Nathan R Brewer (1795-1860s)


I have been trying to determine whether Nathan R Brewer might be one of Isaac Brewer’s (1763-1852) sons. There was a Nathan Brewer serving in the War of 1812 in Colonel John Pray’s 2nd Regiment of the Georgia Militia.  Isaac Brewer also served in the Georgia Militia, though in a different company, as an old man.  They would not likely have enlisted at the same time, and thus in the same company, because Isaac was not called into service because of his age.  He later volunteered and was accepted.  Nathan would have enlisted right away, likely, being a young man.  It is possible, of course, that these two men were not father and son, though I am confident that they were related in some way.

Later, in 1830, Isaac had a Nathan Brewer living next door to him in McMinn County.  This, again, leads me to believe that there was a close relation between them.  Father and son would be a good assumption.  This Nathan Brewer was recorded in that census record as being born between 1800 and 1810, which is a little off if he is the same one as served in the War of 1812.  That might have been a different man by the same name.  He had a wife who was born between 1790 and 1800.  They had a son who was born between 1825 and 1830 (maybe Isaac, or maybe an unknown son that died before 1840), and two daughters born between 1820 and 1825.

There was a Nathan R Brewer who had a son named Isaac Brewer (co-incidence?) who was born in Tennessee in about 1831.  Isaac Brewer (b 1831) might have served in the Civil War on the Union side. This same Nathan Brewer left Tennessee by about 1837/1838 and moved to Moscow, Hickman County, Kentucky.  This was within the same time period that Isaac Brewer (1763-1852) moved from McMinn County, Tennessee.

Nathan R Brewer then moved to Scott County, Missouri which was near Hickman County, Kentucky.  Here he had a son, Eli Brewer, in about 1837 or 1838.  Eli served in the Civil War on the Union side at the age of 25.  While in Kentucky, he also had a son, James Brewer, in about 1840.  In the 1840 Census there he had a son (Eli) and daughter age 0-5 (born between 1835 and 1840), a son (Isaac) and 2 daughters age 5-10 (born between 1830-1835), and a daughter age 10-15 (born between 1825 and 1830).  James probably wasn’t born yet when the census was taken.  His wife was age 30-40 (born 1800-1810).  Her age is a bit off from Nathan Brewer’s wife that was in the 1830 census in McMinn County, Tennessee. This could mean that his first wife died and he married a bit younger one between 1830 and 1840. Or the age could be wrong in this census, since in the 1850 she is shown as born in 1796 (age 54).  Nathan R Brewer is shown as age 30-40 (born 1800-1810).  This is consistent with his age given in the 1830 Census of McMinn County, Tennessee – leading me to believe that it is the same Nathan Brewer.

In about 1843, Nathan had a son named William Albert Brewer in Burton, Scott County, Missouri.  He served in the Civil War on the Union side at the age of 18.  In 1850, he was still living in Scott County, MIssouri.  Here he was listed as being 55 years old (born 1795) farmer.  This is a few years off from the 1830 and 1840 Census.  He was born in Georgia, which is consistent with him being Isaac Brewer’s (1763-1852) son.  His wife, Mary Ann, was born 54 years old (born 1796) which is consistent with the 1830 census, but a little off from the 1840 census.  She was born in Tennessee, which would make sense since the one Nathan Brewer lived in McMinn County, Tennessee in 1830 with his wife of that age range.  Their children were listed as Isaac Brewer (a 19 years old laborer born in Tennessee), Eli Brewer (12 year old born in Tennessee), James Brewer (10 years old and born in Kentucky), and William H Brewer (10 years old and born in Missouri).  All of these boys are consistent in age with other census records and their birth places make sense with the other records I have seen.

Nathan acquired 160 acres of land 10 Oct 1853 in Scott County, Missouri (Section 7, Twp 26 N, Range 14E, 5th Meridian PM).  After that, he seems to disappear.  Perhaps had died or moved.  As mentioned above, at least 2 if not 3 of his sons fought for the Union during the Civil War.

As for all those unknown daughter of Nathan Brewer’s, there were three Brewer girls that got married in Scott County, Missouri at about the right time.  There are Nancy Brewer (married Thomas Simons 17 Aug 1841), Civility Brewer (married Elias Harris 24 Mar 1842), and Lucinda Brewer (married Alford Rush 16 Jan 1845).  It is interesting, though may mean nothing, that Eli Brewer (Nathan’s son) had a daughter whom he named Nancy (named after his sister?), and my great, great grandmother was named Nancy Lucinda Brewer (coincidence or named after Nancy and Lucinda?).  That’s about all I have to go on, as to whether or not these girls were the daughters of Nathan.  I am still missing one even if they are, though she might have died before 1850.  Incidentally, Nathan ended up in Missouri and so did Jacob Fletcher Brewer, who I believe to be another of Isaac’s sons, though they did not move to the county.  Also, both lived in Kentucky at one time, though again it was not in the same county.

Using the information I have gathered so far, I am fairly confident that Nathan Brewer was a son of Isaac Brewer (1763-1852), though he might not have been the same one who was in the War of 1812 in Georgia.  His age wavers a bit from one record to the next, but other information is quite consistent.  I still plan to do some more digging, however.

Written by Mary Andersen


Sources ~

War of 1812 Brewer Family Enlistments
1830 US Federal Census ➚– McMinn County, Tennessee (Isaac & Nathan Brewer)
1840 US Federal Census ➚ – Scott County, Missouri (N R Brewer)
Marriage Records
1850 US Federal Census ➚ – Scott County, Missouri (Nathan R Brewer)
1860 US Federal Census ➚ – Scott County, MIssouri (Eli Brewer)
Civil War Enlistments

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