 Died October 6, 1839 Susan M. Breaker was born about the same time as our nation, 1776. She and her husband Jacob Breaker were among the first generation of members of Bethlehem Baptist Church, which replaced the Anglican Chapel of Ease after the American Revolution. She was a faithful member here for 40 years. She and Jacob had two sons: John Jacob Breaker (1804-1830), who predeceased her and is also buried here, and the Rev. Charles Middleton Breaker, a Baptist minister who led congregations in Georgetown; Selma, Ala.; and Camden, where Susan eventually died. The Rev. Breaker erected her memorial stone here, which reads: This stone designates the spot where her flesh rests in Hope. The inscriptions of her praise on earth are in the hearts of pious friendship The record of her works of faith is in the book of life She left this world without one sigh And now she (???) above the sky. This tablet as a memory of affection is erected by her youngest and only surviving child the Rev. C.M. Breaker Alas! my Mother Given that her son's middle name was Middleton, some have speculated that Susan's maiden name was Middleton, though definitive documentation has not been found. Two foot stones lie near Susan's grave: one marked J.B. 1828, and another marked J.J.B. 1830. The second obviously marks her elder son's grave. The first, one would surmise, marks her husband's grave, though his headstone has not been recovered to date. In her last will and testament, Susan left one enslaved person named Frank to the Rev. Breaker. Susan asked that the rest of her property be sold and invested so that the Rev. Breaker would receive $100 per year in interest for the rest of his life. Any remaining growth beyond the $100 was to be added to the principal and reinvested. Charles' children, should he have any, were to receive Susan's property after their father. As Charles did not have any children at the time of his mother's death, Susan stipulated that if he did not have children, her estate would then pass to her grandson, John Henry William Breaker, sired by her deceased elder son. In the event that her grandson should die without issue, she decreed her estate should pass to the children of one David Platt.  Text and photo by Leigh Jones Handal. Photo of will transcription found at www.rrb3.com. You can help support the gravestone restoration and research efforts at the St. James Goose Creek Chapel of Ease/Bethlehem Baptist Church Historic Site is by shopping at our online store or by making a donation. Notes: The Breaker Bio Page at www.rrb3.com |
History > Virtual Tour >
