Edward Breck (abt.1596-1662) | WikiTree FREE Family Tree

Edward Breck

Born about Aug 1596 in Ashton, Lancashire, England

Ancestors

Son of Robert Breck and Ann (Hurst) Breck

Brother of Jane Breck, Margaret Breck, Unknown Breck, Robert Breck and Jane Breck

Husband of Mary (Unknown) Breck — married 7 Apr 1623 [location unknown]

Husband of Isabel (Prescott) Fisher — married 1647 in Massachusetts Bay

Descendants

Father of Alice Breck, Mary Breck, Robert Breck, Anne (Breck) Blake, Edward Breck, Nathaniel Breck, Susanna Breck, Mary (Breck) Tolman, John Breck, Elizabeth (Breck) Minot and Susanna (Breck) Harris

Died 2 Nov 1662 at about age 66 in Dorchester, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony

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Profile last modified 15 Nov 2023 | Created 7 Feb 2011

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Edward Breck migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See The Directory, by R. C. Anderson, p. 40)
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1 Biography
2 Research Notes
3 Sources
- 3.1 See also
4 Acknowledgements

Biography

Origins

Edward Breck^[1] was baptized as "Edward Brike, son of Robert [Breck] of Raynford," in August 1596 at the Church of All Saints, Wigan, Lancashire.^[2] Raynford was actually Rainford (also called Rainforth), a village in the parish of Prescot near the border with the parish of Wigan. (close to Liverpool)^[3]His mother, Robert's wife, was Ann (Hurst) Breck who was born about 1570 (based on marriage date of 1591). Edward's parents were married at Prescot on April 20, 1591.

Edward had siblings baptized at Prescot:

Jane Breck baptized Feb. 2, 1593/4 and buried at Prescott on April 11, 1603 as daughter of Robert Breck of Rayforth.
Margaret Breck baptized April 17, 1599
child baptized April 1601
Robert Breck baptized April 1602
Jane Breck baptized June 29, 1606; buried at Prescot on July 16, 1607 as the daughter of Robert Breck of Rayforth.

Edward's grandfather was probably Hugh Breck of Rainford, who died in 1591.

First Marriage

Edward married Mary (_____) Unknown surname before April 1, 1623.

The following were the children of Edward and Mary, all baptized at Prescot:

Alice Breck who was baptized April 1, 1623; died and was buried in Prescot, England as daughter of Edward Breck of Rainford.
Mary Breck who was baptized on October 3, 1625. She most assuredly was the daughter whose death was mentioned by James Wood in his correspondence; as such she probably died in Massachusetts in 1645 or 1646.
Robert Breck was baptized February 26, 1627/8 at Prescot. He came to Dorchester in 1636 with his father; was made freeman in 1649 and admitted as inhabitant of the town on November 28, 1655.^[3]He died between December 30, 1663 (deed) and September 11, 1673. He may have had a first marriage to Margery (______). Records show that at Boston on January 4, 1653/4 he married as his second wife, Sarah Hawkins. Sarah was baptized at Dorchester on March 24, 1638/9, and died there on November 25, 1705, the daughter of Thomas and Mary (Welles) Hawkins.^[3]
Anna/Anne Breck was baptized August 23, 1629 and died before November 22, 1693 (date of husband's second marriage.) She married William Blake by May 14, 1650; William was baptized at Pitminster, Somerset, on September 6, 1620 and died at Milton, Massachusetts on September 3, 1703 at the age of 83 years; son of William and Agnes (_____) (Band) Blake. Anne had seven children before her father's death and four more children after.
Edward Breck was born about 1631 and was buried at Prescot on April 4, 1634 as son of Edward Breck of R[ainfor]d.
Nathaniel Breck (twin) was baptized April 7, 1634. He is probably the son whose death in England was referred to in James Wood's correspondence (see below)
Susanna Breck (twin) was baptized April 7, 1634 and died in Boston on November 11, 1653 while a servant to William Paddy.

Emigration

Edward migrated to New England before June 20, 1638 which is the date he bought land in Dorchester, Massachusetts. He was made a freeman on May 22, 1639 and must have ben admitted to the church before he was a freeman. He evidently was accompanied by his wife, Mary (______) for they were married before April 7, 1623 and Mary was admitted to full communion at the church in Dorchester on April 16, 1641. Children who survived and migrated with their parents in all likelihood were: Mary, Robert, Anne/Anna, Susanna

Correspondence that survived was published in the nineteenth century.

First there was a latter dated "Dorchester in New England, August 17, 1655" It was from "Edward Breck to the Church of Christ at Rainforth," which contained exhortations condemning Quakers while at the same time encouraging differences of religious opinions. ^[4]
The second letter was dated "Ashton 12th, 2d month," from James Wood to "Edward Brecke at Dorchester, in Newe England." In it James Wood sent his sympathies on the death of Edward's wife and daughter and implied the earlier death of one of Edward's sons in England. It included greetings to Edward's son Robert.^[5] Although this second letter contains no year, researchers have assumed that it was written about 1646, since James Wood was minister in Winwick, Lancashire from 1645 to 1662 and Edward Breck's wife Mary died after April 1641.

Second Marriage

In 1647 at Massachusetts, Edward married (2nd) Isabel (_____) Rigby, widow of John Rigby of Dorchester.^{[citation needed]}

The following were the children of Edward and Isabel; all baptized in Dorchester:^{[citation needed]}

Mary Breck was baptized August 13, 1648. She died at Dorchester on August 25, 1720. Married at Dorchester on January 8, 1666/7 Samuel Paul who died there on November 3, 1690. She married (2nd) at Dorchester on June 15, 1692 John Tolman.
John Breck was baptized on October 27, 1650 and died in Dorchester on February 17, 1690, aged 40 years. He married before April 17, 1672 to Susanna (_____). She died in Dorchester on February 8, 1711/12.
Elizabeth Breck was baptized on May 24, 1653 and died at Dorchester on April 6, 1691. She married there on March 11, 1670/1 to John Minot who was baptized at Dorchester on January 22, 1647/8 and died there January 26, 1690/1; son of John and Lydia (Butler) Minot.
Susanna Breck was baptized November 26, 1654 and married at Dorchester on March 20, 1674/5 to John Harris of Boston.

Residences

In 1642, 1645, 1646, 1655 and 1656 Edward was a selectman in Dorchester. He was given land on Smelt Brook Creek provided he set a mill there on December 17, 1645. He also received land allotments (along with his son Robert) in 1653, additionally he and other men were chosen by the General Court "To lay out Allottments and to order the purdentiall affaires of this Plantation at Nashaway now named Lancaster." It is believed Edward and Isabel spent a year or so at Lancaster and by April 2, 1654 they were back at Dorchester.

Death

A will was made by Edward on October 30, 1662 that was proved on December 11, 1662.^[6] In it he mentions his daughter Blake's children; son Robert; wife Isabel; four children John, Mary, Elizabeth and Susanna; and his estate in Lancaster. His wife Isabel was executrix.

Following Edward's death, his wife Isabel married a third time in Dorchester on November 14, 1663 to Anthony Fisher.^{[citation needed]} Anthony died in Dorchester on April 18, 1671 and Isabel on June 21, 1673. ^{[citation needed]}

Research Notes

Note: Publications of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts, Volume 14, pg 49-52:^{[citation needed]}

Mr. Charles K. Bolton communicated a sketch of Edward Breck, of Dorchester, prepared by Dr. Edward Breck of Boston, and a letter about the Quakers written by Edward Breck at Dorchester on 17 August, 1655, and published the next year in London. These follow.

Edward Breck, the author of the vigorous letter printed below, was an excellent specimen of the sturdy type of Briton that settled New England. The name which, in different variations, means " ruddy" in the several Gaelic tongues, points distinctly to a Celtic origin, but whether Scottish, Irish, or Welsh is unknown. A vague family tradition derives the stock from the highland Stewarts of Appin; but it is significant that the country about Liverpool and Chester, where the name of Breck was common, lies not far distant from the marches of Wales. As early as 1323 Robert del Brek and his son Thomas (Robert is a persistent family name) are mentioned in. the roll of inhabitants of West Derby, Lancashire, and in 1325 Thomas is put down as Thomas del Breck at Liverpool, a part of which West Derby now forms. In and about Liverpool the name still persists, there being a Breck Road, Breck House, Breck Side Park, and Walton Breck Road to this day, though no Brecks now reside in England.

Edward Breck (or Brecke, as the name was generally spelled in the earliest days) who came to Dorchester with the company of the Rev. Richard Mather in 1635, is usually called yeoman, though of

ancient lineage, and possessing kinsmen mentioned in the heralds' visitations (e. g. Chester) as gentlemen.

He was the son of Robert and the grandson of Hugh or Thomas, probably the former, who died at Rainforth (now Rainford), part of the parish of Prescot, Lancashire, in 1591. Edward, who was born in or near the year 1600, was probably left by his father in good circumstances, for he was a landholder and "man of distinction" before he left Rainforth for New England, and he brought with him to Dorchester a man-servant, as appears from the letter written him about the year 1646 by his old pastor, the Rev. James Wood, from Ashton, near Rainforth: " I pray you commend me dearly to your sonn Robert, & to your man John Birchall, that went over with you fro our towen."

Edward began at once to take an important part in the public life of the Dorchester settlement, and served the town in various capacities, including repeated terms as selectman, while his eldest son, Robert, moved to Boston and became a prominent merchant. The latter bought many tracts along the water-front, the deeds of which are recorded, and also received in 1655 from his father, Edward, a house and garden in Boston, recovered by law-suit. Robert left no descendants, and in all probability left the country soon afterwards for Galway in Ireland. One of Edward's daughters, Elizabeth, married John Minot, from whom the American family of that name is descended. Edward's eldest son (after the departure of Robert) was John, who held the rank of Captain in the colonial forces, and whose grave-stone, in perfect condition, still stands in the old grave-yard at Upham's Corner, next that of his son, Ensign Edward. John, from whom all the Brecks of this branch are descended, was the son of Edward's second wife, Isabell, who was the widow of John Rigby. The loss of Edward's first wife, as well as of a son and a daughter, is referred to in the letter of the Rev. James Wood as follows: " but me thinkes my thoughts returne this Apollogie for my old frend, he is in sorrowe for his dear wife, for his sweet daughter, both which I hear God hath of late taken vnto himselfe. So hopefull a sonne here, so gracious & sweet a wife & daughter there, cannot but lye closse to a tender father & loueing husband's hart." Edward Breck died in the year 1662, leaving an estate, the value of which ran into hundreds of pounds sterling, a large sum for his day, while his son, Captain John, died in 1690, worth over £1350. From John descend the families of Breck, Minot, Farkman, Blake, Tuckerman, Denny, Shaw, Sturgis, and others prominent in the Colony.

It is significant of the degree of refinement obtaining among even the earliest pioneers of New England, that in the inventory of Edward Breck's estate occurs the mention of a bath-tub; while the general culture of the period and place is proved by the large number of well written letters still extant.

Sources

↑ Unless otherwise cited, information in this profile is derived from Doris Schreiber Willcox, "Edward Breck's Baptismal Record and Identification of His 'Daughter Blake,' " in New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, vol. 164 (2010): pp. 175-183 (link for subscribers)
↑ Willcox, p 175, citing Parish Records of Wigan, Lancashire, 1580-1721 (FHL 1,888,672 and Josiah Arrowsmith, ed., The Registers of the Parish Church of Wigan..., Lancashire Parish Register Society, vol 4 (1899), p 39.
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 "Capt. Thomas Hawkins of London and Dorchester" in The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, volume? Year? page numbers?
↑ Breck, Samuel. "Genealogy of the Breck Family" Rees Printing Co., Omaha, 1889. pp 11 - 15.see at archive.org; see pp 2, 6-7.
↑ Breck, 1889, p 178
↑ Willcox (2010), p 177, citing Suffolk Co., MA Probates, 1:400-401.

This biography is source from the following two NEHGR articles, unless additional inline citations are added.

The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1847-. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2013.) "Edward Breck's Baptismal Record and Identification of His 'Daughter Blake'" by Doris Schreiber Willcox. pp. 175-183.subscription site

The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1847-. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2013.) "Capt. Thomas Hawkins of London and Dorchester" states "Robert, son of Edward Breck and his unknown first wife, came with his father to Dorchester in 1636, ..."subscription site

Acknowledgements

This person was created through the import of grant2.ged on 07 February 2011.
Breck-56 was created by Robert Greaves through the import of wikitree_baker.ged on Nov 4, 2014.
WikiTree profile Breck-13 created through the import of BDM7-7-11.ged on Jul 8, 2011 by Brian McCullough.

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Edward Breck (abt. 1596 - 1662)

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