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Susanna (Sommers) Brasier (abt. 1623 - bef. 1694)

Susanna (Susannah) Brasier formerly Sommers aka Spicer, Wathens, Thomas, Brazier
Born about in Englandmap
Ancestors ancestors
Daughter of [uncertain] and [uncertain]
Sister of , [half], [half], [half] and [half]
Wife of — married 30 Oct 1643 in New Amsterdam, New Netherlandmap
Wife of — married 9 Oct 1644 in New Amsterdammap
Descendants descendants
Mother of , , , , , , , , , , , , , and
Died before before about age 71 in Queens, New Yorkmap
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Profile last modified | Created 3 Nov 2014
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Susannah (Sommers) Brasier was a New Netherland settler.
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The Birth Date is a rough estimate. See the text for details.

Contents

Biography

Susannah was an English-born settler in New Netherland. If it is assumed she was 20 at her first marriage, she was born in England in 1623.[1]

Susannah's origin is uncertain. The earliest record known for her is her first marriage in 1643, when she was identified as Susanna Sommers. Although "Sommers" is too different from "Spicer" to be convincingly dismissed as an recording error and there are no records calling her "Spicer," she is typically treated as a daughter of Thomas Spicer of Gravesend, Long Island, assumed to have been named Susanna Spicer. One piece of evidence for the relationship to Thomas Spicer is the will of Thomas Spicer of Gravesend, dated Sept. 30, 1658, which left "To Susannah Brasier, wife of Henery Brasier, 80 guilders, for her four children."[2] William Hoffman observed, however, that while the will referred to Samuell Spicer as Thomas Spicer's son, it did not name Susanna Brasier or Ann Lake, who received a similar legacy, as daughters. Additional evidence for Thomas Spicer as her father is a pair of baptism records that call her Susanna Thomas, which suggests that her father's first name was Thomas. Hoffman notes, however, that if Thomas Spicer had been Susanna's father, he and his wife would be expected to have witnessed the baptism of at least one of her children. Hoffman speculated that Susanna might have been a child of Thomas Spicer's wife, born in an earlier marriage. [3]

Marriages

Susannah was first married to "Willem Otkens" in New Amsterdam, New Netherland, on 30 October 1643. He died shortly after marriage, as she is recorded as marrying "Henrij Brezier" on 9 October 1644.

Wardell calls this first husband "William Watkin," and attributes her as a daughter of Thomas Spicer.[4]

The transcription of the record of her first marriage to "Willem Otkens" calls her "Susanna Sommers." In her second marriage to Henrij Brezier the following year, she is "Susanna Wathens" widow "Van Willem Wathens".

Children

Thomas Spicer's will of 1658 references "her four children."

Susannah's will of 1694 references three sons and four daughters (two of whom are named).

Children living in 1694

  1. Henry
  2. Isaac
  3. Abraham
  4. Sarah
  5. Susannah
  6. unnamed daughter
  7. unnamed daughter

Research note: In her will, Susannah refers to Henry Brasier's 1689 will as giving her authority over his estate. His profile has a couple images from a source that says his will names the three sons Henry, Isaac and Abraham and "four daughters". Unclear whether the daughters are named.

Liber 5-6; Will of SUSANNAH BRASIER, in New York. Surrogate's Court (New York County); New York. Prerogative Court; Robert H Kelby; and William Smith Pelletreau. Abstracts of wills on file in the Surrogate's Office, City of New York, 1665-1801. (New York, New York: Printed for the New York Historical Society, 1893-1909 [i.e. 1913]) 1:245.

As posted on G2G: "In the Name of God, Amen, this 10 day of July, 1694, I, Susannah Brasier, of New York, being sound in body, and knowing that I am ordained to die." Having full power by the will of my late husband Henry Brasier, dated April 23, 1689, to dispose of all the estate, I give to my son Henry Brasier, one half of the land in the Smith's Vly, where he hath built upon during his life, and then to his daughter Susannah. I leave to my son Isaac Brasier, the other half during his life, and then to his daughter Susannah. I leave to my son Abraham my house and ground in this city on condition that it be appraised, and what it is worth more than the land in the Smith's Vly, the surplus is to be paid to my four daughters, and after his death the house and lot is to go to his son Henry. Leaves household goods to her daughters Sarah and Susannah. Leaves to each of her grandchildren a silver spoon, value 10 shillings. Leaves to Mary Barnes, daughter of Mary Brasier, a bedstead. To Susanah Brown a morning gown. To grandchild Henry Brasier, son of Abraham, a silver cup. A piece of meadow at Maspeth Kills on Long Island "next to Butchers" is to be sold to pay burial expenses. Makes her son Abraham and her friend Abraham Messier, executors.

Witnesses, P. DeLanoy, Peter Messier. Proved before Governor Benjamin Fletcher, November 29, 1694, and the executors confirmed

Death and Legacy

In her will dated 10 July 1694, "Susannah Brasier" of New York names[5]

  • late husband Henry Brasier
  • son Henry Brasier, and his daughter Susannah
  • son Isaac Brasier, and his daughter Susannah
  • son Abraham, and his son Henry
  • four daughters
  • daughter Sarah
  • daughter Susannah
  • Mary Barnes, daughter of Mary Brasier (relationship not stated)
  • Susannah Brown (relationship not stated)

Her will was proved 29 Nov 1694, indicating she was deceased by that date.

Church Records

Marriage
  • 1643. den 30 Octob. Willem Otkens, j. m. Uijt Engelt., en Susanna Sommers, j. d. als voren. [6]
  • 1644 Oct 09 Henrij Brezier, j.m. Uijt de Provincie Van Essex, en Susanna Wathens, Wede. Van Willem Wathens. [7]
Children's baptisms
  • 1663. den 29 Jul. Hendrick Breyser, Susanna Thomas. Henry. Wit: Hillegond Pieters.[8]

Sources

  1. ↑ Chester, Chris. "The Brouwer Genealogy Database." http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~brouwergenealogydata/index.htm. Susannah Spicer. Accessed 19 May 2020.
  2. ↑ McQueen, David (comp.) "Kings County, N. Y. Wills." The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, volume 47, number 3 (July 1916) pages 226-227. Citing Gravesend Records, Liber 3, page 112
  3. ↑ Hoffman, William J. "The Founders of the Bras(s), Brasser, Bresser, Bries and Brazier Families," The American Genealogist, Vol. 21 (1944), "Brasier, Brasher, Breser," pages 155-158.
  4. ↑ Wardell: File: BCFam-W.pdf, Susanna Thomas Spicer
  5. ↑ "Abstracts of Wills on File in the Surrogate's Office, City of New York, Vol. 1, 1665-1707." Collections of the New-York Historical Society For the Year 1892. Vol. 25 (1893), page 245
  6. ↑ Collections NY Gen. & Biog. Soc.: 1890, Vol. 1, Page 12. Note: 30 October is the date of the registration of marriage intentions; the marriage date is not in the record.
  7. ↑ Collections NY Gen. & Biog. Soc.: 1890, Vol. 1, Page 13
  8. ↑ Evans, Thomas Grier. "Records of the Reformed Dutch Church in New Amsterdam and New York. Baptisms from 25 December, 1639 to 27 December, 1730." Collections of the New-York Genealogical and Biographical Society. Vol 2. New York: Printed for the Society, 1901. Page 70.
  • Collections of the New-York Genealogical and Biographical Society|Collections of the New-York Genealogical and Biographical Society]] (New York)
  • Chester, Chris. "The Brouwer Genealogy Database." freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~brouwergenealogydata. Accessed 01 Sep 2017. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~brouwergenealogydata/index.htm Susannah Spicer
  • Hoffman, William J. Hoffman. "The Founders of the Bras(s), Brasser, Bresser, Bries and Brazier Families," The American Genealogist, Vol. 20 (1943), pp. 140-148, 215-223; Vol. 21 (1944), pp. 147- 158.
  • Wardell, Patricia A. Early Bergen County Families njgsbc.org. Accessed 01 Sep 2017.

Acknowledgements

  • Spicer-629 was created by Jean Boland through the import of Boland_Vaughan Family Tree.ged on Nov 25, 2014.




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Comments: 14

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Simmons-11603 Becky Simmons
After posting below I found a plethora of information from reading fine print on that other hint which lead me to a connection with the Tilton Family who happen to have a published book on their early family history that also mentions the Brasier and Spicer families. I created the citations through info searching as before and while I don't have a formal citation for the online version published by FamilySearch, I have the web page to link it and I accessed it around 12:30am July 14, 2022. Here are some excerpts ( NOTE: there are lots of misspellings- even considering the Old English lexicon but the only things changed, for example, are when a space was created mid-word- that was not in the original text - thusly created from my copying and pasting):
  • "BRASIER: Henry Brasier(Brazier) was an Englishman from the shire of Essex, England, and was in New Amsterdam as early as 1644, in which year he married Susanna, the daughter of Thomas and Michall Spicer, and widow of William Watkyns or Wathers. On September 4, 1645, Governor Kieft, of New Amsterdam, confirmed to Henry Braser a piece of ground, just north of the ferry (Fulton Street) on Long Isand, having a frontage on the East River of 686 feet, and said to contain 16 morgens 48 rols. (Pernow: Col. Hist. XIV, p. 61; Stiles" "King's Co," p. 86.) This property was approximately opposite te Brasier's home on Manhattan Isi at "Deutil Bay" or "Hopton," and Brasier used his Long Island property for the growing of tobacco and the maintenance of live stock..."
  • "...In 1649 we find Henry Brasier the owner of land and a dwelling house, adjoining Secretary Van Tienhoven's farm, on Manhattan Island, which he had obtained from Nicholas Stillwell, the "Tobacco Planter," who had obtained it previously from Philip de Truy (Trieux). In that year Nicholas Stillwell promised to furnish Brasier with palisades enough to fence in the property along the river road, and within two years to furnish enough more palisades to fence the other sides of the land. Henry Brasier remained in possession of this property until 1653, when he built a new house a short distance beyond the ferry, on some land which he land acquired there..."
  • "From the Gravesend records under date of October 22, 1650, it appears that John Vawhan, Richard Panton and Thomas Steevens of Gravesend, cut into litigation concerning a borrowed canoe which was not returned to the owner, and from the deposition in the case it appears that Henry Brasier had had a ride in this canoe just before it became lost:..."
  • "On October 15, 1654, we find Henry Brasier mortgaging his house lot and garden on Manhattan Island to Thomas Spicer, his father-in-law, and John Hall.

It is likely that during the time he left New Amsterdam Brasier went to Gravesend, where his wife's people lived. In 1659 we find Henry Brasier deciding to purchase a place in Gravesend, for on April 5, 1659, he obtained by deed from James Sartell "a certaine parcell of Land to ye Quantitie of halfe one acor with a dwelling house thereon and pte of an Orchard" in that place. The witness to the conveyance was John Tilton. (Grav. Rec. 11, p. 52). However, Brasier must have changed his mind about keeping this property, for on March 20, 1660, he conveyed it to Joane Super / Siper, the witness being John Tilton, "Cler (Grav. Rec. 11, pp. 63 and 64) Henry Brasier was still in Gravesend on October 6, 1660, for on that date he and John Tilton were witnesses to deed, given by the above Joane, who was then the wife of Richard Aste, to John Emans, for the same property (Grav. Rec. 11, p. 70)."

    • "Henry and Susana (Spicer) Brasier were the parents of four daughters, and this number of children is named in the will of Thomas Spicer, of Gravesend, dated September 30, 1658. One of the daughters, Rebecca Brazier, born April 22, 1648, married Peter Tilton, son of John and Mary Tilton, of Gravesend, April 22, 1663..."

FROM:

Tilton, Francis Theodore. History of the Tilton Family in America, V. 1, No. 1. 1. 1st ed. Vol. 1. 8 vols. Clifton, New Jersey: F. T. Tilton, 1927.pages 100-102.
  •  : Online at:
https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/viewer/50718/?offset=414634#page=53&viewer=picture&o=search&n=0&q=Brazier

Or click here: [1]

Cheers! Becky Elizabeth

posted by Becky Simmons
Simmons-11603 Becky Simmons
The bio states the same thing I thought about Sommers and Spicer being too different for an error of names but what it didn't mention were the tons of variations we have here and elsewhere for Braiser / Brayser / Breysier / Bressier / Braisser and in thinking of this I looked up English Immigrants to Ew York with variants and came up with "Bresser"- one I hadn't thought of nor used on WikiTree, FamilySearch, Ancestry etc. A Susannah "Spicer" Bresser search gives a will from connected father Thomas Spicer dated September 30, 1658 and proven early November of the same year. It calls him Thomas Spicer of Gravesend (sp?)and it mostly references the executors; wife named Michall / Michelle(?)and a son Samuell
"... to Ann Lake, wife of John Lake, 60 guilders for benefit of her three children. To Susannah Brasier, wife of Henry Brasier, 80 guilders, for her four children. For mending of highway in the Lane to the fort ward, 40 guilders. For fencing the burial place, 20 guilders."

Wit.: Richard Gibbens and John Titlton (Gravesend Records, Lib. 3, p. 112).

David McQueen, "Kings County, N.Y., Wills", New York Genealogical and Biographical Record Vol.47, pp.161-170 (1916): 47:227-228.

  • This would refute the part about no mention / record of Susannah as a Spicer. There were also several items that came up with ties to the Stillwell family progenitors. One such record is found on page 137 of the cited text below titled "Brasier Family".

I saw an Ancestry hint but haven't paid to renew so I took a screenshot of some of the text in the (hint) image and did a reverse Google search. I found that it came from this book and then plugged what info I had in another search to get AbeBooks, Amazon etc until I had it all to use the Citation machine. My apologies if something is not correct with the citation but it should be (Chicago format).

  • Stillwell, John E. The History of Lieutenant Nicholas Stillwell, Progenitor or the Stillwell Family in America : with Some Notices of the Family in the Kingdom of Great Britain. 1st ed. New York, NY: New York, 1929. Page 137.


  • Lastly there is a FindaGrave Memorial for all of them but Susanna's is here: [1] and now has the aforementioned will in the bio along with other sources that I am sure more experienced members in the project here could confirm or refute more quickly than I could here are a few:

* mentioned as the "Daughter of Thomas Spicer"...

William J. Hoffman, "The Founders of the Bras(s), Brasser, Bresser, Bries and Brazier Families", The American Genealogist Vol. 20, pp. 140-148, 215 223; Vol. 21, pp. 147- (1944).

  • Reference for a Susanna/h as witness to 2 baptisms:

Thomas Grier Evans, editor, Baptisms from 1639 to 1730 in the Reformed Dutch Church, New York, Collections of the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, Vol. 2 (New York: Printed for the Society, 1901), page 149. Willem; parents: Willem Chester, Seeuw Gerrits; witnesses: Willem Pree, Susanna Bresers.

  • July 10, 1694 the written will of "Susanna Brasier wife of the late Henry Brasier..." found in:
New York (County) Surrogate's Court Abstracts of Wills on file in the Surrogate's Office, City of New York (Volume I. 1665-1707), Collections of the New York Historical Society (New York: Printed for the Society, 1892), page 245. Susannah Brasier.

I hope this can help all of us working on the profiles as well as those that share these direct ancestors (some of my 11th great grandparents).

If nothing is useful, a polite reply about where I went wrong is appreciated but please know this is only written to suggest a new pathway to find in formation and not an attempt to undermine anyone's research or the great work done on these profiles already. Cheers! Becky Elizabeth WikiTree ID: Simmons-11603

posted by Becky Simmons
edited by Becky Simmons
Athey-67 Darlene (Athey) Athey-Hill
Spicer-612 and Spicer-462 appear to represent the same person because: clear duplicates; please merge.
posted on Spicer-462 (merged) by Darlene (Athey) Athey-Hill
Meehan-411 Beryl Meehan
Spicer-612 and Spicer-462 are not ready to be merged because: Can't get NNS to complete
posted on Spicer-462 (merged) by Beryl Meehan
Meehan-411 Beryl Meehan
See Heather's comments: It's definitely a duplicate and should be merged away by a New Netherland leader.

Heather noted: There is a question on her parentage though. She's called Susannah Sommers in her first marriage record not Spicer, and the relationship to Thomas Spicer is based on leaving her 80 guilders in his will (but not calling her "my daughter"). I think the parents should be changed to "Uncertain"; right now they are set as Confident."

NOTE: on her parent's profile is stated: Meech, History of the Descendants of Peter Spicer, p.10, Thomas' children with Ann Grant Spicer were: - Susannah is included in the list

posted on Spicer-612 (merged) by Beryl Meehan
edited by Beryl Meehan
Husted-87 H Husted
Thomas Spicer married Ann Grant in Kent 1626.

Susannah married in New Amsterdam in 1643 (as "Susannah Sommers"). If she was their child, she would be unusually young. I suppose she could be his child by an unknown first wife. No marriage record for them though.

There's nothing connecting Thomas Spicer and Susannah Sommers besides the bequest in his will (where he mentions "son Samuel" but doesn't call Susannah his daughter).

Ann Lake also got a bequest for her children, but he doesn't call her daughter either.

I created a g2g attached to Thomas Spicer requesting help looking for baptism records for children of Thomas Spicer.

posted on Spicer-612 (merged) by H Husted
Husted-87 H Husted
Oh I just noticed another connection between Susanna and Thomas Spicer. In Oct 1654, her husband Henry Brezier mortgaged his house to Thomas Spicer and Thomas Hall, then in Nov 1654, Spicer and Hall sued Brezier!
posted on Spicer-612 (merged) by H Husted
Smith-62120 Ellen Smith
Hoffman speculated that Susanna (and presumably also Ann Lake) could have been the child of Thomas Spicer's first wife by HER previous marriage. That is an interesting theory -- it could explain how the familial relationship could have existed in spite of the different last names (Sommers vs Spicer) and the likelihood that Susanna was born before Thomas married.

The New Netherland Settlers convention on LNABs would indicate that her LNAB should be Sommers (the earliest last name recorded for her). I think that makes some sense in this instance. Other thoughts on this????

posted on Spicer-612 (merged) by Ellen Smith
edited by Ellen Smith
Husted-87 H Husted
Oh that’s an interesting theory they were stepdaughters. I think the LNAB name change to Sommers is sound. I did notice that Ann Lake named a daughter Michal (Spicer’s second wife’s name).
posted on Spicer-612 (merged) by H Husted
Smith-62120 Ellen Smith
Thanks, Healther. I will change her LNAB to Sommers and mark the parents uncertain (for now).
posted on Spicer-612 (merged) by Ellen Smith
Meehan-411 Beryl Meehan
Please could we complete this merge

https://www.wikitree.com/index.php?title=Special:MergePerson&user1_name=Spicer-612&user2_name=Spicer-462&action=compare

posted on Spicer-612 (merged) by Beryl Meehan
Meehan-411 Beryl Meehan
Replied on G2G
posted on Spicer-612 (merged) by Beryl Meehan
Meehan-411 Beryl Meehan
Spicer-612 and Spicer-462 appear to represent the same person because: Married to same man, his profile just now merged with a duplicate
posted on Spicer-462 (merged) by Beryl Meehan

Featured National Park champion connections: Susannah is 13 degrees from Theodore Roosevelt, 18 degrees from Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger, 11 degrees from George Catlin, 12 degrees from Marjory Douglas, 19 degrees from Sueko Embrey, 12 degrees from George Grinnell, 24 degrees from Anton Kröller, 12 degrees from Stephen Mather, 20 degrees from Kara McKean, 15 degrees from John Muir, 14 degrees from Victoria Hanover and 24 degrees from Charles Young on our single family tree. Login to find your connection.

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Categories: New Netherland Settlers | New Netherland Project-Managed | New Netherland Settlers Project Needs More Records | Estimated Birth Date