Life History

Notes

• Virginia, Marriages, 1740-1850
  Elizabeth Dolton
  Spouse Name John Brewer
  Marriage 12 Jun 1820 Shenandoah County, Virginia
  
  1850 Federal Census, Rockingham County, Virginia, 23 October, Hse #134, Fam #139
  John Brewer 56 M Collier $6000 Real Estate b Virginia Cannot read and write
  Elizabeth Brewer 54 F b Virginia
  Rhoda Brewer 30 F Farmer b Virginia
  Nancy Brewer 23 F b Virginia
  Elizabeth Brewer 17 F b Virginia
  John Brewer 15 M Farmer b Virginia
  Michael Brewer 7 M b Virginia
  John Simmons 30 M Farmer b Virginia Cannot read and write
  
  One researcher comments on John's entry on the 1860 census that his name is John W Brewer.
  
  "John W Brewer:  I believe this to be John BREWER, listed in household with daughter Eliza Brewer McDaniel."
  --  Comment on Ancestry.com, "bighollytree991," 25 October 2008
  
  At some point after the 1850 cenrsus, John Brewer moved the family to Tenenssee.  His wife Elizabeth also died some time before this 1860 census in Tennessee.  We lack information to determine whether she died in Tennessee or Virginia.  We have no date of death for their move to Tennessee or Elizabeth's death.  In the 1860 census in Coffee County, Tennessee, John is reported living in the household of his daughter Eliza McDaniel.
  
  1860 Federal Census, Coffee County, Tennessee, 25 June, 1st Civil District, PO Beech Grove, page 66, Hse/Fam #464
  John McDaniel 43 M Carpenter $0 Real Estate $200 Personal $200 born Kentucky [b abt 1817]
  Eliza McDaniel 35 F Domestic born Virginia [b abt 1825]
  James McDaniel 17 M Farm Hand born Tenn [b abt 1843]
  Safrona McDaniel 14 F born Tenn [b abt 1836]
  Rebecca McDaniel 12 F born Tenn [b abt 1838]
  William McDaniel 10 M born Tenn [b abt 1850]
  Wesly McDaniel 8 M born Tenn [b abt 1852]
  Angeline McDaniel 6 F born Tenn [b abt 1854]
  Margarett McDaniel 4 F born Tenn [b abt 1856]
  Fanny McDaniel 2 F born Tenn [b abt 1858]
  May McDaniel 4mos F born Tenn [b abt Jan 1860]
  John Brewer 70 M born Tenn Virgina [b abt 1790] Cannot read and write
  James McCall 24 M Carpenter born Tenn [b abt 1836]
  
  Several genealogies report a 1870 census record in Vermillion County, Indiana as being for our John and Elizabeth Dolton Brewer.  John is reported age 77 and Elizabeth age 70.  They were both born in Virginia, which also matches earlier reports.  However, these same genealogies also report that Elizabeth died about 1860, and we do find John without a wife in that 1860 census.  He is reported living with his daughter Eliza McDaniel and her famliy in Coffee County, Tennessee.  It is a stretch to think a 65-year old couple would up and move thta far north to Vermillion County, Indiana before the 1870 census.  Further, in that household is a younger person named Jane Brewer, age 30 and thus born about 1840.  There was no child matching this Jane reported among the children of John and Elizabeth in Rockingham, Virginia, in the 1850 census.

Sources

• 1. Ancestry Trees
• 2. 1850 Federal Census, Rockingham County, Virginia
  • 23 October, Hse #134, Fam #139
• 3. 1860 Federal Census, Coffee County, Tennessee
  • 25 June, 1st Civil District, PO Beech Grove, page 66, Hse/Fam #464
• 4. War of 1812 Pension Application Files Index, 1812-1815
• 5. Virginia, Marriages, 1740-1850
• 6. Ancestry Comments
• 7. 1870 Federal Census, Coffee County, Tennessee
  • [no date], PO Beech Grove, Civil District 2, page 3, Hse #22, Fam #23
• 8. 1880 Federal Census, Giles County, Tennessee
  • 3 June, Civil District 16, District 114, page 7 (scan 311C), Hse/Fam #15