John Marchant Brewer Papers
John Marchant Brewer (1820-1907) was a Wake Forest alumnus (1840), merchant and planter, and likely Confederate States Army veteran. Ann Eliza Wait (1826-1900) was the only daughter of Samuel Wait, first president of Wake Forest College. Together, John Marchant Brewer and Ann Eliza Wait were married and had who had 10 children. This collection documents the life of John Marchant Brewer and, to a lesser degree, the lives of his family members and social circle. Materials include bills and receipts, certificates, news clippings, correspondence, geneology research materials, obituary and memorial writings, photographs, and writings.
Biographical and Historical Note
John Marchant Brewer was born in the former Nansemond County, Virginia, now part of Suffolk, on November 9, 1820. He attended Wake Forest Institute from 1838-1840. Brewer was a merchant and planter. In an 1863 April 29 Weekly State Journal article about a meeting of the citizens of "Wake Forest District," a Captain John M. Brewer chaired a meeting regarding farmers supplying and supporting the Confederate States Army, so he was likely also a Confederate soldier or administrator.
On November 5, 1844, Brewer and the former Ann Eliza Wait were married. Ann Eliza was born on February 1, 1826, to Samuel and Sarah (Sallie) Wait, their only child who survived to adulthood. Samuel founded what became Wake Forest University in 1832 in Wake Forest, N.C., with the support and assistance of the Baptist State Convention of N.C.
John and Ann Eliza together had 10 children, some of whom remained in the Raleigh, N.C., area. Many generations of Brewers descendants have attended Wake Forest. Ann Eliza died on January 12, 1900; John followed her on February 9, 1907. John and Ann Eliza are are buried in the Wake Forest Cemetery, Wake Forest, N.C.
Collection Overview
This collection documents the life of John Marchant Brewer and, to a lesser degree, the lives of his family members and social circle. Materials include bills and receipts, certificates, news clippings, correspondence, geneology research materials, obituary and memorial writings, photographs, and writings.
Administrative Information
- Publication Information
- Processed by Gabriella de la Vega and Stephanie Bennett, 2024 October
- Access Restrictions
- This collection is open for use.
- Copyright Notice
- The nature of the WFU Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. The Archives and Special Collections of ZSR Library claims only physical ownership of most materials. The materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to the U.S. Copyright Law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source.
- Preferred Citation
- John Marchant Brewer Papers (MS130), Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.