Edward H. Brewer

Grover and Frances Cleveland brought a man named Edward H. Brewer with them to the White House from New York in 1893 to serve as a groom in the White House Stables; it is unclear if he also worked for them during Cleveland’s first term (1885-1889).¹ At the White House, Brewer worked under Coachman William H. Beckett; on the job, both men wore official livery which included “light melton overcoats” and “silk hats adorned with quiet looking cockades.”² Brewer remained on staff through the end of Cleveland’s second term in March of 1897, and afterward relocated to Long Island, New York. 

In November 1897, Brewer made national news for shooting a man on the Shinnecock Reservation.³ He was found guilty and sentenced to ten months in county jail; he appears to have avoided a more serious sentence thanks to his role at the White House– The Brooklyn Daily Times noted that “a letter from ex-President Cleveland may have saved Edward H. Brewer from a State prison cell.”⁴ Further information about Brewer’s life is limited.