The Brecks of Littleton, Massachusetts

Be it remembered that I, Joseph Breck, of Littleton in the County of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, mariner, being in a weak state of health, but of a sound disposing mind and memory reflecting on the uncertainty of this life, and being desirous to prevent, as much as possible, any perplexity or trouble in the settlement of my worldly affairs after my decease do now think proper to make this my last will and only testament in manner and form following.¹

Joseph Breck signed this on April 10th, 1822 and died on June 27th of the same year.² He was only fifty years old. Though he still listed himself as a mariner on his will, he had been retired for eight years living quietly on a farm outside of Boston.³

His beloved companion and lawful wife, Mrs Lucy Breck, was listed as the executrix of his estate. They had been married for 13 years and had six children. When Joseph died, Lucy was about seven months pregnant with their seventh child.⁴

Lucy was fourteen years younger than her husband and only 36 when he died. The will stated that she was to inherit the entire estate. At least for the length of her widowhood - if she remarried then one third of the estate would go with her and two thirds would remain to be divided evenly among the seven children.⁵

Lucy never remarried. And her widowhood lasted for more than fifty years. Her focus must have been her children. She and her six children mourned their loss at the end of June, and then less than two months later celebrated the birth of Lucy’s last child, Henry Everett Breck.⁶

For the next sixteen years, Lucy must have been able to take solace in her brood, even as the older ones began to move about the country and world. But in 1838, her eldest daughter, Lucy Ann Breck Tilden died in St. Louis, Missouri.⁷ Less than a year later, her son George died in London, England.⁸ In 1843, young Henry died⁹ and less than five months later so did his sister Amelia.¹⁰ Lucy’s son, Robert, passed away in 1858.¹¹

Of her seven children, Lucy outlived all but two of them. Her son, Joseph, and her daughter, Sarah, were each involved in administering Lucy’s estate.¹²

[Respectfully represents] Joseph Breck of the city and state of New York that his mother Lucy Breck died intestate at Littleton, in this the jurisdiction of said county on the eighth day of June A.D. 1873, possessed of personal estate to an amount over $2,000.00, and leaving as heirs himself the said Joseph Breck, and one other, namely Sarah Hagar of Richmond in the state of [Maine], sister of your petitioner...¹³

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This is the fifth post in a set of family history profiles that I am calling #20in2020. I'll post the next one in a couple weeks.

Sources

1 Probate records 1648--1924 (Middlesex County, Massachusetts); Author: Massachusetts. Probate Court (Middlesex County); Probate Place: Middlesex, Massachusetts; Ancestry.com. Massachusetts, Wills and Probate Records, 1635-1991 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015: download 24 March 2020

2 Probate records 1648--1924 (Middlesex County, Massachusetts); Author: Massachusetts. Probate Court (Middlesex County); Probate Place: Middlesex, Massachusetts; Ancestry.com. Massachusetts, Wills and Probate Records, 1635-1991 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015: download 24 March 2020

3 Genealogy of the Breck Family Descended from Edward of Dorchester and his Brothers in America by Samuel Breck, U.S.A. Historical Society of Pennsylvania; https://www.hsp.org/ FamilySearch International https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/records/item/529862-genealogy-of-the-breck-family-descended-from-edward-of-dorchester-and-his-brothers-in-america-with-an-appendix-of-additional-biographical-and-historical-matter-obituary-notices-letters-etc-and-armorial-bearings : download 24 March 2020

4 Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 24 March 2020), memorial page for Henry E Breck (1822–1843), Find A Grave Memorial no. 16532388, citing Old Burying Ground, Littleton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States of America.

5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

Andrew and Mary

According to family lore, Andrew Provins met his end suddenly in 1871 when he collided with a train. No one ever mentioned what happened to the train. Almost nothing else was passed down about him.

My research has helped me to put him into context, but his story is still fragmented and incomplete.

Comparing the approximate locations of Andrew's home and church based on a modern map.

Andrew was born about 1847 to John Provan and Margaret Scott. According to the one census that I’ve found for him, he was born in Ireland.¹ But the earliest record that I have for him, puts him in Glasgow, Scotland for his wedding in 1867.²

That record of his marriage to Mary Wilson shines one of the very few spotlights on Andrew’s life. For the first twenty years of his life, I know nothing - I’m not even sure what year he was born or in what country he spent those two decades.

Andrew and Mary married on the twenty second day of November, 1867.

Then on the twenty second day of November, 1867, Andrew and Mary became husband and wife (after banns) in the Reformed Presbyterian Church at 35 Abbotsford Place in the District of Tradeston in the Burgh of Glasgow. They were already living together at the same address - 234 Pollockshaws Road - which was just half a mile from the church.³

Andrew was a journeyman mason, as was his father John. His mother, Margaret, had died some time before the wedding. Mary’s father was a journeyman joiner. They were married by the Minister John McDermid, and the witnesses were from Mary's family: Edward and Grace Wilson. And just in case that isn't enough information to get from a single record, the marriage was registered 3 days later in Glasgow by the assistant registrar, James Tait.⁴

Andrew Jr was born on the twentieth day of December, 1868.

Just over a year later on December 20, 1868, Andrew and Mary welcomed their first child, Andrew Scott Provins (a name that honored Andrew’s late mother). At Andrew Junior’s birth his dad was still listed as a journeyman mason, but the family had moved across the River Clyde to 186 Wellington Street.⁵

After seeing Andrew so clearly in Glasgow, I lose sight of him in 1869. That was another big year for 22 year old Andrew. I haven’t found a record to prove it, but is most likely the year that Andrew bundled up his young family and crossed the Atlantic Ocean to build a life in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Example of a railroad depot in the late 19th century.

On the 1870 census, Andrew and his family appear to have settled into a distinctly Irish neighborhood of Philadelphia’s 26th ward. Andrew also made sure to get himself into the Philadelphia City Directory.⁶

Then, at some point in 1871, Andrew died and was buried in Mount Moriah Cemetery. His headstone is the only record I have found of his death.⁷ Andrew’s daughter, Mary Wilson Provins, was born June 5, 1871.⁸ I don’t know if they ever had a chance to meet.

Andrew is buried with Mary's third husband and a possible relative...

Andrew’s widow was suddenly left in a bustling foreign city alone with a newborn and a toddler.

Mary would prove herself more than a match for this adversity though - she would go on to marry three more times, travel extensively, and run her own store. But that is a tale for another time.

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This is the fourth post in a set of family history profiles that I am calling #20in2020. I'll post the next one in a couple weeks.

Sources

1 Ancestry.com. 1870 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images reproduced by FamilySearch. https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/7163/4278945_00374/6358844 : download 8 March 2020

2 "Statutory registers Marriages 644/9 461" ScotlandsPeople.gov.uk. Statutory registers Marriages 644/9 461 [database on-line]. Crown copyright, National Records of Scotland. (https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/view-image/nrs_stat_marriages/1475825 : download 8 March 2020)

3 "Statutory registers Marriages 644/9 461" ScotlandsPeople.gov.uk. Statutory registers Marriages 644/9 461 [database on-line]. Crown copyright, National Records of Scotland. (https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/view-image/nrs_stat_marriages/1475825 : download 8 March 2020)

4 "Statutory registers Marriages 644/9 461" ScotlandsPeople.gov.uk. Statutory registers Marriages 644/9 461 [database on-line]. Crown copyright, National Records of Scotland. (https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/view-image/nrs_stat_marriages/1475825 : download 8 March 2020)

5 "Statutory registers Births 644/10 2285" ScotlandsPeople.gov.uk. Statutory registers Births 644/10 2285 [database on-line]. Crown copyright, National Records of Scotland. (https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/view-image/nrs_stat_births/40119801 : download 8 March 2020)

6 Ancestry.com. 1870 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images reproduced by FamilySearch. https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/7163/4278945_00374/6358844 : download 8 March 2020

7 Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 8 March 2020), memorial page for Andrew Provins (1848–1871), Find A Grave Memorial no. 178948498, citing Mount Moriah Cemeter, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, USA.

8 " Social Security Administration. Social Security Death Index, Master File. Social Security Administration." Ancestry.com. U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2014. : download 8 March 2020)