Adam Brouwer Berkhoven
1621-1692
Born: Cologne, Germany
Died: Albany, NY, USA
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1621-1692
Born: Cologne, Germany
Died: Albany, NY, USA
<p><strong>Born: </strong>ca 1620<br><strong>Baptized: </strong></p><p><strong>Origin: </strong>Adam Brouwer Berchoven <em>seems</em> to have come from Cologne, Germany. According to Totten [Totten01 67:105], Adam Brouwer was described as "a young man from Ceulen [Cologne]" when he married Magdalena Jacobs Verdon. William Brower Bogardus (Anneke Jans and Everardus Bogardus Descendants Association, 1121 Linhof Rd., Wilmington, OH 45177-2917) has been working with Prof. Frijoff from the Amsterdam Free University on the question of Adam Brouwer's origin. Mr. Bogardus wrote in his Holiday Season 1997 "Dear 'Cousin'" letter: "Incidentally, for those who have been seeking the correct parents and ancestry of Adam Brouwer (<em>proof</em> of those already allegedly identified not having been presented)... there is a very high probability that Adam was not only from Cologne but also of German rather than Dutch origin. His birth name may have been "Adolph" and it is possible that the Berchoven name had nothing to do with his family's origin at all." </p><p><strong>Immigrated: </strong>First to Brazil in 1641, on the ship <em>Swol</em> (serving as a soldier for the Dutch West India Company), then to New Netherland in 1642. [Hoffman01 23:194] </p><p><strong>Occupation(s): </strong>Dutch West India Company soldier. With his business partner Isaac de Forest, built and operated a flour mill at Gowanus, Brooklyn, New York. [Hoffman01 23:195] </p><p><strong>Died: </strong>1693 <br><strong>Buried: </strong></p>
<p>APPENDICES. 425 </p><p>A<span>PPENDIX</span> <span>VII.</span>—<span>(PAGE 141.)</span></p><p>E<span>XTRACTS FROM</span> A<span>NCIENT</span> R<span>ECORDS OF THE</span> F<span>IRST</span> P<span>ROTESTANT</span> R<span>EFORMED</span> D<span>UTCH</span> C<span>HURCH IN</span> B<span>ROOKLYN.</span><br><span>(Copied by Hon. Tennis G. Bergen.)</span><br><span>List of Church Members March 12th, 1660, when the Church was first organized. </span></p><p> </p> <ul><li>Joris Dirckson. </li><li>Susanna Dubbels </li><li>Albert Cornelissen (Wantenear, i.e. “the glove maker”) </li><li>Tryntie Hadders (Hudden?) </li><li>Willem Gerritse van Couwenhoven. </li><li>Aeltje Joris (Brinckerhoff). </li><li>Pieter Montfoort. </li><li>Sara de Plancke. </li><li>Jan Evertse (Bout). </li><li>Tryntje Symons. </li><li>Willum Bredenbent. </li><li>Aeltje Brackunee. </li><li>Jan Pietersen. </li><li>Grietje Jans. </li><li>Tennis Nyssen (Denyse). </li><li>Femmetie Jans. </li><li>Adam Brouwer. </li><li>Magdalena Jacobs. </li><li>Johannes Marcus. </li><li>EIsje Hendricks. </li><li>Tennis Janse. </li><li>Barber Lucas. </li><li>Jan Jorisse (Rapalie). </li><li>Jan Hibon (under censure). </li><li>Gertruyt Barents. </li><li>1660, Oct. 17th. Maria Fredericks, of the Haag. </li><li>Pieter Jansen, of the Manhattens. </li><li>Annetje Jans, of Amsterdam. </li><li>Dec. 29. Wiggert Reyniersen, of Oostarieslant. </li><li>Swantie Jans, wid. of Cornelis Potter. </li><li>Jan Martyn van Campen. </li><li>1661, April 10th. Sara Joris Rapalje (wife of Hans Hansen Bergen), taken on certificate from the Manhattans, as a member. <br></li><li>Dirck Jansen, of Amsterdam </li><li>Marritien Tennis, of Nieuw Netherland. </li></ul> <ul><li>Thomas Jansen (van Dyck), of Nieuw Utrecht. </li><li>Fytie Dircks, of Amsterdam. </li><li>Pieter Prae, of Diepe. </li><li>Catharine Lethie </li><li>Marcus Soison. </li><li>Lysbeth Rossillou, of Leyden. </li><li>May 29th. Symon Joosten, of Marrelbeeck. </li><li>Auneken Barents, of Amsterdam. </li><li>Tennis Gysbertse (Bogaart), of Heykoop. </li><li>Aris Willemzen (Bennet), of Nieuw Netherland. </li><li>Garrit Dirckzen Crousen, of Wynschoot. </li><li>Jannekin Pieters, wife of Jan Cornelissen do Zeen. </li><li>Oct. 2d. Jan Clerk, of Brazil, admitted to membership. </li><li>Dec. 25. Willem Willemse (Bennet). </li><li>Gertruyt van Mullen. </li><li>Thomas Verdon. </li><li>Janneken Claese. </li><li>1662, April 2d. Brecktje Hans (Bergen), of Nieuw Netherland. </li><li>May 22. Fytie Martens, of Hamburg. </li><li>September 27th. Mechtelina Specht, of Utrecht. </li><li>Marritie (Baddia, nee, Bennett, nee Thomas, wife of Mr. Paulus (Vanderbeeck). </li><li>Anneken Hans (Bergen), of Nieuw Netherland. </li><li>Agnietie Jans, of Amsterdam. </li><li>Dec. 25th. Joris Jansen Rappalje </li><li>Catherine Jeronymus (Rappalje). </li><li>Catharine Joris Rapalje, of Nieuw Netherland. </li><li>Frederick Lubbertse </li></ul>
<p>http://users.crocker.com/~jcamp/ab.html</p><p>Adam Brouwer sailed in 1641 to Brazil in the ship Swol as a soldier in<br>the service of the West India Company. He came to New Netherlands in<br>1642, for when he took the Oath of Allegiance in September 1687, being<br>then a resident of Brooklyn, he made the statement that he had been in<br>this country for 45 years. He settled first in New Amsterdam where he<br>bought a house and garden lot from Hendrick Jansen, blacksmith, on 21<br>February 1645. On that some day he had given a power-of-attorney to<br>collect money due him from the West India Company, which he repeated on<br>21 September 1646. At his wedding party on 21 March 1645, Domine<br>Bogardus criticized Director Keift. Together with Isaac de Forest, Adam<br>Brouwer built and operated at Gowanus a flour mill on land patented 8<br>July 1645, to Jan Evertse Bout. The will of Adam Brouwer Berchoven of<br>"Bruckland" was dated 22 January 1691/92. He left his wife Magdalena<br>his entire estate. Sons Pieter and Jacob, and daughter Aeltje were<br>"cut off with a shilling for disobedience, but their children are to<br>inherit their parents' share." He named his other children: Mathys,<br>William, Adam, Abraham, Nicholaes, Mary, Fytie, Helena, Anna, Sarah, and<br>Rachel. He left 3 pieces of eight to Adolphus, the son of William; and<br>1 piece of eight each to Magdalena, daughter of Matthys; Magdalena,<br>daughter of Pieter; Vrouwtje, daughter of Fytie; and Magdalena, daughter<br>of Mary. Executors were Barent van Tilburg and William Nazareth.<br>Witnesses were Henry Sleght, Cornelis Siebring, and John Fredericks.<br></p>
<font size="+1"><em>From:</em> "Lilly Martin" <DisplayMail('scs-net.org','malik');malik@scs-net.org> <br><em>Subject:</em> #1: Adam Brouwer Berchoven, immigrant to Manhattan, settled at Gowanus <br><em>Date:</em> Mon, 3 Oct 2005 11:35:35 -0700 </font><br>My ancestor was Adam Brouwer b. about 1621, who sometimes used the name<br> Berchoven added. His descendants mainly used Brower, but some retained the<br> Brouwer spelling and a few lines used the English variation of Brewer.<br> <br> It is thought that he was the son of Peter Brouwer, who was the First<br> President of the Dutch West Indies Company. If that is true, then Adam was<br> just a small boy when his father died in 1625 at Hoorn, Netherlands. It is<br> thought that Adam's mother was Helena Mey, d/o Adam Mey, Cape May, NJ having<br> been named for her brother, a navigator, Peter Cornelise Mey. If that is<br> correct, then Adam was named for his maternal grandfather, and also Adam<br> himself named his eldest son for his father's name (Pieter) and also named a<br> daughter for his mother (Helena). If the Dutch naming pattern is to be<br> considered, then this builds a good case for Adam Brouwer being the son of a<br> couple named Pieter and Helena.<br> <br> Adam Brouwer arrived in Manhattan from Cologne, Rhine Province, in 1642<br> aboard the ship "Swol". He was a soldier for the Dutch West Indies Co. He<br> bought a house in Manhattan, from Hendrick Jansen, a Blacksmith, 2-21 or<br> 31, 1645. Because Jansen did not deed the house to him, he had to file suit<br> against him in May, 1645. Hendrick Jansen (aka Hendrick Janszen van<br> Jever(en)) and Adam Brouwer were both soldiers and were both in Brazil in<br> 1641. They knew each other prior to<br> arriving in Manhattan, Adam remained in Manhattan, but Hendrick later left<br> for the Delaware River, and later to Baltimore County, Maryland.<br> <br> On 2-7-1647 Adam bought a property located on the north side of Beaver st.,<br> east of Broadway, this patent came from the government and he sold this lot<br> on 8-19-1656 to Dirk Schilluyne, it was described as between Jan the Cooper<br> on the West and Egbert Woutersen on the East.<br> <br> Adam married Magdalena Verdon, d/o Jacob, on 3-21-1645, in Manhattan, at a<br> home that was used as a Tavern, and the marriage was performed by Reverand<br> Everardus Bogardus, who was the second husband of Anneke Jans. The marriage<br> was recorded by the Reformed Dutch Church.<br> <br> Adam Brouwer left Manhattan for Gowanus, located in Brooklyn, Kings Co., NY.<br> On 4-1-1654 Teunis Nyssen, a Farmer of Gowanus, sold to Adam Brouwer a piece<br> of land which Adam used to build his house upon. Jan Evert Bout held the<br> patent to the land in Gowanus were Adam built a Flour Mill about 1661..<br> Adam was in partnership with Isaac De Forest, he later bought out the<br> interest of Isaac. Adam was still leasing the land where his Mill was<br> located , from Jan Evertse Bout, on 7-6-1665. It wasn't until 1707 that<br> descendants of Adam Brouwer were finally given a deed to the land that the<br> Mill sat upon, by the heirs of Tuenis Nyssen and Jan Bout.<br> <br> The original Mill and houses were destroyed in part by<br> destruction by fire during the Revolutionary War, according to eyewitness<br> accounts that are part of the military war records of soldiers (see military<br> records of Christopher Brower).<br> <br> Adam Brouwer signed the Oath of Allegiance in 1687 at Brooklyn, stating he<br> had been in the country for 45 years.<br> <br> Adam Brouwer was the sole owner and operator of the Brower Mill from 1663 to<br> 1693. His Will was written 1-22-1691. The estate was admistrated by Gov.<br> Benjamin Fletcher 4-15-1693<br> He was buried in the Brooklyn Churchyard, he lies there with his wife<br> Magdalena Verdon, and her mother Mary Thomas Baddie, and her mother Alten<br> Braconie. It has been said that Mary Thomas Baddie was the wealthiest woman<br> in New Amsterdam.<br> <br> Adam Brouwer and his wife were members of the Dutch Church at Brooklyn in<br> 1677 and were censured later for leaning toward the Catholic faith. The Mill<br> was located near or at the water's edge, on the creek called Gowanus creek.<br> The Old Mill was located just North of Union, between Nevin and Bond. In<br> the Will of Adam Brouwer he does not specifically name one son to take over<br> the sole operation of the Mill. Adam gives his estate to his wife and<br> children, but specifically names 3 of his kids as disobiediant. His first<br> son Pieter and his second son Jacobus are both rebuked by their father in<br> his Will.<br> <br> Adam and Magdalena had 14 children. I will list the boys only, in birth<br> order, by rank of age: Pieter, Matthys, Willem, Jacobus , Adam, Abraham,<br> Nicholas.<br> I have named the SONS only because I am focused on the surname and<br> descendancy of the Brouwer/Brower line. I am actually also a descendant of<br> Annetje Brouwer, d/o Adam, m. Willem Hilton. So I do personally value the<br> daughter's of Adam Brouwer, the immigrant, but in this study I will only<br> name and discuss the sons of Adam.<br> <br> Under normal customs of the day, we might think that the Eldest son of Adam<br> the immigrant would naturally take over the operation of the Mill his father<br> had established in Gowanus. But that was not to happen. Pieter went off to<br> Albany, NY and married and settled there, and eventually followed his family<br> to New Jersey. In his father's will he is specifically given 3 shillings on<br> account of his disobiediance. We might guess the reason is that he did not<br> stay put in Gowanus and help Father run the Mill and his 'running off' to<br> Northern NY was what angered and disappointed Adam. The old custom was for<br> the eldest boy to get the best of everything to offer, and the younger boys<br> to make their own way in life. That is not always the case, but many<br> families did observe that unspoken habit.<br> <br> Finally on August 12, 1698 the sons and son in laws of Adam Brouwer, deeded<br> the land that the Mill stood on, and the neck of land and meadows belonging<br> to it, to Abraham and Nicholas, the 2 youngest of the brothers.<br> <br> In this instance, the Father's Mill was eventually placed into the hands of<br> his 2 youngest sons, of a total of 7 sons. It must have been these 2<br> youngest brothers who stuck with the Mill and learned the tricks of the<br> trade and descided that they wanted to make the Milling business their<br> life's work.<br> <br> These 2 brothers, Abraham and Nicholas, were partners together in the daily<br> operation of the Mill, and they were also united by marriage, because they<br> both married sisters. This would make these 2 families tied even closer<br> together. I would imagine that they could have built one large home there<br> and all shared it together, or perhaps they built 2 homes not far from the<br> Mill. I have noticed the word 'houses' used when talking about the Mill and<br> land there on Gowanus Creek.<br> <br> Jochem Caljer immigrated in 1640 to New Amsterdam. His son was Jeurian<br> Caljer, m. Elizabeth Van der Hoven. Jeurian was the father of Cornelia<br> Caljer who married Abraham Brouwer, and the father of Jannetje Caljer who<br> married Abraham's brother Nicholas Brouwer.<br> The Caljer name is sometimes seen as: Colyer, Collier.<br> <br> My next report will focus on Abraham Brouwer, s/o Adam. This is my<br> ancestor.<br> Best regards,<br> Lilly Martin, great great grandaughter of Emma Brower.<br>