Tenth Generation

720. George BREWER was born in 1658. He died in 1744 in Brunswick County, Virginia. He was buried in Meherrin Parish Graveyard. BIOGRAPHY: B R E W E R F A M I L Y

BIOGRAPHY: Of all the families that I have researched, with the exception of the AMYX family, I suppose I was happiest to discover our Brewer Family, and the wealth of information that surrounds this family. If anyone wants to find out more about this family, I would suggest and recommend that you purchase the book, The Long Brewer Line Colonial Family Genealogy, by Ben R. Brewer. This is a beautiful red, hardbound, leather-covered, book. The research that he has done is astounding.

BIOGRAPHY: I remember reading a newspaper article years ago that Mother had acquired while in Sanger on the family of Orlene Trent. The part I remembered the most was these ancestors were Huguenots. This intrigued me because I didn't know what or who the Huguenots were. I read the article and was impressed to find out we had French ancestors that were aristocratic and Protestants who pulled away from the Catholic Church in the 1500's and 1600's. These people were severely persecuted and very dedicated to their beliefs. They would fight to the very end for their religious convictions. If anyone is interested, I would recommend going to the Library and finding books about the Huguenots, or read about them in the encyclopedia.

BIOGRAPHY: I did not even recall being a descendant of the Brewer Family. When Edna Jones gave me her copies of the Seale and Greene books, I began to pour over them, digesting everything that I possibly could. On the trip home from Maryland last year, we stopped in Rogersville, TN. and I found Samuel and Nancy Brewer's marriage record. This excited me, so I began searching for more information in the courthouses. Roy and I went over to Hancock County Courthouse in Sneedville, TN. and started searching there. This is where I ran into a gold mine of information.

BIOGRAPHY: The courthouse in Sneedville burned twice. Records are scarce. The court clerk sent me over to the Register Office because they had been able to save quite a lot of the land deeds. As I was talking to the clerk about families I was researching, she wanted to know exactly who I was descended from in the Brewer family. When I told her Howell Cobb, she went into the vault and came out and copied some 30 pages or so and came over and handed them to me. She said, "I am your cousin". Roy almost flipped out. He had already said, "I bet you don't find any relatives in here". She also descended from Howell Cobb. In these records was a copy of a newspaper article telling about the D.A.R. celebration and placement of a "headstone" at Ambrose Brewer's grave. He was the Father of Howell Cobb. After I got home I read this article and found the name and address of our Brewer relatives in KY. who were responsible for this occasion. I wrote this cousin, and she sent me a booklet about AMBROSE BREWER, and told me about BEN BREWER and his book. Of course, I had to buy this book too!

BIOGRAPHY: The English historian Lord MaCaulay said, "A people that takes no pride in the accomplishments of their remote ancestors will probably produce nothing worthy of recollection by their obscure ancestors."

BIOGRAPHY: The generation of today has a total disdain for the past they believe irrelevant to their problems or needs, and indulges in excessive preoccupation with concerns of only the immediate moment. Hopefully, those of us who try to preserve our heritage on paper will be valued in years to come, if not now.


BIOGRAPHY: G E O R G E B R E W E R A N D S A R A H L A N I E R

BIOGRAPHY: Our ancestor and Brewer Grandsire, George, lived on the lower side of Reedy Branch in 1723 in Prince George County. Prince George County was formed from land on both sides of the James River. This land at one time had been part of Charles City County.# Most of this information has been obtained from two authors, Ben R. Brewer, and Marvin T. Broyhill, III, of Colonial Heights, VA. There is much speculation about the father of George Brewer. Many believe him to be the son of Nicholas Brewer. Others strongly suggest he is the son of Henry Brewer. Both of these men were the sons of a George Brewer found in Charles City records in the 1650's. In the book Brewer Families of Colonial Virginia, by Marvin T. Broyhill, III, we find: "It seems far more likely that George Brewer of Brunswick was the son of either Nicholas and Henry Brewer; both were probably the sons of the George Brewer who appears in Charles City County records during the late 1650's"

BIOGRAPHY: Broyhill's book is an interesting study done over several years on the Brewer families of Virginia. He has done an extensive study and covered practically all of the Brewer families, of which there were many that settled along the James River during the 17th Century. Broyhill could not connect our George Brewer to the John Brewer mentioned at the beginning of this chapter

BIOGRAPHY: George, Brewer was born ca 1658, and died 1744 in Brunswick County, VA. He married #1 Sarah Lanier, born ca 1686, and died ca 1728. George married Sarah Lanier in Charles City Co. VA, around 1705. She was the daughter of John Lanier, Jr, and his second wife Sarah Edmunds. The Lanier Family is the famous French Huguenot family that left France and fled to England to escape religious persecution. More about the Laniers is in the following chapter. George and Sarah Lanier Brewer are buried in the Meherrin Parish Graveyard.

BIOGRAPHY: I would like to enclose the will of George Brewer, I.

BIOGRAPHY: In the NAME OF GOD AMEN: This 13th day of July 1741, I George Brewer of the County of Brunswick, VA. being very sick and weak in body but of perfect mind and memory thanks be given unto God therefore calling unto mind the mortality of my body and knowing that it is appointed for all men once to die, do make and ordain this my Last Will and Testament. That is to say, principally and first of all, I give and recommend my soul into the hands of God that gave it. And my body I recommend to the Earth to be buried in a decent Christian burial at the discretion of my Exor. Not doubting but at the General Resurrection I shall receive the same again by the mighty power of God. And as touching such worldly estate wherewith it hath pleased Almighty God to bless me in this life, I give devise and dispose of the same in the following manner and form. IMPRIMIS. I give devise and bequeath unto my son William Brewer that parcel of land whereon he now dwelleth beginning at the branch on this side of his house and all on the south side thereof to him and his heirs forever. Item. I give devise and bequeath unto my son Oliver Brewer all the rest of this tract of land whereon I now dwell to him and his heirs forever. Item. I give devise and bequeath unto my son Henry Brewer all that tract of land between Fountain Creek and Rattle Snake Creek to him and his heirs forever. Item. I give, devise and bequeath unto my son Nathaniel Brewer two hundred and fifty acres of land lying on both sides of the old Roanoke Road, to him and his heirs forever. Item. I give devise and bequeath unto my daughter Sarah Vick one hundred and fifty acres of land lying on both sides of the old Roanoke Road aforesaid to her and the heirs of her body. Item. I give and bequeath unto Alice my dearly beloved wife that estate whereon we now dwell together with all my household goods and stock both within doors and without doors for the maintenance of all my younger children that hath pleased God to give me by her during her life or until she marry again. Item. I give unto my son Lanier Brewer a young steer. Item. I give unto my son George Brewer a young horse. Item. I give unto my son Nicholas Brewer a cow and calf. Item. I give unto my son John Brewer a cow and calf. Item. I give unto my son Hoel Brewer a young horse that we I call Snip and feathers to make him a bed. Item. I give unto my son Henry Brewer a gun. Item. I give unto my son Oliver Brewer a gun. Item. I give unto my son Nathaniel Brewer a gun. Item. It is my true will, intent and pleasure that when my wife dies or marries again that my personal estate together with all my household good and stock both within doors and without doors may be equally divided among my younger children that it has pleased God to give me by her. And lastly, I hereby constitute make and ordain my dearly beloved wife Alice my Exor. and my son Hoel Brewer my Exor. of this my last will and testament to see that it be duly and honestly performed according to the true interest and meaning thereof. And I do hereby utterly, disallow, revoke and disannul all and every other former testaments, wills, legacies, and requests and executions by me in any ways before named willed and bequeathed ratifying and confirming this and none other for to be my last will and testament. In witness whereof I have here set my hand and seal the day and year above written.
X His mark
George B. Brewer (L.S.).

BIOGRAPHY: Signed, sealed, published, and declared by George Brewer as his last will and testament in the presence of us the subscribers.
Douglas Powell
M. Shaw
John Norwood

BIOGRAPHY: At a court held for Brunswick Co. on the 2nd day of August 1744 this will was presented in Court by Alice Brewer and Howell Brewer the Exors. therein named who made oath thereto according to law and was proved by the Oaths of Douglas Powell and Middleton Shaw two of the witnesses thereto and ordered to be recorded and on the motion of the said Exors. certificate is granted them for obtaining a Probate in due form.
Test. Ster Clack, Cir Cur.
Brunswick Co. Will Book 2 - 1739-1785, P. 91.

BIOGRAPHY: Note: I would like to explain the early counties of Virginia, to show where our Brewer's exactly lived. Brunswick County was formed in 1720. The parent county or Territory from which it was organized was Prince George, Isle of Wight, and before that, Surrey. The county seat was Lawrenceville. Prince George, created 1702, was made out of Charles City. County seat was Charles City

721. Sarah LANIER was born in 1686. She died in 1728 in Brunswick County, Virginia. She was buried in Meherrin Parish Graveyard. BIOGRAPHY: Sarah Lanier was the daughter of John Lanier, Jr. and his second wife, a widow by the name of Sarah Edmunds. She married George Brewer. She is the granddaughter of John Lanier, Sr. the Huguenot Immigrant from England to Virginia. This line goes back to Nicholas Lanier who married Lucreece Bassano in London. Nicholas played for the King of France, became a French Protestant and had to flee to England, there becoming musician of the King and Queens Court.

BIOGRAPHY: The Bassanos were an Italian Jewish family who played for the Dogge of Venice, later going to England and were instrument makers and musicians for the Kings and Queens for over 150 years, or 3 generations just as were the Laniers. In England the Bassanos were members of the Church of England.

BIOGRAPHY: You may become a member of the Huguenot Society through this line. Children were:

360	i.	Howell BREWER.
	ii.	William BREWER was born in 1705.
	iii.	Oliver BREWER was born in 1707.
	iv.	Henry BREWER was born in 1708.
	v.	Nathaniel BREWER was born in 1710.
	vi.	Sarah BREWER was born in 1712.
	vii.	Lanier BREWER was born in 1714.
	viii.	George BREWER was born in 1716.
	ix.	NIcholas BREWER was born in 1717.
	x.	John BREWER was born in 1718.