John Brewer (abt. 1626 - 1684)

Born about 1626 in England [uncertain]

Husband of Mary (Whitmore) Brewer — married 23 Oct 1647 in Ipswich, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Descendants

Died 22 Jun 1684 at about age 58 in Ipswich, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colony

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Two John Brewers Conflated

William H. Whitmore's article in NEHGR gives a case for separating the John Brewer of Cambridge and Sudbury, Massachusetts, from the John Brewer of Ipswich, Massachusetts.^[1] Whitmore's thesis relies on the marriages of John Brewer's son John. John Brewer of Cambridge had a son John who married Elizabeth in 1669 in Sudbury.^[2] John Brewer of Ipswich had a son John who married Susannah Warner in 1674 in Ipswich. The Ipswich John Brewer married Mary Whitmore in 1647. Had the Cambridge Brewer moved to Ipswich about 1647 (when his son was 5), then the son John who married Elizabeth Rice in 1669 would have been of Ipswich not Sudbury. The Ipswich John Brewer's son John married Susannah Warner.

Thus, I have moved the Ipswich John from John Brewer to this profile, along with parents Thomas Brewer and Unknown Unknown, wife Mary Whitmore and child Mary Brewer.

Biography

Date of Birth

Based on a deposition by John Brewer in November 1678, in which he testified that he was 52 years old,^[3] John was born about 1626.

Parentage

John's parentage is uncertain. Based on his will which mentions "father Brewer of Hamton" (or perhaps Hanton or Hanston^[4]), it is reasonably likely that John's father was "old goodman Brewer" who died in Hampton in 1690 and the father of Sarah Brewer, who married Thomas Webster in Hampton on November 2, 1657, and that their father had moved to live with Sarah in his old age.^[5][1] Based on the fact that Sarah's daughter Sarah Webster married William Lane, the son of Mary Brewer and William Lane, in Boston on June 21, 1680, it is also reasonably likely that the Sarah Brewer who was married in Hampton in 1657 was the sister of Mary Brewer who married William Lane.^[5][1] Since Mary Brewer's marriage record states that she was the daughter of Thomas Webster of Roxbury,^[5][1] it is reasonably likely, but uncertain, that John was the son of Thomas Brewer of Roxbury. Additional support for the proposition that Thomas Brewer of Roxbury was John's father comes from the fact that, as discussed in Thomas' profile, it is likely that Thomas Brewer of Roxbury was the same Thomas Brewer who had lived in Ipswich in 1639-1642 and, therefore, John's residency in Ipswich is consistent with their being related.

Since the wife of Thomas Brewer of Roxbury is unknown, John's mother is unknown.

Place of Birth

John's place of birth is uncertain. Assuming that he was born about 1626, he was probably born in England.

Marriage and Children

John married Mary Whitmore on October 23, 1647 in Ipswich.^[6][1][7][2]

John and Mary had the following children, all born in Ipswich:

1. Mary, b. September 23, 1648^[6][8][1]
2. John, b. October 6, 1653, m. 1st January 1674 Susanna Warner in Ipswich, m. 2d June 3, 1689 Martha Perkins in Ipswich. (See discussion and sources in John's profile.)
3. Sara, b. March 27, 1655^[6][8][1]

Will; Death; Estate

John made his will on June 14, 1684. In his will, he is described as John Brewer, Sen., of Ipswich. He made bequests to wife Mary, father Brewer of Hanton (or, perhaps, "Hanston" or "Hamton"), granchildren Edward Chapman and John Chapman, son John Bruer, and daughter Mary Chapman. John named "brother" Thomas Lull^[9] and Simon Stace as overseers and wife Mary as executrix.^[4][1]

According to the inventory report of John's estate, John died on June 22, 1684,^[4][1] although Ipswich town records state that he died on June 23, 1684.^[10][11]

The inventory of John's estate was taken on June 27, 1684 by Simon Stacy and Thomas Lull and totalled over £186, including his homestead and commonage (£80), seven acres of salt marsh (£28), clothing, furniture and various household items (including books and a looking glass), farm animals, and silver money.^[4]

John's will was probated on September 30, 1684.^[4][1]

Chronology of Records

• 1643. At a Quarterly Court held at Salem on December 27, 1643, John Bruer was presented for swearing and drunkenness and fined 1li 10s.^[12] (Since John Bruer's town of residence is not given, it is unclear whether this record relates to this profile's John Brewer, although it does seem the type of behavior that a 20-year old might engage in.)
• 1656. At a meeting of the Ispwich "7 men" on April 1, 1656, John Brewer, William Marchant, John Aniball and Thomas Newman were chosen for the viewing of the fences.^[13]
• 1660. At a Quarterly Court held at Ipswich on March 27, 1660, William Coggswell, John French, Jacob Perkins and John Brewer, all of Ipswich, were made free.^[14]
• 1660. By warrant dated July 4, 1660, the constables of Ipswich, Rowly and Toppesfield were directed to summon John Brewer, Obidiah Bridges and the wife of Edmund Deere as witnesses in a case aginst Daniel Black and William, an Irish man servant of William Pritchett.^[15]
• 1662. John Brewer was among those named to the grand jury at a Quarterly Court held at Ipswich on March 25, 1662.^[16]
• 1662. At a Quarterly Court held at Ipswich on March 25, 1662, in a case by Joanah Tuttle against Richard Shatswell, Richard Shatswell submitted an account of work he had performed for his aunt Tuttle, which included an entry for "halfe a day of goodman brooer and a day of my selfe, 4s."^[17]
• 1664. At a Quarterly Court held at Ipswich in March 1664, in connection with a case against Marke Qulter for striking the wife of Richard Shatswell, Mary Brewer testified that she saw a bruise on Goodwife Sachwell's thigh the day that Goodman Sachwell went to the Major's house to complain against Quilter.^[18]
• 1664. At a Quarterly Court held at Ipswich in May 1664, in connection with a case against Richard Shatswell for breach of the peace, John Brewer testified that he heard Caleb Kimball call to Samuell Lord to witness that Goodman Sachwell struck him.^[19]
• 1666. John Brewer was among those who served on the jury of trials at a Quarterly Court held at Ipswich on Mary 27, 1666.^[20]
• 1668. John Brewer was among those who served on the jury of trials at a Quarterly Court held at Ipswich on September 29, 1668.^[21]
• 1669. John Brewer and James Saward took an inventory of the estate of Thomas Maning on January 6, 1668/9.^[22]
• 1670. John Brewer was among those who served on the jury of trials at a Quarterly Court held at Ipswich on March 29, 1670.^[23]
• 1671. Nathaniel Piper of Ipswich gave John Brewer of Ipswich a letter of attorney dated March 7, 1670/1 to prosecute a complaint against Nathaniell Warner and Symon Stace for a libel that was published by them or others.^[24]
• 1673. A list of persons owed money in 1673 by the estate of Cornelius Kent, included John Brewer 5s.^[25]
• 1673. The will of Thomas Hart of Ipswich was proved by witnesses John Denison, Sr and John Brewer Sr on May 31, 1674 in Ipswich court.^[26]
• 1674. The will of George Smith of Ipswich dated April 13, 1674 was witnessed by John Brewer and Walter Roper.^[27]
• 1678. Letter of attorney dated March 26, 1678 given by the selectman of Ipswich, John Whipple, Danill Warner and John Brewer, to Mr. Jonathan Wade and Symon Stace.^[28]
• 1678. Jno. Whipple Sr and Jno Brewer Sr deposed that they went with Major Samll Appleton to the Linn Iron works when Mr. Purchase gave him possession from Mr. John Payne of Boston.^[29]
• 1678. On November 6, 1678, Robert Lord and Abraham Perkins deposed that they heard John Baker Jr say that "Bruer and Warner were damd toads and that the divell would have them."^[30]
• 1678. Jno Brewer, aged fifty-two years, testified. Sworn, Nov. 24, 1678.^[3]
• 1679. John Brewer was among those who served on the jury of trials at a Quarterly Court at Ipswich on April 1, 1679.^[31]
• 1682. The rates made on November 17, 1679 for the elder's salary, record in the records of a Quarterly Court at Ipswich in May 1682, included Srgt. Bruer (no doubt this profile's John Brewer), 6s, 3d and John Brewer Jr 7s.^[32]

^{[13] [10] [8] [32] [29] [31] [3] [30] [28] [27] [25] [26] [24] [23] [22] [21] [20] [19] [18] [17] [16] [12] [15] [14] [6] [4] [11] [7] [2] [5] [1]}

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10} Whitmore, William H. "Gleanings." The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Vol. 30 (1876). pp. 422-426. Link to pages at archive.org.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Torrey, Clarence Almon. New England Marriages Prior to 1700. Volume 1. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2015. p. 198. Link to page at americanancestors.org.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts. Volume VII 1678-1680. The Essex Institute, 1919. p. 117. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5} Essex County Probate Records, Vol. 304. pp. 101-103. Link to page at familysearch.org.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3} Brown, A.W. Brown. "Webster Family." The New England Historical and Genealogical Record. Vol. IX (1855). pp. 159-160. Link to page at archive.org.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3} Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts. Volume II 1656-1662. The Essex Institute, 1912. p. 346. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FH8W-KQH : 6 November 2017), John Brewer and Mary Whitmore, 23 Aug 1647; citing Marriage, Ipswich, Essex, Massachusetts, United States, Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston; FHL microfilm 007010724. (Incorrectly indexed as August 23, 1647.)
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1 8.2} Vital Records of Ipswich, Massachusetts to the End of the Year 1849. Volume I. Births. The Essex Institute, 1910. p. 45. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
9. ↑ John referred to Thomas Lull as his "brother" because their wives, Mary Whitmore and Elizabeth Whitmore, were sisters.
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1} Vital Records of Ipswich, Massachusetts to the End of the Year 1849. Volume II. Marriages and Deaths. The Essex Institute, 1910. p. 496. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1} "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QG1K-MWS7 : 29 November 2018), John Brewer, 23 Jun 1684; citing Death, Ipswich, Essex, Massachusetts, United States, Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston; FHL microfilm 007009714.
12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1} Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts. Volume I 1636-1656. The Essex Institute, 1911. p. 56. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1} Ipswich Commoners Records 1634-1720. p. 3. Link to page at ipswichma.gov.
14. ↑ ^{14.0 14.1} Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts. Volume II 1656-1662. The Essex Institute, 1912. p. 196. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
15. ↑ ^{15.0 15.1} Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts. Volume II 1656-1662. The Essex Institute, 1912. p. 243. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
16. ↑ ^{16.0 16.1} Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts. Volume II 1656-1662. The Essex Institute, 1912. p. 347. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
17. ↑ ^{17.0 17.1} Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts. Volume II 1656-1662. The Essex Institute, 1912. p. 363. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
18. ↑ ^{18.0 18.1} Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts. Volume III 1662-1667. The Essex Institute, 1913. p. 140. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
19. ↑ ^{19.0 19.1} Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts. Volume III 1662-1667. The Essex Institute, 1913. p. 151. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
20. ↑ ^{20.0 20.1} Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts. Volume III 1662-1667. The Essex Institute, 1913. p. 299. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
21. ↑ ^{21.0 21.1} Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts. Volume IV 1667-1671. The Essex Institute, 1914. p. 46. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
22. ↑ ^{22.0 22.1} Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts. Volume IV 1667-1671. The Essex Institute, 1914. p. 143. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
23. ↑ ^{23.0 23.1} Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts. Volume IV 1667-1671. The Essex Institute, 1914. p. 214. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
24. ↑ ^{24.0 24.1} Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts. Volume IV 1667-1671. The Essex Institute, 1914. p. 341. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
25. ↑ ^{25.0 25.1} Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts. Volume V 1672-1674. The Essex Institute, 1916. p. 136. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
26. ↑ ^{26.0 26.1} Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts. Volume V 1672-1674. The Essex Institute, 1916. p. 314. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
27. ↑ ^{27.0 27.1} Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts. Volume VI 1675-1678. The Essex Institute, 1917. p. 30. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
28. ↑ ^{28.0 28.1} Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts. Volume VI 1675-1678. The Essex Institute, 1917. p. 415. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
29. ↑ ^{29.0 29.1} Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts. Volume VII 1678-1680. The Essex Institute, 1919. p. 28. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
30. ↑ ^{30.0 30.1} Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts. Volume VII 1678-1680. The Essex Institute, 1919. p. 151. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
31. ↑ ^{31.0 31.1} Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts. Volume VII 1678-1680. The Essex Institute, 1919. p. 161. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
32. ↑ ^{32.0 32.1} Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts. Volume VIII 1680-1683. The Essex Institute, 1921. p. 309. Link to page at hathitrust.org.

See also:

• New England Family History (Henry Cole Quinby, New York, N.Y., 1907) P. 30
• Memorial: "Find a Grave", database, Find A Grave: Memorial #157794870 (accessed 23 April 2023), Memorial page for John Brewer I (6 Oct 1623-23 Jun 1684), citing Old Burying Ground, Ipswich, Essex County, Massachusetts, USA; Maintained by Mookie (contributor 47515129).
• FamilySearch Person: LZVS-GZG