USA > Massachusetts > Genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of the state of Massachusetts, Volume II > Part 100
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HAWKS John Hawks, immigrant ances- tor, was perhaps first at Dor- chester, Massachusetts, but set- tled early at Windsor, Connecticut. He was admitted a freeman, September 3, 1634. He removed about 1660 to Hadley, Massachusetts. He married Elizabeth He was buried June 30, 1662; his widow Elizabeth married Hinsdale, after whose death she re- turned to the Hawks homestead ; her sons Elea- zer and Gershom had portions assigned them September 27, 1681. Children: 1. John, born August 13, 1643. 2. Nathaniel, baptized Feb- ruary 16, 1644. 3. Elizabeth, baptized Febru- ary 10, 1646; married Joseph Gillett. 4. Ann, baptized October 1, 1648. 5. Isaac, baptized
August, 1650. 6. Mary, born May 23, 1652. 7. Joanna, February 8, 1653. 8. Eleazer, men- tioned below. 9. Sarah, September 20, 1657. IO. Gershom, April 12, 1659.
(II) Deacon Eleazer, son of John Hawks or Hawk, born December 20, 1655; died 1727; married Judith Smead, born 1665, died 1719.
(III) Eleazer (2), son of Eleazer (1) Hawks, born 1693 ; died 1774; married Abigail Wells, born 1697, died 1768.
(IV) Joshua, son of Eleazer (2) Hawks, born 1722; died 1761 ; married Abigail Hast- ings.
(V) Joshua (2), son of Joshua (I) Hawks, born 1750; died 1831 ; married Mercy Wright, born 1750, died 1812.
(VI) Silas, son of Joshua (2) Hawks, born 1786: died 1861; married Phila Nims, born 1790, died 1818, daughter of Israel and Bethia ( Bangs) Nims. Her father was born in 1751, died 1828, son of Jeremiah Nims, born 1721, died 1797 ; married, November 23, 1744, Mary Cooley Whately, born 1723, died April 30, 1804. John Nims, father of Jeremiah, was born 1679. died 1762 ; married Elizabeth Hulls, born 1688. died 1754. Godfrey Nims, father of John, was the immigrant ; married Mary Miller.
(VII) Philena, daughter of Silas Hawks, born October 20, 1817 ; married, June 25, 1839, Luther (2) Bodman (see Bodman, VI).
(VIII) Lorenzo Dow Nick- NICKERSON erson, son of Phineas (q.v. ) and Mary Stuart (Hurd) Nickerson, was born in Harwich, Massachu- setts, about 1840. In the record of his marriage he is designated a mariner. He married in Harwich, April 20, 1870, Emmeline Sears, born in Dennis, Massachusetts, September 2, 1842, daugliter of Sylvanus and Phebe ( Berry) Sears. Her grandparents were Edward and Abigail ( Baker) Sears, and she is a descendant in the eighth generation of Richard (1), Silas (2), Silas (3), Silas (4), Edward (5), Edward (6) and Sylvanus (7) Sears.
(IX) Captain William C. Nickerson, son of Lorenzo Dow and Emmeline (Sears) Nicker- son, was born at South Dennis, Massachusetts, February 18, 1877. His father died September 9, 1907, aged sixty-two years. Captain Nicker- son was educated in common schools, and began his business career as a clerk in a country store, continuing for two years, and then at the age of nineteen, went to sea. He began in a coast- ing vessel and has continued in that trade ever since. He advanced rapidly in his profession and became master at the age of twenty-six.
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being at the present time (1910) master of a steamship, plying between the ports of Provi- dence, Rhode Island, and Philadelphia, Penn- sylvania. He has been on this line of steam- ships for four years, and has never been ship- wrecked or had any serious accident. Captain Nickerson married at Philadelphia, Pennsyl- vania. November 3, 1908, Ethel. born in New Jersey, September 22, 1889, daughter of Cap- tain Edward P. Page, formerly sailing from New York as master of square rigged ships in the African trade, but now master of steamer out of that port.
The Wetmore, Whittemore WETMORE and Whitmore families were originally the same. Thomas Wetmore, immigrant ancestor, born in 1615, in England, came to America in 1635, and settled at Wethersfield, Connecticut. He removed to Hartford. and in 1649 was one of the first set- tlers of Massabeseck, incorporated as the town of Middletown in 1653. He was admitted a freeman May 20, 1652, was a member of the Orthodox church, and represented Middletown in the general assemly in 1654-5. He died De- cember II, 1681. He married (first) Sarah, daughter of John and Ann (Willocke) Hall, December 11, 1645: (second) Mary, daughter of Richard Platt, widow of Luke Atkinson; (third) Katharine (Leet) Robards, widow. She died October 13, 1693. In the probate records the record of his surviving children and their ages is given : John, 36; Thomas, 29; Samuel, 26; Izrahiah, 25; Beriah, 23; Nathan- iel, 20; Joseph, 18; Josiah, 13; Benjamin, 7; Elizabeth, 32 ; Mary, 31 ; Hannah, 28; Sarah, 17: Mehitable, 13; Abigail, 3; Hannah, one year-a remarkable family. Children of first wife (born at Hartford) : 1. John, September 6, 1646. 2. Elizabeth, married Josiah Adkins. 3. Mary, born 1649; married John Stowe. 4. Sarah, baptized April 20, 1651; died 1655. Born at Middletown : 5. Thomas, October 19, 1652 ; married Elizabeth Hubbard. 6. Hannah, February 13, 1653. 7. Samuel, September 10, 1655 : married Mary Bacon. 8. Izrahiah, men- tioned below. 9. Beriah, born November 2, 1658 ; married Margaret Stowe. 10. Nathaniel, born April 21, 1661; married Dorcas Allen, widow of Obadiah. 11. Joseph, born March 5, 1662 ; married Lydia Bacon. 12. Sarah, born November 27, 1664. Children of second wife: 13. Josiah, born March 29, 1667. 14. Mehitable, June 1, 1669. Children of third wife: 15. Ben- jamin. born November 27, 1674. 16. Abigail,
November 6, 1678. 17. Hannah, January 4, 1 680.
(II) Izrahiah, son of Thomas Wetmore, was born in Middletown, Connecticut, March 8 or 9, 1656-7, and died aged eighty-six years. He was a magistrate, and deputy to the general assembly, 1721-8, a man of "fine abilities." He married, May 13, 1692, Rachel, daughter of Rev. Samuel and Hope ( Fletcher ) Stowe, of Middletown, grandson of John and Elizabeth (Biggs) Stowe, of Kent, England, and Rox- bury, Massachusetts. Rev. Samuel Stowe, grad- uate from Harvard College, 1645, was first minister of Middletown. Children of Izrahiah and Rachel Wetmore: 1. Izrahiah, died young. 2. Rev. Izrahiah, born January 31, 1694; mar- ried Sarah Booth. 3. James, mentioned below. 4. Ichabod, born April 18, 1698; died January 7, 1715. 5. Seth, born November 18, 1700; judge of county court; married (first) Mar- garet Gaylord; (second) Hannah Whitmore. 6. Jeremiah, born November 8, 1703; married Abigail Butler. 7. Caleb. 8. Josiah.
(III) Rev. James, son of Izrahiah Wetmore, was born in Middletown, December 31, 1695. He was educated at the Saybrook Gymnasium (or academy ) and Yale College, where he grad- uated in September, 1714. Yale absorbed the Saybrook Gymnasium in 1716. He received the degree of A. M. at Yale in 1717, and be- came the first Congregational minister at North Haven in 1718. He was "generally esteemed and beloved by his people, as might reasonably be expected from the suavity of his temper and the regularity of his conduct." After four years, convinced that his ordination was in- valid, and that he should work under the au- thority of the Church of England, he left the Puritan church, and in July, 1723, sailed to England, where he was ordained as priest of the Established Church by Right Rev. Edmund Gibson, D. D., Lord Bishop of London, and appointed to Trinity Church, New York City. He arrived in New York, September 24, 1723, and set to work as assistant to Rev. Mr. Vesey, teaching the catechism to the children. It is interesting to note that he set aside Wednesday, Friday and Sunday for negroes, at his own house, and in church every Sunday. Sometimes he had two hundred children and servants in his classes. He was called to Rye, Westchester county, New York, succeeding Rev. Mr. Jenny, and was installed there June 19, 1726. He had a small parish, the church was out of repair, and he was stoutly antagonized by the Presby- terian minister, Rev. John Walton. He had a
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small old parsonage and three acres of land, a salary of fifty pounds a year, and but for the vigorous support of Colonel Heathcote might have been discouraged at the prospects. The parish included the present towns of Rye, Mamaroneck, Bedford and other towns, with 345 tax-payers. At Rye there were fifty Epis- copal families and an equal number of Presby- terians ; at New Castle in his parish was a settle- ment of "people of no religion, very ignorant and barbarous, descendants of Long Island Quakers." The letters and reports of Mr. Wetmore give a vivid picture of life, religion and conditions of life in this section and are invaluable historically. (See Wetmore Gene- alogy). He worked zealously not only for his parish, where the conditions were particularly difficult and unfavorable, but for the welfare and strengthening of the Episcopal Church in all the colonies. He modestly suggested the need of a bishop in America, but died before one was appointed. In 1731 he joined his brothers Judge Seth, Jeremiah and Josiah in quitclaiming their rights to their grandfather Stowe's estate in Middletown. In his con- troversy with the Presbyterians and Puritans he wrote many sermons and pamphlets. Of those published there are preserved : "Vindica- tion of the Professors of the Church of Eng- land in Connecticut against Invectives contain- ed in a Sermon by Noah Hobart, of Stamford, December 31, 1746:" "A Letter to a Friend, 1747;" "A Rejoinder to Hobart's Serious Ad- dress," 1748: "Appendix to Rev. J. Beach's Calm and Dispassionate Vindication of the Professors of the Church of England in 1746." His epitaph reads: "Sacred to the Memory of the Rev. Mr. James Wetmore, the late worthy, learned and faithful minister of the parish of Rye for above thirty years, who having strenu- ously defended the church with his pen and adorned it by his life and doctrine at length being sized of the small pox departed this life May 15, 1760, aetatis 65. Cujus memoriae sit in benedictione sempiterna." From an obituary in the New York Mercury we quote: "He was zealous, constant and unwearied, and though he observed with grief the great decay of true Christianity and genuine piety ( which he often heartily lamented to his friends) yet he per- severed warmly in the defence of the former and in recommending the latter both by precept and example.'
He married Anne Buch. His will, dated Au- gust 6, 1759, mentions wife Anne, and children James, Timothy, Alethea, Anne, Charity and
Esther. His widow died February 28, 1771. Children : I. James, mentioned below. 2. Tim- othy, married Jane Haviland. 3. Alethia, mar- ried Rev. Joseph Lamson. 4. Anne, married Gilbert Brundige. 5. Charity, married Josiah, son of Samuel and Penelope Prudy. 6. Esther, married David Brown; (second) Jesse Hunt, sheriff of the county.
(IV) James (2), son of Rev. James (I) Wetmore, was born in Rye, New York, De- cember 19, 1727. He was an influential citizen of Westchester county. He remained a loyalist through the revolution, and removed to New Brunswick in 1783, locating first at the St. Johns river and occupied himself as a school teacher. He removed soon afterward to Ham- mond river, twenty miles from St. Johns, and lived there until his death at the age of seventy. He was buried in the parish of Hampton, Kings county, New Brunswick. His wife, who died several years later, was interred at his side. He married Elizabeth Abrahams, born March 15, 1730, in Westchester county. Her father was a wealthy West India merchant who married a daughter of Mrs. Bush, a native of Holland, settled in New York, removed to Rye. Children, born at Rye: I. Abraham, No- vember 9 or 29, 1747 ; married Sarah Sniffen, who married (second) Sylvanus Whitney ; he died in New York, February 16, 1790. 2. Cap- tain John, July 7, 1755 ; married, 1778, Anna Van Cott, of Long Island; (second) Elizabeth Clark; removed to New Brunswick in 1783, and was government land surveyor ; captain in the English army in the revolution. 3. Izrahiah, October 15, 1757; married, March 12, 1782, Elizabeth Bush; died February 7, 1838; he was a loyalist, but remained in Rye. 4. James, May 23, 1762; died March, 1850. 5. David Brown, November 4, 1764 ; mentioned below. 6. Josiah, December 5, 1766; died June 15, 1767. 7. Colonel Caleb, May 4, 1768 ; married Deborah Sherwood ; they removed to New Brunswick, where he died September 29, 1753. 8. Elizabeth, August 30, 1750; died June, 1843; married David Haight, and lived in New Bedford, Massachusetts. 9. Susanna, April 22, 1753; died April 4, 1850, nearly ninety-seven ; mar- ried John Craft. 10. Charity, January 23, 1760 ; married, March 12, 1782, Daniel Lam- ereux. II. Alethea, May 19, 1771 ; died July 23, 1834 ; married Reuben Craft. 12. Esther, August 16, 1774; married, April 9, 1793, at Charleton, New Brunswick, William Pudding- ton, born at Edinburgh, Scotland, June 19, 1769. (V) Colonel David Brown, son of James
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(2) Wetmore, was born in Rye, New York, November 4. 1764. He was a loyalist, and re- moved with his father's family in 1783 to New Brunswick. He resided in Hampton, then St. Johns and finally Kingston, in 1820. He was colonel of the First Battalion of Kings county militia ; representative to the general assembly of the province many years ; judge of court of common pleas and quarter sessions. He died at Norton, Kings county, December 17, 1845, in his eighty-second year, much honored and beloved.
He married (first ) October 20, 1787, Ruth, daughter of Justus Sherwood, of Hampton, New Brunswick, born at Cortlandt Manor, New York, January II, 1769, died December 17. 1795. Her father was a loyalist also. Col- onel Wetmore married (second) August 13, 1797, Elizabeth, daughter of Sylvanus Whit- ney, a loyalist from Stamford, Connecticut, a magistrate and alderman of St. Johns. She was born at Norwalk, Connecticut, January 7, 1773. Children of first wife: I. Martha Bashford. born at Hampton, March 25, 1790; died May 12, 1807, at Kingston. 2. Elizabeth, born November 29, 1791 : married November 4. 1813. William Jewett Flewelling ; she died May 21, 1836. Children of second wife: 3.
Ruth Sherwood, born at Carlton, August 24, 1798: died February 29, 1876; married, Sep- tember 3. 1826, David Pickett, a farmer, born in Stamford, Connecticut, December 27, 1776, died May 30, 1861. 4. Jane, born January 30, 1800, at Kingston ; died September 23, 1882; married, May 1, 1817, Joshua Dean Gedny, born July 26, 1796, died at Barbadoes, West Indies, November 8, 1848. 5. James, born October 29, 1801, a farmer ; married in Rye, September 4. 1828, Phebe Wetmore, born there May 21, 1803; died December 9, 1875. 6. David, born September 12, 1803, at Kingston ; married February II, 1828, Eliza Whelpley, born November 2, 1806, died March 8, 1871. 7. Susannah Craft, born at Kingston, August IO. 1805 ; married March II, 1877, at Norton, George Taylor Lamoreaux, born February 14, 1805, died November 19, 1864. 8. Thomas, born at Kingston, August 13, 1807; died at Norton, October 29, 1850; married October 22, 1827, Clarissa Holmes Puddington, born at Moose Island, May 10. 1808. 9. William Pud- dington, born at Kingston, June 24. 1809, farmer ; died November 7, 1874; married at Springfield, New Brunswick, October 14, 1830, Ruth Cillies, born September 9, 1809. IO. Henry Sylvanus, born June 16, 1811 : men- tioned below. II. Elias Scovil, born at Kings-
ton, July 25, 1813, farmer ; died July 7, 1872; married (first) March 10, 1852, Sarah Matilda Scott, born August 24, 1831, died January II, 1859 ; (second) Charlotte Amelia Belyea, born November 2, 1823. 12. John, born at Kings- ton, July 25, 1815 ; died August 19, 1815. 13. Huldah Butler, born June 17, 1816; Kings- ton ; died at Norton, June 9, 1845. 14. Nor- ton, born at Kingston, August 18, 1820; mar- ried March 24, 1847, Abbie Charlotte Morse, born July 12, 1819.
(VI) Henry Sylvanus, son of David Brown Wetmore, was born at Kingston, June 16, 1811. He was educated there in the public schools, and following farming through his active life. He married (first) at Hampton, February 17, 1835. Elizabeth Ann Fowler, born September 24, 1816, at Hampton, daughter of Amon and Mary (Taylor) Fowler ; (second) August 23, 1847, at Hampton, Esther Susanna Flewelling, born October 2, 1819, died at Bloomfield, New Brunswick, December 23, 1874, daughter of Thomas Abrahams and Susanna Craft ( Pud- dington ) Flewelling. Children, born at Nor- ton, of the first wife: I. Mary Elizabeth, April 16. 1836; died January 24, 1845. 2. Ruth, April 6, 1839. 3. Edwin Vale, April 20, 1841. 4. Emeline Adela. May 10, 1843. Children of second wife: 5. Helen Susannah, born July 25, 1848. 6. Gertrude, April 4, 1850. 7. Thomas Henry Zobeiskie, October 17, 1851. 8. John Leavitt, November 8, 1853 ; mentioned below. 9. Herbert, June 18, 1855; died De- cember 6, 1856. 10. Elsie Adelaide (twin), May 15, 1857. II. Anna Almira (twin), May 15, 1857. 12. David Brunswick, April 13, 1859.
(VII) John Leavitt, son of Henry Sylvanus Wetmore, was born November 8, 1853, at Nor- ton, Kings county, New Brunswick. He was educated there in the public schools, and lived there until he was sixteen years old, when he came to Boston and learned the carpenter's trade. He became a skilful stair builder, made a specialty of this line of work, and has been very successful in business. He has invested his savings to advantage in valuable real estate in Boston, and has one of the most substantial 1 esidences in Roslindale. He is a Republican in politics, and keenly interested in public affairs. In religion he is a Congregationalist. and a member of the Odd Fellows fraternity. He married, September 19, 1878, in New Brunswick, Esther A. Appleby, born in Kings county, New Brunswick, September 2, 1852, daughter of John T. and Esther (Chaloner) Appleby, natives of Kings county, and mem-
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bers of the Episcopal church. Her father was a farmer. Both parents died at the age of sixty-eight years. Children, born in Boston : I. Julia. January 3, 1880, died aged three years. 2. Charles Herbert, August 22, 1882 ; educated in common school; architect and builder. 3. Lois L., October 18, 1884, student in the Mass- achusetts Institute of Technology, Boston, making a specialty of architecture.
BREWER Daniel Brewer, immigrant an- cestor, born about 1600, in England, came to New Eng- land in the ship "Lion," arriving in Boston September 16. 1632, and settled at Roxbury. He was admitted a freeman May 14, 1634. He died March 26, 1646. His will was proved May 20, 1646, bequeathing to wife Joanna ; sons Daniel and Nathaniel ; daughters Ann, Joanna and Sarah. The widow Joanna died February 7, 1688, aged eighty-seven years. Children: 1. Daniel, born in England ; mem- ber of Boston Artillery Company, 1666; mar- ried, November 5. 1652, Hannah, Morse, daughter of Isaac; father of Rev. Daniel. 2. Nathaniel, mentioned below. 3. Ann, dicd March 13, 1658. 4. Joanna. 5. Sarah, born March 8, 1638: married November 19, 1658, John May.
(II) Nathaniel, son of Daniel Brewer, was born at Roxbury, May 1, 1635; died there February 26, 1694. His will was dated Sep- tember 14, 1692, bequeathing to Nathaniel, his eldest son : to daughters Elizabeth Smith, Jo- anna Harris and Sarah Perrin. He was a freeman in 1674; joined the Roxbury church April 5. 1676. He married (second) 1661, Elizabeth, born December 29, 1639, died May I, 1702, daughter of Robert Rand, resident of Charlestown. His first wife Elizabeth died June 25, 1661. Children of second wife, born in Roxbury: I. Elizabeth, May 2, 1661 : mar- ried Smith. 2. Joanna, January 20, 1663: married -. Harris. 3. Nathaniel, mentioned below. 4. Sarah, married Perrin.
(III) Nathaniel (2), son of Nathaniel ( I) Brewer, was born in Roxbury, July 1, 1667. He married a daughter of Robert Ware, son of the immigrant, Robert-probably Elizabeth, born September 30. 1697. He died at Rox- bury, in 1733, and his son Nathaniel was ap- pointed administrator May 15, 1733. There may have been other children. The town rec- ords are wanting at this period.
(IV) Nathaniel (3), son of Nathaniel (2) Brewer, was born in Roxbury, in 1710. He
chose Thomas Cushing as guardian in the settlement of the estate of his grandfather, Robert Ware, of Boston, carpenter, July 31, 1727, when his age was stated as seventeen. He was administrator of his father's estate, appointed May 15, 1733. He married Eliza- beth He died in 1747, and she and son Joseph were appointed to administer the estate July 7, 1747. She conveyed to her chil- dren the rights she had in her husband's estate September 19, 1748, the following shared in the division: Joseph and Nathaniel, taking the real estate and paying their brothers and sisters and other heirs sums fixed by the com- mittee, viz: Stephen, John, and Margaret Winchester ; Elizabeth Weld, Dorothy Win- chester, Sarah Brewer, Mary Brewer and Re- becca Brewer 117 pounds six-pence each. The widow Elizabeth made a nuncupative will February 8, 1763, and died March 24, 1763. proved April 15, following. She mentions Nathaniel, Mary, Rebecca, Joseph, Stephen, John.
(V) Joseph, son of Nathaniel (3) Brewer, was born in Roxbury, about 1728-30. He was a soldier in the revolution, at Nantasket, in 1776. corporal in Lieutenant James Morton's company when the British ships were driven from Boston. He died in 1777, and his son Joseph was appointed administrator August 15, 1777, with Nathaniel Weld and Isaac Child sureties on his bond. Noah Davis appointed guardian of his sons Ebenezer and Moses, over fourteen years of age. March 23, 1784, Ebenezer Weld and Stephen Payson being his sureties. Children : 1. Nathaniel, born 1758, baptized May 21. 1758. 2. Joseph, his admin- istrator. 3. Ebenezer. 4. Moses, mentioned below.
(VI) Moses, son of Joseph Brewer, was born in Roxbury, September 25, 1769: died June 17. 1813. He married, 1796, Abigail May. born October 27, 1769, at Roxbury, died April 24, 1849, daughter of Lemuel and Abi- gail ( Davis) May. Her father was born Feb- ruary 20, 1738. died November 19, 1805, fol- lowed the sea; her mother died January 22, 1772. She was the granddaughter of Benja- min and Mary ( Williams) May. Benjamin May was born March 1, 1708; died December 8, 1774; his wife was born .April 14, 1719, died 1750. John May, father of Benjamin, was born May 19, 1663, died February 24, 1730, married Prudence Bridge. John May, father of Jolm May, was born 1631 ; married Sarah Brewer, mentioned above, and was son of John May, the immigrant.
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Mr. Brewer was a housebuilder, on Corn- hill, Boston, and after his death his widow, engaged in the dry goods business. She lived at Jamaica Plain. Children, born at Roxbury : I. Abigail Davis, October 29, 1799; died Sep- tember 10, 1847: married I. C. Brewer. 2.
Elizabeth. August 13, 1801; died young. 3.
Charles, March 27. 1804 : mentioned below.
4.
Elizabeth, October 18, 1815, died August, 1833.
(VII) Charles, son of Moses Brewer, was born on Cornhill. Boston, March 27. 1804. His father died when he was a young boy, and his mother carried on the store. He was eager to go to sea, but his mother objected and he was sent to a school in East Sudbury, now Wayland. Later he attended the East Sud- bury Academy, a private school in Boston, and the Woburn Academy. Once during his school life he attempted to enlist on a privateer. but failed to get his mother's consent. This was during the war of 1812, and later, in 1814, he was one of the school boys that helped build Fort Strong, on Noddle Island, at East Boston, and at Dorchester Heights, South Boston. Soon afterward he became a clerk in the store of George & Thomas Searles, apprenticed to serve the firm until he came of age. He dis- liked the business and finally secured his re- lease from his apprenticeship and secured the consent of his mother to go to sea. He shipped on the "Palmer," a vessel bound for Calcutta. After a voyage lasting seven months the vessel returned to Boston laden with East Indian goods. He made a second trip lasting about six months to Calcutta. His next voyage was to the Sandwich Islands and China, countries that he was particularly eager to see. He shipped for this voyage on the vessel "Para- gon." February 23. 1823, and during the voy- age was made an officer. The ship took a cargo from the Hawaiian Islands to China, returning home via Liverpool. While off the Irish coast he fell from the yard to the deck during a severe storm, and suffering an injury from the effects of which he never recovered entirely. He became second officer of the "Paragon," and continued for a number of years trading along the northwest of the United States, in Mexico, Alaska, and the Sandwich Islands. He then became first officer on the brig "Chin- chilla." and cruised in 1826-27-28 in Pacific ports. He served as first officer afterward in other vessels, and became a prominent and successful trader. He became a partner in the trading firm of Hunnewell & Brewer, of Hono- lulu, with an eastern office in Boston, where the firm was Charles Brewer & Company. In
1843 the Honolulu business was conducted under the name of C. Brewer & Co., and though the Brewer family has sold its interests the business has been conducted under that name to the present time. Mr. Brewer's firm became the owners of many valuable vessels and built up a large and profitable trade be- tween Pacific ports and the United States. The firm took rank among the foremost in the country in its line of business. About 1841 he became associated with Henry A. Peirce in the trading business under the firm name of Peirce & Brewer. Two years later Mr. Peirce retired, and the firm became C. Brewer & Company, with Charles Brewer (2d), his nephew, as partner. In 1845 Mr. Brewer retired from business in Honolulu, where he had been living for some years, and returned with his wife and children to this country. He continued in business in Boston to the time of his death, though less active in his last years. He died in October, 1865. The business has been con- ducted by his sons, Joseph and Edward May Brewer, since his death, and they are promi- nent and successful in the shipping trade. Some of the vessels owned by Mr. Brewer-"Ed- ward May," "Amy Turner," "Martha Davis," and "John D. Brewer," are still in commission.
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