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Records concerning Percy Brees or his direct ancestors Click on the link beside each for a printable image.

Page 1 - The 1800's
Page 2 - The 1900's

Old Brees chart - front1821Family chart that traces the original Breese immigrant John Brees and his brothers Henry & Cornelius back to Holland. Steuben Jenkins gave an address at the Horseheads, NY centennial celebration where he said the brothers were related to Sidney Breese of Shrewsbury, England, but no actual documentation has been found to support this. This copy of the chart belongs to Dee Appleby, and has been passed down through the family of Henry Breese & Ruth Pierson. Dee said some families in other lines of John Breese & Dorothy Riggs also have copies of the same chart. John Brees(e) immigrated in 1735. Our line is through the Elias in Horseheads, NY.
Old Brees chart - back1821I THINK it says:"Jacob Aaronson, (act?) of John Brees (dict?) in Holland in 1821. He (Jacob?) says he (John?) died about 10 years before which would make his death about 1811 he was 82 years old when he died - lived in Tetat (?) 8 miles from Amsterdam at the time of his death." Dee Applebee says there are several researchers who have tried to find Tetat - no town of that name has been found as of yet. Not sure who is being referred to above - the person above who was 82 when he died in 1811 would have been born in 1729. Our John Brees who married Dorothy Riggs was born in 1713 and died in 1803, so not referring to our John or his father John. Maybe one of the branches that stayed in Holland? More research needed.
John Brees II tombstone1829GG-grandfather of Percy Brees. Tombstone is at the Maple Grove Cemetery in Horseheads, Chemung Co., NY. Photos are from John Breese McKenzie, who has an excellent website on the Breese family at www.breeseusa.org. John writes: "The stones are no longer standing and were over grown with grass with only about 5 square inches of the stone showing. I found them by literally tripping over them. The photos were taken after spending hour or so pulling off the grass and cleaning the stones with towels from the hotel. (Yes the people at the hotel thought the grass and mud incrusted towel unique....)" John II was born on November 7, 1738 and he died in Horseheads on March 24. 1829 at age 90. Note the last name is spelled BREES on the tombstone.
Hannah Gildersleeve Brees tombstone1844 GG-grandmother of Percy Brees. Photos from John McKenzie. Hannah Gildersleeve was the wife of John Brees II. She was born on June 9, 1750 and died in Horseheads, NY on January 15, 1844 at age 93. She is buried next to her husband in the Maple Grove cemetery in Horseheads, Chemung Co., NY.
Maple Grove Cemetery1844Photo from John McKenzie. This is a modern photo, but am placing it here with the photos of John & Hannah Gildersleeve Breese's tombstones.
John Brees II memorial1845Not sure what year this memorial was erected. It reads: "1789 - Near this site was erected a cabin by John Brees pioneer settler of Horseheads, member of the expedition commanded by Gen. John Sullivan. Participated in the Battle of Newtown and became the first white settler of this section. Erected by the Breese family association". Note the last name is spelled BREES.
1850 census Lawrence Thorn1850Maternal grandfather of Percy Brees. Percy's mother Sarah Jane is age 8 on this census.
1850 census Painted Post, Steuben Co., NY, page 264 - Lawrence Thorn (40), Hannah (37), George (14), William (12), Fayette (11), Sarah J. (8), Edward (6), Maryette (3), and Charles (1). Lawrence's occupation listed as Mason. Lawrence, Hannah & George listed born NJ, all others born NY.
1850 census Elias Brees18501850 census Royalton, Fulton Co., OH, Census taken August 1850
Household #261
Jacob W. Brees, age 24, farmer, b. NY
Hannah Brees, age 19, b. OH
Elias Brees, age 75, b. NJ (This is Percy's g-grandfather)
1860 census Elias Brees1860

Faded and hard to read. Elias is living with son Jacob Wanzer Brees, towards bottom of page. Next door is Solomon M. Brees, another of Elias' sons. This Solomon was the uncle of Solomon E. Brees.
1860 Seneca, Lenawee Co., MI page 250, Census taken August 1860
Household #1880/1932 - Jacob Breese, age 35, farmer, $2000 real estate, $600 personal estate, b. NY, Sarah, age 32, b. NY Horace, age 10, b. OH, Ida, age 7, b. OH, Gillette(?), age 3, b. MI, Bule (?) male, age 1, b. MI, Elias, age 85, b. NY (Percy's g-grandfather), Louise Nichols, age 20, domestic, b. MI
Household # 1881/1993 - Solomon M. Breese, age 44, farmer, $2000 real estate, $400 personal estate, b. NY, Keziah, age 44, b. NY, Abram, age 17, farm labor, b. MI, Sarah Carpenter, age 10, b. IN, Kize Carpenter, age 46, b. NY, Idiot
For a close-up of part of the census page including these two families, click here.

1870 census Solomon Breese1870Solomon E. Breese married Sarah Jane Thorn October 6, 1865 in Erie, PA. Farmed in New York (near Elmira? Horseheads?) Moved to Havana, Steele Co., MN in the spring of 1866, where Arthur and Fay were born.
1870 census Havana, Steele Co., MN - Solomon O. Breese (31), Sarah J. (29), Arthur (8) and Zelotus (1). Then they had a claim near Owatonna, MN in where Ruby was born in 1874 - that claim was given up very soon. (Lois Brees said Harry and Ruby were both born in Havana) The family returned to New York in 1876 with 4 of their children, but didn't farm; Ward was born there. They moved to Douglas Co., MN in 1878

Arthur Brees letter page 1
Arthur Brees letter page 2
Arthur Brees letter page 3

1876Excerpts from letters Arthur Brees wrote describing the visit of Solomon & Sarah Jane Brees & family to Horseheads. They were there for 18 months, and stayed with Solomon's parents, John & Mary Ann (Moore) Brees. These excerpts were transcribed by Lois V. Brees. There are 3 pages - there is a sketch of the Brees farm and surrounding area on page 1. There is family info and also mentions the Thorn family that lived near John Brees as being Sarah Jane's cousins.
Solomon Brees diary1878This is a 24 page diary that Solomon Brees kept on the journey from Owatonna, Steele Co., MN to Douglas Co., MN. The diary begins on April 29, 1878 and ends on May 16, 1878. Solomon & Sarah Jane & family made this trip along with Solomon's brother Squire Brees & family and also two of the children of Solomon's sister, Alvina Brees Case.
1880 census Solomon Brees1880

1880 census Orange, Douglas Co., MN Household #47\50
Solomon E. Breese, Farmer, age 41, Sarah J., wife, age 38, Arthur, son, age 13, Zelotus, son, age 10, Harry J., son, age 8, Ruby M., daughter, age 5, Rufus W., son, age 3.
Living next door to Solomon's brother Squire Breese and family. This was referred to as "English Grove" by the family. They lived here 1878 to 1901.

English Grove School bookmark1897Souveneir bookmark from English Grove School in Orange Township, Douglas Co., MN. Year is 1897. On the list of pupils are Ward, Claude, Clyde & Percy Brees. Percy would be about age 8.
English Grove School1897 approxEnglish Grove School in Orange Township, Douglas Co., MN.Not sure what year this was taken, but possibly Ward, Claude, Clyde & Percy Brees are in photo. This was the school they were attending in 1897.