What’s In A Name?
Being blessed with a love of history is a special character trait that draws people with the same passion like a magnet. Fayette County is fortunate to be home to an active assortment of citizens with similar goals. A number of them have formed the Fayette County Historical Commission, which is sponsored by the Texas Historical Commission. My husband and I are members.
Because of a friendship that was forged many years ago, I have agreed to take on the documentation of the Breeding family’s settlement in Fayette County. My friend is a direct descendent of this founding family. David Breeding moved from Kentucky in 1833. The remainder of his family soon followed, including his wife, Sarah (Sally) Davis Breeding, who is reputed to be a distant relative of Jefferson Davis. David was ambitious and set to work immediately upon receipt of his land deeds. He was a juror at the first term of the District Court to be held in Colorado County, 1837. He began what would be the first school in Fayette County inside his own home. He was a member of the first Board of Land Commissioners, and always thinking to the future, he set aside land on his farm for a Breeding family cemetery.
While this is admirable, of great interest in this story is the reappearance of the same names within the family for generations. Within the three generations that were the first Breedings to come to Texas, certain names seem to be unusually popular or perhaps gestures of respect as the parents named the children.
The first generation is made up of, obviously, David and Sarah Davis Breeding.
The second generation has two parts: first are David’s brothers, John and Richard Landrey.
Along with them, we meet David’s and Sarah’s sons: the oldest was John, who was to become the first sheriff in Fayette County. After him came Richard Landry, Benjamin William, Napoleon Bonaparte and Fidelio Sharp. This account may be missing a son or daughter who stayed behind and were not counted in the census with the remainder of the family.
The third generation begins with the seven children of Napoleon Bonaparte: they include - David S, Sarah J., and Benjamin.
Included in the third generation are David’s brother John’s four offspring, including: George Willliam, James, and John.
Still in the third generation we find Richard Landry, son of David and Sarah, whose twelve children include: Richard Landry, James Henry, Thomas, Davis, John, and Willam Wilken.
John V., son of David and Sarah, whose eight children included: Sarah Lumila, David, John Fidelio, Thomas Henry, and a rather catchy name, Columbus Patton.
Last on the list is Benjamin William, son of David and Sarah, who had three of his nine children’s names stand out: Fidelio Sharp, Sarah L. (Sally), and Benjamin Chandler.
The use of primary or middle names in the opposite position creates some variety, such as “Fidelio” and “Sharp”. Some names were just unusual: Napoleon Bonaparte and George Washington. And a name fared unknown: Abraham Lincoln served under him as a private in the Black Hawk War.
And now a look at the frequency of some of the names throughout the three generations:
John with 5 had the most uses. A four-way tie at four uses each joined Sarah, Benjamin, George, and William.
Next, we may visit the inhabitants of the spirit world on Breeding property.
Footprints Of Fayette
Fayette County is one of the most historic counties in Texas. In this weekly feature from the County Historical Commission, a rotating group of writers looks back at local history.