"" Variations in Spelling: Breazeale, Breazzeal, Breazeall, Brazeal, Brezeal, Breazal, Breazealle, Brazeale, Brazzeal, Brezeale The surname Breazeal has its origins in the British Isles, possibly Englan or Ireland. In Gaelic it appeared as Ó Breasail (descendant of Breasal), possibly from the word bres, which means strife. This gives rise to two different beginnings of the Breazeal name: You may choose which you like, until we have definite data to point in one direction we will keep both options open. A massive amount of Ireland's native population left the island in the 19th century for North America and Australia in hopes of finding more opportunities and an escape from discrimination and oppression.

Early North American immigration and passenger lists have revealed a number of people bearing the name Breazeal or a variant listed above: Daniel Brassell who arrived in New York State in 1756; Patrick Brazell arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1838; Thomas Breslin settled in Virginia in 1765. ************************************************
Copyright. All rights reserved.
USGenWeb Project Louisiana
************************************************ ========================================================================== Comments:
========================================================================== HOSEA BRIGHT BREAZEAL & SARAH ELIZABETH MAYFIELD Hosea Bright Breazeal was born 5 April 1813 in Pendleton District South Carolina. He was the son of Nancy Breazeal (1791 - 1841), who was not married when her son was born. Nancy Breazeal was the daughter of Joel Breazeal (c1755 - 1829) and Rebecca Griffin Breazeal (c1760/70 - 1845+), who had married in Chatham County North Carolina in 1779. There is no record of the identity of Bright Breazeal's father.

Little is known of Bright's early years, but he apparently lived with his grandparents in Pendleton District South Carolina. Within a few years of Bright's birth, his mother Nancy Breazeal married a Mr. Lawless, probably either Larkin B., Hiram, or Henry Lawless. Joel's household on the 1820 census consisted of an older male and female (Joel and Rebecca), a male aged 16--26 (apparently their son Joel M. Breazeal), a female aged 10--16 (apparently their youngest daughter Lucinda), a young male child (apparently Bright Breazeal), and several slaves.

Joel Breazeal's married children began moving westward to Tennessee and Alabama a few years before 1820. His son William Breazeal and son-in-law Azariah Cobb were in Tuscaloosa County Alabama by 1823, and in about 1824 Joel sold his plantation in Pendleton District and joined his relatives in Alabama. He bought a 240 acre farm on Bear Creek in southeastern Tuscaloosa County Alabama on 24 January 1826.

Joel Breazeal died on 5 August 1829, and by Joel's instructions in his will, the plantation became the property of his youngest son Joel Marshall Breazeal. In 1830, the household of Joel M. Breazeal consisted of a male aged 20-30 (Joel M. Breazeal), a female aged 60-70 (apparently his mother Rebecca Griffin Breazeal), a male aged 15--20 (apparently Bright Breazeal), and several slaves.

Sarah Elizabeth Mayfield was born in Pendleton District South Carolina on 17 June 1819, the daughter of Archibald Mayfield and Tabitha Bennett. Archibald was a veteran of the War of 1812, and his father Samuel Mayfield was a veteran of the Revolutionary War. Sarah spent her early years near both sets of her grandparents, Samuel and Jane Mayfield and Elisha and Sarah Todd Bennett. The Breazeal, Bennett, and Mayfield families were not only close neighbors in Pendleton District South Carolina, but also connected by marriage: Joel and Rebecca's daughter Mary Ann Breazeal married Elisha and Sarah's son Stephen Bennett in 1815.

About 1824, the Mayfields moved with numerous relatives and neighbors from Pendleton District South Carolina to Tuscaloosa County Alabama. Although the Bennetts remained in South Carolina, Archibald's parents Samuel and Jane moved with their son to Alabama. Archibald Mayfield also bought a farm on Bear Creek in Tuscaloosa County, adjoining the farm of Joel Breazeal. In addition to begin neighbors, the Breazeals and Mayfields belonged to the same church, Sardis Baptist Church.

Hosea Bright Breazeal and Sarah Elizabeth Mayfield were married on 18 February 1836 in Tuscaloosa County Alabama. They apparently lived on either the Breazeal or Mayfield plantations. Archibald Mayfield died in 1833 and upon Tabitha's death in 1842, Bright Breazeal bought 40 acres of her plantation. Between 1846 and 1849, Joel M. Breazeal began to sell his farm in Tuscaloosa County in preparation to move west to Pickens County. This probably coincided with the death of Rebecca Griffin Breazeal (she was alive in 1844 but this is the last known record of her). When Joel M. Breazeal sold the last of his father's old plantation on 26 January 1849 and moved away, Bright Breazeal also moved his family away from Bear Creek. He settled about ten miles northwest of the old Breazeal/Mayfield plantations and bought a farm there.

A few years after the death of their mother Tabitha Bennett Mayfield in 1842, most of Sarah's siblings left Alabama for Arkansas, and Bright's aunt Rosannah Breazeal Cobb and her family also left for Arkansas. Bright Breazeal's eldest daughter Tabitha married on 12 June 1856 and died the following year, on 8 October 1857 (possibly in childbirth). A month later, on 23 November 1857, Bright and Sarah sold their Tuscaloosa County farm and moved to southern Union County Arkansas/northern Union Parish Louisiana. Although Bright was listed as a resident of northern Union Parish on 17 December 1858, shortly thereafter he settled next door to his uncle and aunt, Azariah and Rosannah Breazeal Cobb near Caledonia, Union County Arkansas. Also living nearby was Sarah's brother Andrew J. Mayfield and his family (he had married the daughter of Azariah and Rosannah Breazeal Cobb). Bright bought a farm from his first cousins Joel M. and George Cobb either in 1857 or 1858.

Bright Breazeal served as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Jackson Township, Union County Arkansas Home Guard during the War Between the States. His eldest son Andrew J. Breazeal died in the service of the Confederate States Army at Fort Pillow, Tennessee, on the Mississippi River, on 25 April 1862. His other sons Reuben S. and James K. Polk Breazeal also served in the Confederate Army.

Bright and Sarah Breazeal sold their farm near Caledonia, Union County Arkansas, on 2 November 1866 and moved a few miles south to extreme northern Union Parish Louisiana. They bought a farm north of Spearsville and remained there for the rest of their lives. Bright served as a justice of the peace in Union Parish just as he had in Tuscaloosa County Alabama. He was also active in New Hope Primitive Baptist Church from 1872 until 1887, serving as church clerk from 1880 until 1887. Sarah died in 1888, and Bright in 1891. They are buried in the Spearsville Cemetery next to their youngest daughter, Laura Agnes, who died in 1912.

Hosea Bright Breazeal and Sarah Elizabeth Mayfield Family Record Hosea Bright Breazeal b. 5 Apr 1813, Pendleton District South Carolina m. 18 Feb 1836, Tuscaloosa County Alabama d. 19 Oct 1891, near Spearsville, Union Parish Louisiana buried: Spearsville Cemetery, Union Parish Louisiana father: unknown mother: Nancy Breazeal Sarah Elizabeth Mayfield b. 17 June 1819, Pendleton District South Carolina d. 9 Jan 1888, near Spearsville, Union Parish Louisiana buried: Spearsville Cemetery, Union Parish Louisiana father: Archibald Mayfield mother: Tabitha Bennett children: 1. Tabitha Adaline Breazeal b. 10 Jan 1837, Tuscaloosa County Alabama m. 12 June 1856, at the residence of her parents in Tuscaloosa County Alabama, to John B. Burns d. 8 Oct 1857, Tuscaloosa County Alabama 2. Andrew J. Breazeal b. 21 Dec 1838, Tuscaloosa County Alabama d. 25 Apr 1862, Fort Pillow, Tennessee, while in the service of the Confederate States Army 2nd Corporal, 19th Regiment Arkansas Infantry, Confederate States Army 3. Arrena Emaline Breazeal b. 19 Mar 1841, Tuscaloosa County Alabama m. 6 Jan 1859, Union County Arkansas, to James Charles Jeter d. 12 Mar 1919, Shamrock, Wheeler County Texas 4. Reuben Searcy Breazeal b. 25 Feb 1843, Tuscaloosa County Alabama m. 19 July 1866, Union County Arkansas, to Mary Ann Blanks d. 2 Feb 1917, Jackson Township, Union County Arkansas buried: Olive Branch Methodist Cemetery, Union County Arkansas He served as a private in Company D, 37th Regiment and Company I, 15th Regiment Arkansas Infantry, Confederate States Army. 5. James K. Polk Breazeal "Polk" b. 2 Dec 1844, Tuscaloosa County Alabama m. 27 or 30 May 1866, Union County Arkansas, to Mary R. Griffin d. 1880-1900, Johnson County Arkansas He served as a private in Company D, 15th Regiment Arkansas Infantry, Confederate States Army. According to family members, some years after Polk Breazeal married Mary Griffin, an unflattering rumor about her became public. Very embarrassed, Polk Breazeal left Union Parish and his family never heard from him again. In 1880 he lived in Johnson County Arkansas with his wife and children, and by 1900 his wife was a widow there. 6. Nancy Permelia Breazeal b. 14 May 1847,Tuscaloosa County Alabama d. 18 June 1847,Tuscaloosa County Alabama 7. Keturah Antoinette Breazeal b. 22 Oct 1848, Tuscaloosa County Alabama m. 9 Aug 1866, Union County Arkansas, to John Robert Groves d. 18 Aug 1930, Groesbeck, Linestone County Texas buried: Fordkenberry Cemetery, Limestone County Texas 8. Martha Ruth Etta Breazeal b. 29 Sept 1851, Tuscaloosa County Alabama m. (1) 21 Dec 1868, Union County Arkansas, to Henry H. Groves (2) 3 Sept 1882, Union Parish Louisiana, to Hosea Holcombe Rockett d. 27 Nov 1935, near Spearsville, Union Parish Louisiana buried: Spearsville Cemetery, Union Parish Louisiana 9. Sarah Ann Elizabeth Breazeal "Eliza'' or "Liza'' b. 7 June 1854, Tuscaloosa County Alabama m. 6 Apr 1875, Union County Arkansas, to Willian Robert Ogden d. 18 Sept 1929, Camp Creek Community, Union Parish Louisiana buried: Spearsville Cemetery, Union Parish Louisiana 10. Hosea Woodford Breazeal b. 29 Aug 1857, Tuscaloosa County Alabama m. (1) 1878/1879, Union Parish Louisiana, to Mary J. Trammel (2) 20 Dec 1883, Union County Arkansas, to Angelina Williams d. 6 Sept 1936, near Spearsville, Union Parish Louisiana buried: Spearsville Cemetery, Union Parish Louisiana 11. Elijah Willingham Breazeal b. 23 June 1860, Jackson Township, Union County Arkansas m. 4 Oct 1883, Union County Arkansas, to Martha J. Sumners d. 7 July 1937, near Spearsville, Union Parish Louisiana buried: Spearsville Cemetery, Union Parish Louisiana 12. Laura Agnes Breazeal "Fannie" b. 29 Dec 1863, Jackson Township, Union County Arkansas m. (1) 17 Mar 1881, Union County Arkansas, to John E. B. Sumners (2) 23 Aug 1905, Union Parish Louisiana, to John Thadeus Jinks d. 23 Dec 1912, near Spearsville, Union Parish Louisiana buried: Spearsville Cemetery, Union Parish Louisiana ========================================================================== Sources:
This information comes from the research into the Breazeal family of Mr. Gene Barron and T. D. Hudson.