John Brewer (1789 - 1837)

Born 24 Apr 1789 in Kingston, Frontenac, Upper Canada

Ancestors

Husband of Anne (Warner) Brewer — married 1807 in Kingston, Frontenac, Upper Canada

Descendants

Died 1837 at about age 47 in Pittsburgh, Frontenac, Upper Canada

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This profile is part of the Brewer Name Study.

Biography

John was a Friend (Quaker)

John Brewer was the son of Adam Brewer and Elizabeth Cooper. He married Ann Warner on 20 Sep 1807 in Upper Canada.

Quakerism

Following his immigration to Upper Canada, Aaron Brewer became an active member of the Religious Society of Friends. While resident in Upper Canada, he and his wife Elizabeth requested admission to the Nine Partners Monthly Meeting in New York in 1795. Both were accepted as members in 1796.^[1]

In 1799, the Nine Partners Monthly Meeting accepted Aaron Brewer’s request that his daughters Margaret, Sarah and Elizabeth be admitted to membership in 1799.^[2]

On November 19, 1807, a complaint against John Brewer was brought by the Kingston Preparative Meeting “for keeping Company With one not in Society & being Maried by A Preist and being too farmilar With Her Who is now his wife before Mariage wich is mansfest by Her haveing a Child soon after”.^[3]

He was disowned by the Adolphustown Monthly Meeting in 1808, with the Meeting issuing the following report: ^[4]

Whereas John Brower a member of this Meeting has so far diviated from the orders thereof as to keep company & mary one not in Unity with us, also used too much freedom with her in an unmaried state wich is manifested by her having a child so Early after mariage Wich said mis conducte we do testify against and Disown him to be any longer a member with us until he makes satisfaction to this meeting wich that he may be favored to Do is our desire

Signed in and by order of Adolphus Monthly Meeting held 17 of 3rd mo 1808

The minutes of the Adolphustown Monthly Meeting suggest that John Brewer was eventually re-admitted to membership.^[5]

Loyalist Land Petitions

Reid’s Loyalists in Ontario ^[6] records six children of Aaron Brewer of Kingston who filed UEL land claims, as follows:

• Margaret [+ Jarvis Worden of Kingston on 1 Jun 1804]
• John [+ Ann Warner on 20 Sep 1807]
• Sarah [+ William Spafford of Hallowell on 7 Aug 1808]
• Aaron
• Philip
• Elizabeth [+ William Jackson^[7] of Kingston]

Estate Litigation

The family tree of the Brewer family is discussed at length in Den v. Gifford (1827)^[8]. It records that John Brewer was the son of Aaron Brewer who had removed to Canada and died in 1802; that Aaron Brewer was the son of Eleazarus Brewer who died April 1821 in Monmouth, New Jersey; that Eleazarus Brewer was the son of Adam Brewer who died 13 January 1769 in Monmouth, New Jersey.

Sources

1. ↑ Swarthmore College Archives, Nine Partners Monthly Meetings, Men 1790 - 1797 (online at https://cfha.info/NP1790-97.pdf).
2. ↑ Swarthmore College Archives, Nine Partners Women Monthly Meetings 1794 - 1811 (online at: https://cfha.info/NP1794-11.pdf).
3. ↑ Canadian Quaker Archives and Library, Adolphustown Monthly Meeting Minutes 1798 – 1813 (online at: https://cfha.info/AdolphusO-2-1.pdf).
4. ↑ Canadian Quaker Archives and Library, Adolphustown Monthly Meeting Minutes 1798 – 1813 (online at: https://cfha.info/AdolphusO-2-1.pdf).
5. ↑ Canadian Quaker Archives and Library, Adolphustown Monthly Meeting Minutes 1798 – 1813 (online at: https://cfha.info/AdolphusO-2-1.pdf).
6. ↑ William D. Reid, The Loyalists in Ontario: The Sons & Daughters of The American Loyalists of Upper Canada, (Lambertville: Hunterdon House, 1973) at p 34.
7. ↑ Possibly referring to William Jackson (ca.1777-1818), son of James Jackson UE who fought in Jessup's Loyal Rangers
8. ↑ William Halstead, ed. New Jersey Law Reports, Vol 9 (Supreme Court of Judicature 1827-8) (Trenton, 1875) at p 46 ff.