George Brewer Sr
Born about 1670 in Isle of Wight County, Colonial Virginiamap
Son of [father unknown] and [mother unknown]
[sibling(s) unknown]
Husband of Sarah (Lanier) Brewer — married 1705 in Surry, Virginiamap
Husband of Alice (Burwell) Brewer — married 1729 in Brunswick, Virginiamap
Descendants descendants
Father of Howell Brewer, William Brewer, Oliver Brewer, Henry Brewer, Nathaniel Brewer, Sarah (Brewer) Vick, Lanier Brewer Sr, George Brewer Jr., Nicholas Brewer and John Brewer
Died about 2 Aug 1744 at about age 74 in Brunswick County, Colonial Virginiamap
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Brewer-710 created 14 Oct 2011 | Last modified 23 Jan 2025 | Last tracked change: 23 Jan 2025
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Biography
This profile is part of the Brewer Name Study.
George Brewer's date and place of birth are not known. No dated document which includes his age has been found. It is not known whether he was born in Virginia or was an immigrant.[1] Recent DNA testing has strongly suggested that he was not the son of John Brewer III; his parentage is definitely unknown.
There is also no historical evidence to suggest that his middle name was "Garrett". The oft-repeated "middle initial" given for him of "G" was simply his "mark" when he signed his "name" to his 1741 last will and testament, as can be clearly seen by the fact that immediately above and below that letter 'G', the scribe wrote the words "his mark" (as was common practice in legal documents at that time). Therefore, it wasn't any 'middle initial' at all. George Brewer had no middle name nor any middle initial in any historical document known to Brewer researchers. Let's please finally put this ill-founded (though endlessly-repeated) genealogical rumor to rest, once and for all.
George probably married in Virginia at least by 1705 to Sarah Lanier (born ca. 1686),[2] daughter of John Lanier[3][4] and 2nd (or 3rd) wife Mrs. Sarah Edmunds, widow of William Edmunds.[5]
Children of George & Sarah:[1]
George Brewer Jr., b. by 1700; d. 1760; m. Abigail Wyche
John Brewer, b. bet. 1700-1715; d. aft. 1767
Lanier Brewer, b. bet. 1700-1715; d. aft. 1752
Hoel/Howell Brewer, b. bet. 1700-1715; d. aft 1758
William Brewer, b. bet. 1700-1715
Nicholas Brewer, b. bet. 1705-1715; d. aft. Jul 1792
Sarah Brewer, b. by 1720; d. bef. 1787
There is no record of the death of Sarah (Lanier) Brewer nor the date of George's marriage to second wife Alice.[6]
Possible (unproved) children of George & Alice:[1]
Henry Brewer, b. bet. 1721-1726; d, abt. 1778. It is possible Henry was a son of Sarah Lanier.
Oliver Brewer, b. aft. 1721; d. 1729
Nathaniel Brewer, b. aft. 1721; d. aft. 1800
Will of George Brewer[7]
Brunswick County, Virginia
13 Jul 1741; 2 Aug 1744
-----IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN: This 13th day of July 1741, I George Brewer of the County of Brunswick, Virginia, 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, so 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 dwellith 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 Roanoak 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 Roanoak Road aforesaid to her and the heirs of her body.
-----Item. I give, devise and bequeath unto my 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 call Snip and feather to make him a bed.
-----Item. I give unto my 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 goods 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 will'd 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.
/s/ George Brewer (his mark G)
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
At a Court held for Brunwick County, on the 2nd day of Aug 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.
Sources
↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Chris Chester (2014). Brouwer Genealogy.
↑ Yates Publishing. U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900. Source number: 21837.000; Source type: Electronic Database; Number of Pages: 1; Submitter Code: WAY.
↑ Tyler, Lyon Gardiner, ed. Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography, Vol. I. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. p. 274.
"Lanier, John . . . made his will June 5, 1717, which is recorded in Prince George County and names children Nicholas, Sampson, John, Robert and Sarah married Brewer."
↑ Darden, Newton Jasper, compl. (1953) Darden Family History with Notes on Allied Families. p. 105.
"Children of Jonh Lanier of Prince George County, Virginia. . . Sarah (Lanier) Brewer (wife of George): bequest in will of 1 cow or heifer."
↑ Ingersoll, Louise. Lanier. p. 4.
↑ Broyhill (1992). Brewer Families of Colonial Virginia. p. 89.
↑ Brunswick County, Virginia, Will Book 2, 1739-1785. p. 91.
See also:
http://www.electricscotland.com/history/america/donna/picturebook/2... Taken from the book “Southern Kinsmen”, published C1977. By Grace Morrow Bryan
Source: S58 Abbreviation: Virginia Genealogical Society Quarterly Title: Ancestry.com, Virginia Genealogical Society Quarterly (Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2002.Original data - The Virginia Genealogical Society. Virginia Genealogical Society Quarterly and Magazine of Virginia Genealogy.Original data: The Virginia Genealogical Society. Virgini;) Repository: #R2
Profile page on RootsWeb
DNA More info at Brewer FamilyTreeDNA project: Lanier-Brewer Group [1] Brewer FTDNA Project
https://www.yfull.com/tree/I-Y15031/
George Garrett Brewer (LZ4F-JNX) on FamilySearch
