Many people believe that after Independence Day the celebration ends, but it’s really the beginning of a full year of 250 years of American history. 

While watching the American Revolution documentary on PBS (produced by Ken Burns) I learned for the first time about my Breed ancestors. Growing up I was told that, because my family in Lynn, Massachusetts were Quakers, no one served in the Revolutionary War. Through research I have learned this is not true. Here is the connection to my entire Breed ancestors (sometimes spelled Bread) and the connection to the famous Battle on Breeds Hill – aka the Battle of Bunker Hill. 

Amos Breed’s (1728–1776) proud descendent is Beverly de Lucia. Amos was a colonial American resident and Revolutionary War patriot from Lynne Essex County Massachusetts. He served as a private in the Second Lynn Company of the Massachusetts Militia. 

• Birth: Born on Aug. 14, 1728 in Lynn, Massachusetts, the son of Jabez and Desire Breed.
• Family: Husband of Ruth Breed and father to children including Aaron, James and Benjamin Newhall Breed.
• Service: Enlisted and served as a private in the Second Lynn Company, Massachusetts Militia during the early phase of the American Revolutionary War.
• Death: Died on May 5, 1776 at age 47 in Lynn, Massachusetts, shortly after the conflict began. 

Breeds Hill, the actual site of the June 17, 1775 battle of Bunker Hill, was named after Amos Breed’s own family. Virtually all Breeds in early America trace back to a single immigrant ancestor – Allen Breed – who arrived from England in 1630 and settled in Lynn, Massachusetts. As the family expanded over the generations, descendants moved into neighboring Charlestown and acquired the land that became famous.

How the family is connected to the Hill:

• The Land Owner: Amos Breed’s relative, Ebenezer Breed (1676–1754), and his descendants purchased several tracts of pastureland on the Charlestown peninsula between 1722 and 1729. Because the family grazed their cattle there, locals nicknamed the shorter peak “Breeds Hill.”  
• The Strategic Choice: During the Revolutionary War, colonial officers were ordered by the Committee of Safety to fortify Bunker Hill (owned by the heirs of George Bunker). However, after assessing the landscape the adjacent, shorter Breeds Hill was chosen to be fortified instead because its position was closer to British ships and offered a better tactical advantage. 
• The Living Descendants: At the time of the battle, George Bunker had been dead for roughly a century. In contrast, the Breed family was still actively living in the area and owned the slopes when the redoubt was built. 

Because early letters, including one written by Abigail Adams, mistakenly referred to the action taking place on “Bunker Hill” the name stuck in public memory, launching a centuries-long “PR battle” for the Breed family to claim credit for their historic land. 

The Breed family in the United States essentially traces back to one singular founding group; both Amos Breed of Lynn and Ebenezer Breed (the owner of Breed’s Hill in Charlestown) can be traced directly back to the same immigrant ancestor Allen Breed Sr.; Amos Breed and the Charlestown Breeds were second cousins, once removed. Here is exactly how their lineages intersect out of Lynn, Massachusetts.

The Ancestral Split from Allen Bread, Sr.

• Generation 1 (The Immigrant Ancestor): Allen Breed Sr. (1601–1691). He arrived in Massachusetts from England in 1630, settling in a section of Lynn that became known as “Breed’s End.” He had multiple children, including sons Allen Jr. and John. 

From these two brothers, the tree splits into the Lynn line (Amos) and the Charlestown line (Ebenezer’s).

Amos Breed’s Line (The Lynn Patriots)

Amos’ side stayed anchored in Lynn where he eventually joined the local Revolutionary militia.

• Allen Breed Jr. (1631–1707) – Remained in Lynn as a husbandman and town leader.
• Timothy Breed (1659–1735) – Lived and died in Lynn.
• Jabez Breed (1696–1778) – Married Desire Phillips. They lived in Lynn.
• Amos Breed (1728–1776) – Lived and died in Lynn.

Ebenezer Breed’s Line (The Charlestown Hill Owners)

This branch moved closer to Boston, acquiring the land that made military history.

• John Breed (1634–1678) – Son of the original Allen Sr.
•  Ebenezer Breed Sr.  (1676–1754) – Left Lynn and moved to Charlestown where he purchased the pasture tracts that became known as Breed’s Hill.
• Ebenezer Breed Jr. (1714–1762) – Inherited and maintained the Charlestown estate.
• Ebenezer Breed III (1741–1797) – He and his siblings were the active owners of the slopes of Breed’s Hill when the Battle of Bunker Hill shook their property in 1775. 
• Direct Family Connection Overview: Because Timothy Breed (Amos’ grandfather) and Ebenezer Breed Sr. (the hill buyer) were first cousins, Amos Breed was a second cousin to Ebenezer Breed Jr., and a second cousin, once removed, to the generation actually watching the redoubt get built on their family hill.

Submitted by Beverly de LUCIA