Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1940-01-18
William Brewer
Observes Goth
Birth Anniversary
Friends, Relatives Gather
AT Daughters Home In
Jacksonville Monday

Jacksonville, entertained many
members of their family and
friends on Monday, January Is,
in honor of the Goth birthday of
Mrs. Byrd's father, William G.
Brewer. With the exception of
one son, Burch Brewer, who is in
Detroit, all his children were with
him.
Mr.. Brewer is the son of
George Brewer and Aleathea
Young Brewer, was the husband
of Ida White, who died 10 years
ago. She was the daughter of
Maj. Stephen White, member
of the staff of Gen. J.HE. B.
Stuart of Civil War fame.
They had Is children, ten of
whom are living. They are :
Mrs. George Cramer, of Washing
ton; Mrs. Harvey White, of
Poolesville; George Brewer, Daw-
sonville; Mrs. Joseph Pyles,
GAINESVILLE. Milton Brewer, Cath
ersburg; Mrs. Joseph Byrd, Daw-
sonville; Mrs. Herbert Shreve,
Kensington; Burch B. Brewer;
Detroit; Mrs. Lyle Mason, Wash
ington, and Stephen Brewer
iBarnesville. There are also Ia
grandchildren and seven great
grandchildren, who as Mr.. Brewer
puts it, "are scattered from the
Atlantic to the Pacific"
Hale and hearty. with almost
perfect sight and hearing, Mr..
Brewer seems younger than many
men Of 65 years. He is a ready
talker with wonderful command
Of language and a wealth of tales
of the olden times. He says the
changes have been so great that
sometimes he can. hardly realize
he is living in the same world.
His public school education was
received in the log schoolhouses of
the last century, He Later at
tended West River Preparatory
School and st. Timothy's, at
Gainesville. He also had a short
course in surveying at the old
Brookeville Academy. The son OF
a farmer, he also became farm
err, and very up-to-date one,
applying his knowledge of soils
and his mechanical ability with
much success.
Mr.. Brewer was too young to
participate in the Civil War, but
recalls many incidents Of the
period and tells of shaking hands
with Abraham Lincoln. He had
friends and relatives in both
armies.
Mr.. Brewer tells of his grand
father, DIR. William Brewer, who
was born in 1777- at the old
Brewer home near Annapolis
which was still standing when
visited by him a few years ago
After graduating from st. Johns
College and from Jefferson Medi-
cal School in Philadelphia, young
DR.. Brewer told his parents, he
did not want to settle in the low
country though there was always
work there for a doctor. Those
were the days of chills and fever
and malaria was rampant.
He wanted to marry and raise
a large family, in a billy country
but he promised his mother he
would go only a days Journey
from the old home. One fine day
he mounted his horse and rode
West towards the hills. At the
end Of the day he came to Hyatts.
town. ~
After resting for a few days
he began to ride around the coun.
try and finally decided that tht
Poolesville neighborhood, with it:
rolling hills and rich farm Land
was just what he wanted. Then
too, he had met Mary Robertson
Chiswell, whom he married il
1900. +,
| William Brewer still has a let
ter which his grandfather wrote
= home to Annapolis asking to Dor
row $3.50. He had found a farm
of 131 acres with "fair house
good out-buildings and a young
orchard, which may be bought
for $780," Having only $500, ht
had to borrow the rest. He evi
IDENTIFY got it, and started to raise
his family.
Fifteen children were born tt
the doctor and his wife. They
raised nine of them, two girls anc
seven sons. Two sons became
doctors, two lawyers and three
farmers: The youngest son was
Z George Brewer, father of the Will