old mill road, York Hills, John Brunskill's line, Tobacco House run, James Duke's mill swamp, being part of a tract given said Sackfield Brewer by his [sic] father Barrett, with all houses, etc. Witt: Geo. Norvill, James (J) Tomson. Signed: Sackfield ( ) Brewer, Elenor (B) Brewer, Edmund Epes. Recorded 7 July 1724 Elener, wife of Sackfield Brewer, relinquished her dower right."^[10] Note: It appears this should be land left to Brewers by "her" father Barrett, referring to Elener's father. See entry 1725. Not sure if the error is in the original record or, more likely, in the transcript.
1725 "p. 48 Deed 3 Nov. 1725 Sackfield Brewer and Elinor his wife, of Westover Parish, Charles City Co., to William Atkinson of James Towne Parish, James City Co., for £61 r 125 acres on Chickahominy River Marsh, bounded by John Brunskill, James Duke's Mill Run, which is line between this land and land we sold to Wm Atkinson formerly, being land given said Brewers by her father Barrett. Wit: Geo. Nowell, James Norvell. Signed: Sackfield ( ) Brewer, Elener (B) Brewer. Recorded 3 Nov. 1725"^[11]
1725 November 1725, death of Sackfield Brewer in Charles City County, Virginia Colony
1726 "p 144 Deed 4 January 1726 William Maclin and Kathrine his wife of Surry Co., to Richard Ingram of Prince George Co., for £40, 150 acres in Westover Parish, bounded by Mosiers Creek. Land was devised to said Kathrine by will of her father Sackfield Brewer, dec'd, dated 20 Oct. 1699; with all houses etc. No witnesses. Signed: William Maclin, Kathrine (X) Maclin. Recorded 4 Jan. 1726^[12]
1729 "p. 248 Will of William Murry of Westover Parish ... £2 to Mary Brewer, widow of John Brewer, £5 to my Godson, son of John and Mary Brewer, 20 shillings, to be paid to his schoolmaster for schooling .... Dated: 14 June 1729. Wit: John (I) Johnson, John Bendall, John Edloe, Jr. Signed: Will'm (W) Murry 1 Oct 1729 Will presented by executor and proved by witnesses. Capt. John Soane and Mr. Henry Lound Edloe, Security."^[13]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} The Brewer Families of Colonial Virginia, 1626-1776, by Marvin T. Broyhill III
2. ↑ Passenger & Immigration Lists Index Vol 1, Filby, William. Gale Rock Co. Detroit 1981. P217: Brew, Sackfield, birthdate n.a., arrived VA, 1652, ref 2772, p43. Reference 2772 is "Early VA Immigrants 1623-1666, Greer, George C. 1912. Lists Brew, Sackfield transported by Mrs. Jane Harmer, Northumberland.
3. ↑ Dismukes, Bernice, "The Dismukes and Their Kin."
4. ↑ Cavaliers and Pioneers: Abstracts of VA Land Patents and Grants 1623-66, Nugent, P. 275, p298, p.484
5. ↑ Greer, p 43.
6. ↑ Weisiger, p 6.
7. ↑ Weisiger, p 18.
8. ↑ Parks, p 255
9. ↑ Parks, p 258
10. ↑ Weisiger, pp 4-5
11. ↑ Weisiger, p 6
12. ↑ Weisiger, p 18
13. ↑ Weisiger, pp 35-36

• Ancestry Family Trees Publication: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Text: http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=20155855&pid=689
• Greer, George Cabell, Early Virginia Immigrants, 1623-1666. Originally published: Richmond, Virginia, 1912. Reprinted: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., Baltimore: 1982.
• Parks, Gary, Indexer, Virginia Land Records, From The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, the William and Mary College Quarterly, and Tyler's Quarterly, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1982.
• Weisiger, Benjamin B. III, Charles City County, Virginia Colonial Records, 1725-1731. Athens, Georgia: Iberian Publishing Company, 1984, reprinted 1995.
• Ancestry Family Trees Publication: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members. Page: Ancestry Family Tree Data: Text: http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=62488236&pid=1022