Thomas Breese

As printed in 1885

THOMAS BREESE, farmer and stock-breeder. Delphos, Allen County, was born in North Wales, March 15, 1835; son of Richard and Elizabeth

(Rollands) Breese, former of whom died November 20, 1875, aged seventy-three; latter September 28, 1852, aged forty-eight years. They came to America, landing at Philadelphia, and settled the same year on the farm, where the subject of this sketch now lives, there being only four acres, cleared out of the 100, and for which Richard Breese paid $100 cash. Here, before the father’s death, they cleared about seventy acres, and endured the trials and hardships of pioneer life. Richard Breese was a man of prominence in his township, a deacon in the Congregational Church many years. He and his wife, were parents of seven children: Mary (wife of Joseph Watkins, in Sugar Creek Township, this county), Thomas, Ann (wife of John Morris, of Lima), Jane (wife of Evan Morgan, in Benton County, Ark. Alice (single), Richard (deceased, leaving a family of three children in Delphos), Samuel R. (who enlisted in May, 1861, in Company H, Thirty-second Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, going out as the first lieutenant, he was killed in the Battle of Harper’s Ferry, in August, 1862, and had his death not occurred, he would have been promoted to lieutenant colonel in a few days). Thomas Breese, the subject of this sketch, received a meager education; being the eldest son, his services were required in clearing up the farm. He was married September 6, 1861, to Martha Davis, a native of Montgomeryshire, Wales, born Septembor 10, 1842, daughter of Rev. James and Mary (Davis) Davis, who came to America in August, 1849, and settled in Cincinnati, Ohio, where the former preached for three years, in the Lawrence Street Congregational Church. They then came to Gomer. this county, in 1853, where Mr. Davis preached eight years, thence moved to New York State, remaining two years, thence to Radnor, Ohio, where he preached eight years. Rev. James Davis, was a son of Isaac and Sarah Davis; he died in April, 1873. His widow who is still living with Mr. Breese, is a daughter of Richard and Margaret (Davis) Davis. Rev. James Davis was the father of seven children, of whom three died without issue. Those who had families were Sarah (deceased wife of John Thomas, leaving family in Van Wert County, Ohio), Benjamin (deceased, leaving family in Crawford County, Kans. James (a business man in Sandusky City, has a family of three children), William (a merchant in Keokuk, Iowa, has a family of three children), and Martha (Mrs. Breese). To our subject and wife, have been born six children: Emma, born July 10, 1862; Samuel, born July 23, 1864; Mary (deceased at five years of age); James D., born January 31, 1874; Richard, born May 1, 1878, and Mary, born May 29, 1881. The life of Mr. Breese has been spent chiefly on the farm which he now occupies. He takes an active interest in all educational and religious matters. The family are members of the Congregational Church. In politics he is a Republican.

As printed in History of Allen County, Ohio : containing a history of the county, its townships, towns, villages, schools, churches, industries, etc; portraits of early settlers and prominent men; biographies; hist (1885). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.