Family Card - Person Sheet
Family Card - Person Sheet
NameRev. Joseph John Breed
Birth4 Oct 1708, Stonington, New London Co., Connecticut
Death1777, Union Co., South Carolina
FatherJohn Breed (1663-1751)
MotherMercy Palmer (1668-1752)
Misc. Notes
Joseph Breed, the eighth child of John and Mercy Palmer Breed, buried in Washington Co., Ga. Married 6/2/1737, at Groton, Conn., to Priscilla Avery. The marriage was perfomred by Justice Luke Perkins, and was witnessed by John and Gershom Breed, brothers of Joseph. Joseph acquired land at Groton, and he and his wife lived near her parents until after August 11, 1746.

It was about this time that Joseph and Priscilla Breed got caught up in the remarkable religious revival that became known as the the GREAT AWAKENING. This revival had such a powerful impact that it has bee included among the 25 most significant events in the history of Christianity and has been cited as a movement that made the Americian Revolution possible.

About 1753, Joseph and Priscilla Breed became closely associated with Daniel Marshall and his family. The Breeds and Marshalls decided to become missionaries to the Mohawk Indians in upstate New York. The Mohawks were a sometimes warlike tribe who had allied themselves with four other tirbes to form the Iroquois nation. In 1753, the English controlled lands along the eastern seaborad east of the Appalachians and the French controlled most of Canada and the territory west of the Appalachians to the Mississippi River while the Spanish controlled Florida. Throughout the colonial period, the English, French and Spanish engaged in periodic battles for control of these territories. In 1754, the conflict between the French and English grew into the French and Indian War (1754-1763).

Because of this continuing struggle between the English and French for Iroquois support, the Breeds and Marshalls soon found that their life among the Mohawk could not be safely maintained. They and their families drifted south into northern Virginia and settled in Frederick County, near Winchester. There they introduced the philosophy of the Separate Baptists and successfully established new churches. 

In 1755 they were joined by antoher migrant group from New England, led by a Baptist from Boston named Shubal Stearns the brother-in-law of Daniel Marshall. He had heard of the success of the Breeds and Marshalls in Virginia and had gathered a part of about 10 followers and their families to join them.

Joseph Breed was living in Frederick Co., Virginia, on June 15, 1755, when he was granted a patent to 149 acres of land lying in Frederick Co., by the Hon. Thomas, Lord Fairfax, Proprietor of the Northern Neck of Va. (Frederick Co., Va., D.B. 11, p. 500, 1765-1769).

Sometime after this, he and his family left Frederick Co., with the Baptist Missionary group, led by Shubal Stearns, and went to the part of Orange Co., North Carolina, which now lies in Randolph Co., North Carolina. There they established the Sandy Creek Church in 1755/58. Known members of the organizing group were Shubal Stearns, Shubal Stearns, Jr., Peter Stearns, Ebenezer Stearns, Daniel Marshall, (brother-in-law of Stearns), E. Stinson, Jonathan Polk, and Joseph Breed, with their wives and children. (Ref: Randolph County Sketchbook, Fred Burgess, 1924; See also, "History of the Baptist"; Benedict; Pascal).

In 1759, Phillip Mulkey, minister, Stephen Howard and wife, Obadiah Howard and wife, Joseph Breed and wife, Benjamin Gist and wife, Charles Thomson, Thomas Thomson, and Rachael Collins, members of Deep River Church in North Carolina., moved to South Carolina and established several churches. (See Morgan Edwards "History of the Baptists in South Carolina, 1772".

Land patents were issued in the name of Joseph Breed in Craven Co., South Carolina ranging in date from June 17, 1763 to 1774. Some of these may have been issued to his son, Joseph.

Joseph Breed, Sr., was living in the Fairforest settlement in July, 1768 when he was granted power-of-attorney to his friend, John Hayes of Frederick Co., Va., to sell land he still owned there: "said land, 149 acres, lying on the east side of Back Creek, the same which was granted from the Hon. Thomas, Lord Fairfax, etc., Proprietor of the Northern Neck of Va., by patent bearing date 15 June in the 28th year of the Reign of the late Sovereign Lord George the Second of most Glorious Memory, in the year 1755." Set my hand and seal this 4 July, 1768.
Spouses
Birth29 Apr 1715, Groton, New London, Connecticut
DeathMay 1792, Union Co., South Carolina
FatherCapt. Christopher Avery (1680-1753)
MotherPrudence Payson (1681-1726)
Marriage2 Jun 1737, Stonington, New London Co., Connecticut
ChildrenPriscilla Avery (1742-1808)
Last Modified 17 Jun 2013Created 12 Oct 2023 using Reunion for Macintosh
Created Thursday, October 12, 2023 by Mike Perry

using Reunion for Macintosh