Brower’s Cemetery, Chester Co., PA Contributed to the USGenWeb Archives by Larry Cook [l.cook@mindspring.com]. Copyright 2004. All Rights Reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm ********************************************************* I. BROWER’S CEMETERY, PARKERFORD, PA Brower’s Cemetery is located in the upper end of Parkerford. It is one of the oldest cemeteries in the Schuylkill area of Chester County. The gravestone of one of the oldest decedents is 1744. There are 21 gravestones for people who died prior to 1800. There are many early graves without markers. Unlike many early cemeteries, this one had no connection with any particular church. In the early days, it was known as Brauer’s or Brower’s burial ground.{1} Another, newer cemetery is located immediately adjacent to Brower’s known as Oak Grove Cemetery. In 1860, a meeting house was erected at Brower’s which was used for religious services and community meetings. A stone in the house reads “East Coventry Meeting House, A.D. 1860.” Although many of the early families were of German origin, there are only nine gravestones in the German language.{2} A. The PARKER Family 1. Mary PARKER, d. 5-8-1778, age 57, other subject matter illegible [b. 1721] 2. Edward PARKER, d. 5-18-1788, age 65 years [b. 1721; SAR Emblem],{3} 3. Susanna PARKER, 4-21-1812, age 80 (could be age 89) [b. either 1723 or 1732], d. 4-12-1847 in 89th yr., [b. 1738]. 4. Henry PARKER, d. 8-12-1822, age 75 yrs. [born 1753].{4} 5. John Henry PARKER, age 75 B. The WILSON Family 1. John WILSON, d. 3-25-1858, age 80 [b. 1778], 2. Mary WILSON, d. 1-?/1860, [b. 1780, Mary PARKER], w. of John Wilson, d. 1-9-1860, age 80. 3. John Henry Wilson, s. of William and Mary, age 5 (or 3?)-12-17. C. The COOK Family 1. Samuel COOK, b. 4-19-1797, d. 5-19-1879. 2. Hannah COOK {5} , d. 16 May 1898, 92-7-25 {6} [b. Hannah REIFSNYDER, d. 5-18-1884, per obit.] 3. Samuel R. COOK, b. 1837, d. 1925 [age 88] {7} 4. Annie M. COOK, b. 1842, d. 1926 [age 84, wife of Samuel R., b. Annie _____?] 5. Jonas COOK, d. 5-__1879, age 50 [b. 1829] 6. Joanna M. Cook, b. 1842, d. 1-9-1902 [b. Joanna ___ ?, age 60; probable wife of Jonas]. 7. Sarah DAVIS, b. 5-12-1819, d. 8-28-1896 [born Sarah COOK, age 77 yrs., 3 mos., 16 days]. 8. William DAVIS, b. 12-21-1817, d. 2-13-1890 [age 72 yrs., 1 mo., 23 days] 9. Edwin William DAVIS, son of William and Sarah Davis, b. 1860, d. 1915 [age 55]. 10. Howard Wells Cook, son of William and Lucinda Cook, 31 December 1868-1 December 1869, Area B, Row 4. {8} D. The HOLLOWBUSH Family 1. Peter HOLLOWBUSH, b. 2 June 1805, d. 13 March 1872, age 66-9-11 Hannah HOLLOWBUSH, b. 5-1-1807, d. 10-12-1887 [age 80, b. Hannah WILSON] d. 10-2-1887. {9} 2. Caroline Hollowbush, dau. of Peter and Hannah, d. 4-7-1837, age 2-9-0. 3. William Henry HOLLOWBUSH, d. 4-28-1878 [b. 1845], d. 4-28-1870, age 25-2- 24. 4. Mary HOLLOWBUSH, w. of Wm. Peter Hollowbush, b. 6-2-1805, d. 3-13-1872. 5. Infant Hollowbush, 9-6-1869, age 8 months 18 days. {10} 6. H. Jennie STAMM, b. 4-24-1838, d. 1-1-1925 [age 87, b. as Hannah (presuming this is accurate first name) HOLLOWBUSH ].{11} 7. Joseph H. STAMM, b. 4-20-1840, d. 5-21-1899 [age 59 yrs., 1 mo., 1 day]. 8. Susanna HARLEY, 1841-1924, [b. as Susanna HOLLOWBUSH]. {12} 9. Harrison HARLEY, 1839-1924, [husband of Susanna Harley]. 10. Fred HARLEY, 1874-1963, [son of Harrison and Susannah]. 11. Lewis R. HARLEY, 1864-1923, [son of Harrison and Susannah]. 12. Mary Cora HARLEY, 1870-1957, [daughter of Harrison and Susannah]. {13} E. The GRUBB Family 1. Abraham GRUBB (GROB), b. 5-19-1726, d. 7-27-1808 [age 82, son of Henry GRUBB who came from Switzerland in 1717]. {14}, {15} 2. Elizabeth GRUBB, b. 6-6-1734, d. 10-2-1823 [age 89, b. Elizabeth FREY] 3. Moses GRUBB, b. 12-18-1807, d. 4-30-1895 [age 88]. 4. Catherine GRUBB, wife of Moses, b. Oct. 1814, d. March 1865 [age 51, 2d wife of Moses GRUBB]. 5. Hannah GRUBB, wife of Moses, b. 1811, d. 1857 [age 46, 1st wife of Moses GRUBB]. 6. Hannah GRUBB, b. 1806 []. 7. David GRUBB, b. 7-19-1768, d. 1852 (?)[age 84,]. 8. Mary GRUBB, wife of David, b. 1773, d. 1851 [age 78,]. 9. Mary GRUBB, wife of Jacob GRUBB, b. 11-__-1788, d. 1867 [age 79]. 10. Henry GRUBB, b. 1-22-1805, d. 9-5-1875 [age 70,]. 11. Ann GRUBB, wife of Henry GRUBB, d. 1837 []. 12. Conrad GRUBB, 1837 . 13. George GRUBB, b. 4-1-1820, d. 1885 [age 65,]. 14. Eliza GRUBB, wife of George GRUBB, b. 9-22-1827, d. 6-16-1891 [age 64]. 15. Bertha M. GRUBB, b. 1888, d. 1904 [age 16]. 16. Mary Alice GRUBB, b. 1875, d. 1926 [age 51]. 17. George A. GRUBB, b. 1885, d. 1970 [age 85]. 18. Emma M. GRUBB, b. 1859, d. 1941 [age 82]. 19. John S. GRUBB, b. 1859, d. 1944 [age 85,]. 20. Harry G. GRUBB, b. 4-3-1856, d. 3-12-1949 [age 93]. 21. Mary E. GRUBB, b. 8-25-1861, d. 7-25-1927 [age 66]. 22. Emerson GRUBB, b. 7-28-1880, d. 9-18-1881 [age 1]. 23. Jenny GRUBB, b. 10-29-1891, d. 1-15-1892 []. 24. Infant GRUBB d. 6-16-1893 [relation unknown]. 25. Florence E. GRUBB, b. 12-4-1904, d. 3-17-1908 [age 3]. 26. Anna GRUBB, b. 9-25-1887, d. 10-9-1909 [age 22]. 27. Jacob GRUBB, b. 17__?, d. 1867. ------------------------- Notes: {1} Some of the Brower family is also buried there. {2} Source: Records of Raymond E. Hollenbach, 1970, from Mennonite Hist. Society. {3} Capt. in Penn. Militia, Revolutionary War, Aug. 5, 1776, p. 540, vol. 5, ser. 5, Penn. Archives. {4} Sgt. in Capt. Brumbach’s Company, Revolutionary War, 9-24-1781, p. 540, vol. 5, ser. 5 Penn. Archives. {5} Gravestone is largely illegible, but a visual reading done in 2001 appears to indicate: b. ?/?/ 17_?_, d. 188? {6} Taken from records without attribution, and from Collections of the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania Ch. 36A). The 1884 death date from the obit is probably the most reliable date. Inconsistent census records further compound the discrepancy regarding birth dates of Samuel and Hannah. The 1860 census (p. 305) reveal Samuel and Henry continuing to live in N. Coventry Township in Chester County, but they were identified as having been born in 1798, and 1795, respectively. However, the 1870 census (Roll 1324, p. 453 –virtually illegible) show their respective birth dates as being 1797 and 1793. {7} Sergeant, Company A. 2nd Regiment, DC Volunteer Infantry, Grand Army of the Republic (Union Army). {8} Taken in part from records without attribution and from Collections of the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania Ch. 36A) {9} Id. {10} Id. {11} Per 1850 Census records, first name is either Sarah (b. 1832) Hannah (b. 1838). {12} Some of the information on the Harleys buried in Oak Grove is posted by Jody S. Harley (harley1of6@aol.com) on the Chester County cemeteries page. {13} Another son, Edwin Harley (1865-1931) is buried at the East Coventry Mennonite Cemetery. {14} Note: This Abraham Grubb may have had a son, Samuel, who on 9-28-1830 m. a Hannah Koons, daughter of John of Limerick, per records of East Vincent Reformed Church 1758-1833 (Microfilm Vincent Township Part 13, roll 142- 143, Marriages by John Guildon). His father, Henry (Heinrich) emigrated from Switzerland with other Mennonites in 1717, possibly with one or two brothers. He settled near Obelisk, Frederick Township, Montgomery County. Henry died in 1725, and his widow Catharine, married Jacob Frick in 1736. She brought with her three Grubb sons: Abraham, Johannes and George. Abraham, Sr. m. in 1794 Elizabeth Freigh/Frea. They had 10 children. He died 1808. Their son, Abraham Grubb, Jr. m. Elizabeth Fretz, daughter of John and Mary (Kolb) Fretz, and had 8 children. Before 1800, Abraham petitioned the Canadian government for a land grant as a United Empire Loyalist and was granted 200 acres of Crown Lands in Trafalger Township, Halford County, Ontario. Abraham, Jr. and his family emigrated to Canada in 1800. He died there in 1842. It should be noted that there are other important Grubb families from southern Chester County and Deleware who are not related to the Heirich Grubb family. (Source: “Coventry, the Skool Kill District: A Basic History of the Three Coventry Townships, 1700-1850”, by Estelle Cramers and Pamela Shenk, Masthof Press, Morgantown, PA, 2003, pp. 124-25). {15} Abraham and his wife were some of the first members of the German Baptist Church branch located in Coventry. The church was a/k/a The Dunkers, and later became known as the Church of the Brethren. The Coventry congregation of the C.O.B. (which still exits today) is the second-oldest C.O.B. congregation in the U.S. The Coventry C.O.B. is located just a few hundred yards from Samuel Cook’s house. Unfortunately, most of their records were destroyed.