Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 309, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 December 1910 — A Comer in Ancestors [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

A Comer in Ancestors

By ELEANOR LEXINGTON

Breeden Family (Copyright by McClure Syndicate)

It is possible that French origin may be claimed for the Breeden family. This certainly is the case if, like Breton and Britton, the name is derived from Bretagne. From Breton or Britton, to Breeden, or Breedon is not a far cry. The family is an old one, long seated in Great Britain, and bearing arms. Judging from the simplicity of the coat-armor, perhaps, since heraldry was first introduced. The passion nails of the coat-armor _may point to a Crusader ancestor. Brecon is a town in Wales, and may be responsible for the name Breedon, or the old Celtic word bre, bree or brae—“Ye banks and braes”—meaning a brow or

declivity. There is a parish Brede in Sussex, and Bredon is a town in Worcester, and Breedon one in Leicester. This, then, accounts for the surname, without any further difficulties. Breedon is the usual English spelling, and in America it is Breeden. Variations of the name, at different times in its history, are Bredon, Breden, Bredeen, Breddeane, Breaden. Briddon and Bridden, also Breeding, Brading and Bradon. Searching for ancient records, we find that the will of a John Breedon, of Beare Court, Berks, was proved 1685. He also owned property in County Palatine of Durham. The will of Jane Breedon, widow of Great Chesham, Bucks, was proved, 1632. Tho will of Thomas Breedon, of Northamp-

ton, 1689, disposed of large estates. All these Breedons left families of goodly size. The sheriff of London, 1714, was Sir Robert Breedon. Sir Robert Edward Bredon has war medals and clasps galore and is now inspector of customs, Peking, China. His father. Dr. Alexander, married Katherine, daughter of Joseph Breadon, R. N. The poetess—or one—of the family is Christiane Breden of Austria. It is not easy to locate the pilgrim father or fathers. Records, at the present writing, begin with Sir Thomas Breedon, said to have been governor of Nova Scotia, under Cromwell, or about 1654. Sir Thomas is called captain. Tradition, which plays so important a part in genealogical records, removes, him to Virginia, and bestows three sons upon him. The name in the next generation was changed from Breedon to Breeden. A Thomas Breeden was living in Danforth, Mass., 1665; a few years earlier “Mr.” Breaden was a merchant of Salem. Mary Roberts married Robert Breeden and had two sons, John and Samuel of Dedham. A Joseph, born 1736, was the son of Samuel and Sara Bredeen, James Breeden of Boston married, ' 1657, Hannah Ruck or Rolk. The Breedens have been Identified with the history of Maryland and Virginia, but who were the pilgrims has not been definitely settled. One, as stated, may have been Captain Sir Thomas. The Zacchens Breedon of London, mariner, “now bound to Carolina apd Maryland," towards the end of the seventeenth century, was son of “Thomas Breedon of Southmorton, Oxon, gent.” There is nothing to show that Zaccheus remained in Maryland. Enoch Breedon, or Breeden, born in Maryland 1759, may be a descendant of Zaccheus, although some records give him Captain, Sir Thomas as forebear. Enoch’s father was a soldier, good and true; in the Revolution, and killed in battle, and Enoch also served in the Continental army as member of the Virginia militia. As to the Breedens’ war record, no one doubts their patriotism, although data regarding military careers does not abound. The Breedens were pioneers in Kentucky, and we find the name in Pennsylvania records. The coat-of-arms reproduced is blazoned gules, a lion rampant, within an orle of eight passion (or calvdry) nails, or. Crest, a deml lion, rampant, couped, argent, holding in his dexter paw a cross pattee, fitchee, at the foot, gules.

Breeden