Susquehanna Valley Home, Broome County, New York

and

Pauper’s List, Delaware County, New York

Marilyn J. Breakey

© 2007

[Author’s note:  Whether an institution is known as an orphan’s asylum, orphanage, or home for children, those living in the institution have suffered the same fate: they have been separated from their biological family for a period of time]

The Susquehanna Valley Home   of Broome County, New York   was founded in 1869 in Binghamton, NY[1] to provide children a safe haven from being “herded together with adults in what was then known as the ‘almshouse’ “ (Ulster County Information Services, 2004)

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Source: Bob Barber, Assistant to the Broome County Historian. (Personal              correspondence to author, 16 May 2003,) in reply to my request for information regarding   the children’ names   found in   the “Pauper’s List – Delaware County, NY. Mr. Barber’s responded:  I was not able to find the Breakey children you listed in your E-mail.  However, I did find 4 other Breakey children from the same family listed for 1885.

Residing in the Susquehanna Valley Home per dates cited:

Name:  Geo. Breakey

Age:  9 years old on 17 December 1884

Date of Admission: 24 October 1885

Town: Binghamton

County:  Broome

Color: White

Physical Condition: good

Moral condition: blank

Character while in the home: blank

Names of Parents or guardians: Mother – South Block, Whitney St., Binghamton; Father-decamped     

Date of discharge: 2 February 1886

By whom received: Mrs. Henry, Dr. Lester

Notation under date of discharge: afterward boy returned to mother, residence – Binghamton.

Number ID in records: 839

Name:  Elmer Breakey

Age: 4 years on March 1885

Date of Admission: 27 October 1885; 13 February 1886; 26 November 1887; 7 July   1888

Town: Binghamton

County:  Broome

Color:  White

Physical condition:  good

Moral condition: blank

Character while in the home: blank

Names of parents or guardians:  ditto marks to indicate same as above

Date of discharge: November 1885; 24 April 1886; 22 may 1888; 8 March 1890

By whom received:  Father for dates of May 1888 & March 1890

Residence: 3 Mary St., Binghamton

General remarks: Order Sup’t Payne

Number ID in records: 840

Name:  Nelson Breakey

Age: 7 years on May 2 1887

Date of admission: 18 November 1885; 28 Nov 1887; 7 July 1888

Town: County Broome

Color: blank

Physical condition: blank

Moral condition: blank

Character while in the home: blank

Names of parents or guardians: see number ID # 839

Date of discharge: 24 April 1884; 22 may 1888; 8 March 1890

By whom received: father for dates of 1888 & 1890

Residence: 3 Mary St. Binghamton.

General Remarks: Order of Sup’t Payne

Katie Breakey

Age: 10 years on February 1888

Date of admission: 21 Jan 1888

Town: County charge

County:  Broome

Physical condition: blank

Moral condition: blank

Character while at the home: blank

Names of parents or guardians:  parents living – father abandoned the family        

Date of discharge: 3 April 1888

By whom received:  Mother

Residence: 3 Mary St., City

General Remarks: Order in for food

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Source: Pauper’s List – Delaware County, New York[2],[3]

Name: Henry Brakey (sic):

Town: Hancock

Year: 1902

Placement: not indicated

Length of Stay: 5 weeks 4 days

Name: Charles Breakey

Town: Hancock

Year: 1895, 1898, 1899, 1900,1902

Children’s Home

Length of stay: not indicated

Name: Frank Breakey

Town: Hancock

Year: 1895. 1898

Children’s Home

Length of stay: no indicated

Name: Susan Breakey

Town: Hancock

Year: 1895, 1898

Children’s Home

Length of stay: not indicated

Name: Susie Breakey

Town: Hancock

Year: 1900

Children’s Home

Length of stay: not indicated

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[Author’s note: Although there is no reference to the final disposition of these Breakey children, for anyone interested, or not aware of the plight of orphans in the mid-to late 1800s, I would highly recommend the following resource:]

“Journey of the Forgotten Children.” Poorhouse Project. Ulster Country Information Services.  2004.  The online article is found via www.co.ulster.ny.us/poorhouse/children.html.  Within this article I would further recommend the links to the Susquehanna Valley Home and the Orphan Trail Riders.