The Yorkshire Connection

The distribution of the Breckon surname appears to have its eipcentre in North Yorkshire; more specifically an area adjacent to Whitby and the Esk Valley to the west of Whitby. The earliest reference to Breckon in the Whitby area is probably in the Norman period.

Doomsday Book

There is a 'possible' reference to Breckon as a place name in Doomsday Book. A section referring to Whitby and Sneaton lists the land of Earl Hugh (TERRA HUGONIS COMITIS). Earl Hugh refers to Hugh d'Avranches who became the Earl of Chester. A translation of the Latin Doomsday text listing Hugh's properties taken from 'A History of Whtiby and Streonshalh [Streanshalh] Abbey' by The Rev. George Young (1817) is as follows

"To this manor belongs the soke* of these places, Figelinge (Filing) one carucate**, Nortfigelin (North Filing) five carucates, Ghinipe (? Gnipe-houe) three carucates, Prestebi (Prestby) two carucates, Vgleberdesbi (Ugglebanby) three carucates, Sourebi (Sowerby) four carucates, Brecca (?) one carucate, Baldebi (Baldby fields between Whitby and Ruswarp) one carucate, Florun (Flora fields between Whitby Flowergate and Upgang) two carucates, Staxebi (Stakesby) two carucates and six oxgangs, Neueha (Newholm) four carucates."

*A soke is the right in Anglo-Saxon law to hold court and administer justice, and to receive the fees and fines arising. **A carucate is a measure of land equal to approximately 120 acres, or the land a team of eight oxen could plough in a single season.

When Hugh d'Avranches became the Earl of Chester, he transferred the great estate of Whitby to William de Percy who endowed lands to Whitby Abbey, including Brecca.

The exact loaction of Brecca is not known; there appear to be two locations described in the literature. According to 'A History of Whitby and Streoneshalh Abbey' (see above), Brecca mentioned in abbey deeds was thought to refer to Breckenrigg - Bracken ridge - near Ewe Cote on the Castle Park to Cross Butts road. 'A History of the County of York North Riding: Volume 2' ed. William Page (London, 1923), has a description of the manor of Whitby and its berewick Sneaton in the time of Edward the Confessor that includes Brecca but its location is not specified. 'The Memorials of Old Whitby' by Rev. J. C. Atkinson D.C.L. Canon of York and incumbant of Danby-in-Cleveland suggests that Brecca is the Bracken-bank (occuring in Ministers' Accounts) not far from Baldby Lane, which was on the Ruswarp side of the river Esk where there is a steep slope.

'The Place-Names of the North Riding of Yorkshire' (1979) by A.H. Smith describes Danish and Norwegian Viking origins of place names. It is thought Breck is indicative of a Norwegain origin from brekka meaning a hill or a slope.