https://www.familytreedna.com/groups/brewer-dna/about/results:
RESULTS SUMMARY
With the number of members exceeding 200, we observe three major groups and seven smaller groups of matching signatures and matching haplogroups. We have one set of "Unassigned" participants who do not yet connect together or with the others. Family Pedigree information for the members of each of the groups is provided at the bottom of this summary.
(1) Two of the groups are believed to represent descendants of two unrelated early 17th century Dutch immigrants to New Amsterdam (New York). Their genealogical paper trail identifies the separate family patriarchs as Adam Brouwer Berkhoven (~1620-1693) and Johannes Brouwer of Flatlands (~1628-1702). Each family has been able to determine their ancestral haplotype (the genetic signature of the earliest known ancestor) and haplogroup. These results already show how effective DNA testing can be. DNA evidence has revealed that although the two immigrant ancestors have the same surname, and lived in the same region at the same time, they are unrelated and have not had a common ancestor in thousands of years -- contrary to erroneous beliefs passed down in genealogical pedigrees for over 200 years.
For more information see the article published in the New York Genealogy and Biographical record Vol 138, No.4, (2007) “DNA Analysis: Adam Brouwer Berckhoven, Elias Brouwer of New Jersey, and John Brewer of Ohio.” and a Compiled Genealogy for “Jan Brouwer of Flatlands and Descendants.” More detailed results for these families are available on the updated web pages at the ADAM BROUWER SITE and Descendants of JAN BROUWER
NOTE: Sharing of research and family information among the matched members has helped some individuals extend their pedigree three or more generations and clear up mistaken connections, while others have discovered connections they were previously unaware of. DNA testing has proved a fruitful genealogical tool for all of us. You may contact and share information with participants in this project by joining the project and taking the Y- DNA test yourself.
(2) Two additional groups, Brewer/Lanier and Ambrose Brewer appear to represent descendants of early 18th century Brewer immigrants, generally of English descent, to southeast America, i.e the southern colonies of Virginia and North Carolina. They both claimed circumstantial evidence of a connection with a George and Sarah Lanier Brewer. However, the DNA evidence showed the two lines to be unrelated. For thirty years or more, family researchers have been stymied in their efforts to validate their purported descent from one of the nine sons of George Brewer mentioned in his will.
Now for the first time the Brewer/Lanier subgroup has three descendants of George Brewer who have been able to not only establish their genealogical paper trail back to the founder but, as a result of BIG Y DNA tests, validate that paper trail. This breakthrough for the Brewer/Lanier family group, is a continuation of our Brewer DNA project efforts to resolve genealogical problems by making use of Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technology introduced by FTDNA in 2013 called “BIG Y” providing massive sequencing of the Y-Chromosome at reasonable cost.
The Ambrose Brewer family group, based on matching Y-DNA results and (unverified) pedigrees, are believed to be descended from Ambrose Brewer (1753-1855), possibly of Brunswick Co., VA. who is considered a likely familial, but not genetic, descendant of George Brewer or one of his sons. Traditional genealogical research for documentary evidence is still the key here, supported by the indisputable evidence of close genetic relationship among the Ambrose Brewer descendants.
Also of interest is a web site by James H. Brewer posted here providing data on the early descendants of George Brewer and Sarah Lanier who migrated from North Carolina to Wayne and Lawrence Counties in Tennessee.
(3) The Unassigned group seems, so far, to represent various independent families arriving in later waves of immigration from a variety of locations. It is anticipated that as participants are added, these “unassigned” members will find matching signatures placing them within additional separate ancestral branches.
(4) All members have obtained insight into their own “Deep” ancestry, prehistoric origins and geographic migrations, by learning their Haplogroup assignment. Our Brewer surname members represent Haplogroups I1, I2b1, E-V13 (formerly E3b), R1b, and J2, and so we know those distinct male lines have had no common ancestors for many hundreds of generations.
