Father: Rev. John BRADNER
Mother: ? ?
Siblings:
Spouse: James SAWYER (1738-1782) or John STEWARD (?)
Children (if the wife of James SAWYER):
Not much is known about Elizabeth personally. She and her husband (James SAWYER) appear in DAR records 39767, 41607, 43671, 43672, 45454, 51543, 56782, 57991 and 86827. Her family apparently lived in Goshen, NY, so I assume she was born there. Other DAR records show references to John (34304), Benoni (50055) and Colvill BRADNER, all from Goshen, NY. Their dates, being similar to Elizabeth's, suggest they may have been her siblings.
Despite the references to her as James SAWYER's wife in these DAR records and other sources, there are other sources that indicate she was married to a John STEWARD. There is a paper on file at the Orange County Genealogical Society that discusses this issue and concludes that she was the wife of John STEWARD.
Several references to the Bradner family appear in source 2 below. One is in the entry for Henry Tusten VAN DUZER (p. 304):
December 13, 1865, Mr. VAN DUZER and Miss Sarah C. BRADNER were united in marriage. The lady is the daughter of Colvill and Sarah (DENTON) BRADNER, natives of this county and state, within whose boundaries they passed their entire lives. Colvill BRADNER is a descendant of Rev. John BRADNER, who went with his parents to Long Island, and in 1821 [ed. 1721] came to Goshen as the first pastor of the Presbyterian Church. His father, John BRADNER, eloped with Miss Christian COLVILL, the daughter of a Scotch earl. After their marriage they set sail for America, the trip occupying over a year, and during the voyage Rev. John BRADNER was born.
Another reference to Elizabeth BRADNER is found on p. 583 in the biographical note on Daniel Jackson STEWARD. Daniel's parents were John and Martha (JACKSON) STEWARD. Father of John, grandfather of Daniel, was Judge John STEWARD, born in the early 1700s. Quoting further:
The father of Judge STEWARD, John Sr., was born in the northern part of Ireland and was of Scotch descent. He was one of two brothers who emigrated to America together, the other settling in Newport and becoming the father of the tatented artist, Gilbert STUART (that branch of the family spelling the name differently), while John Sr. located on this farm and married Elizabeth BRADNER, daughter of the first regular clergyman in Goshen. This divine was noted from the fact that he eloped with a daughter of a French nobleman by the name of COLVILLE, then residing in Edinburgh, Scotland, a Hugenot refugee. Mr. BRADNER had a college education and was tutor to two of COLVILLE's sons, and while there fell in love with the daughter of the house. Meeting with strong opposition, they eluded the parental wrath by fleeing to America.
Further, on page 858 of source 2 is an entry on John B. BRADNER, b. 1849, son of Adolphus B. and Pauline (WEYMER) BRADNER. John B. married Clara R. Hunt in 1873. Quoting a part of this entry:
The BRADNER family is an old one, and can be traced back a number of generations. Rev. John BRADNER emigrated from Edinburgh, Scotland, about 1721, and was the first minister in Goshen. His son Colville owned what is now the Henry A. BENEDICT farm, near Stone Bridge. In 1790 he also purchased of John TAYLOR, of New York City, the farm at Bellvale now known as the BRADNER homestead. His son John, a direct descendant of the Rev. John BRADNER, was the grandfather of our subject, and was one of 10 children born to Colville BRADNER and wife. He always resided on the Bellvale purchase, and by his marriage with Mary ROBINSON 13 children were born.
A contributor to the NYORANGE rootsweb list named Phoebe (MzCortez@aol.com) sent in the text of a Goshen will:
1759 Christian BRADNER Goshen son Colvill, John, Gilbert, Benoni, dau Christina, Mary, Sarah, Elizabeth, Wit Daniel Smith WOOD, Abner WOOD, Wm DENN
This is probably the will of Christian (COLVILL) BRADNER, daughter of a Scottish Earl and widow of John BRADNER. Either this John, or their son John, was the first Presbyterian minister at Goshen. Perhaps the Elizabeth of this page was the one mentioned in the will, meaning she was either the daughter or brother of the first Presbyterian minister at Goshen.
EleeW of the NYORANGE rootsweb list submitted the will of Elizabeth, wife of James SAWYER (from a book of Orange Co. Wills): Elizabeth SAWYER of Goshen, Liber B p.362, Will dated 14 Aug 1794 probated 20 Dec 1802; daus - Mary, Temperance; sons - Matthew, Moses, Benjamin; g-child - Elizabeth JONES, Elizabeth KNAP; Exec: Benjamin SAWYER, John STEWART; Wit: William ELMER, Andrew MONES, Christian WOOD.
Sources: