Portrait and Biographical Album of Fulton County,
Illinois: containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of
prominent and representative citizens of the county: together with
portraits and biographies of all the presidents of the United States,
and governors of the state; Biographical Pub. Co., Chicago, IL; 1890;
page 306-307; Transcribed by Margaret Rose Whitehurst
William Brebner has lived in the vicinity of Farmington
for the past thirty-five years, and is one of the most active and
stirring men to be met with in this vicinity. He began life as a
stonemason and has progressed from the position of a wage-worker to
that of a contractor and builder, the owner of a good property, and has
finally turned his attention to farming. Mr. Brebner is one of nine
children born to John and Ann (Smith) Brebner, whose home was in
Scotland. He is the only one of the family that has come to America.
His living brothers and sisters bear the names of Ann, Alexander,
Margaret, John, Adam, Elizabeth and Mary, one having died in early
life. The mother died at the age of forty-six and the father lived to
be seventy-seven years old. They were in comfortable circumstances, the
occupants of a good farm.
Our subject was born in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, March 29, 1828,
and although brought up on a farm, received excellent educational
advantages. When sixteen years old he was apprenticed to a stonecutter
and after serving three years began work as a journeyman in the country
about thirty miles from Aberdeen. Having heard much regarding the gold
fields of California, he made up his mind to go thither and seek his
fortune. In the month of April, 1853, he sailed from Glasgow on the
Marchioness of Clydesdale, arriving in New York after a voyage of
thirty-five days. He continued his journey as far as Canada, where he
had friends, and finding wages good there abandoned his intention of
visiting California.
Mr. Brebner worked at his trade in the Dominion until the 1st of
April, 1854, when he came into the States and made his way to Peoria
where not a railroad had yet been built. Not being able to find work to
suit him he went to the northern part of the State and worked at Dixon,
Rockford and Galena for various periods. In the spring of 1855, he
returned to the central part of the State and locating at Farmington
became a contractor of masonry. He was thus engaged until early in the
70s when he returned his attention to agriculture. He owns ninety acres
of land in Trivoli Township, Peoria County, which he has successfully
operated.
Mr. Berbner was married in 1857, to Miss Caroline Nelson who
bore him three children William, John and Frank. The first-born died in
infancy. John married Tenny Cole, and has two children Caroline and
James F.; their home is at Liberty Center, Iowa, and the husband is
engaged in farming. Frank resides in East Portland, Ore. Our subject
was married a second time, March 1, 1865, his bride being Miss Susan
Potter. This union has been blest by the birth of three children Fanny
E., May and Walter S. Fanny E. is now in Chicago hospital, pursuing the
work which will fit her for the duties of a professional nurse. She has
already demonstrated her sympathetic nature and aptitude for the care
of the sick and suffering, by work done at the time of the Chatsworth
disaster. She was on board the ill-fated excursion train, and having
escaped serious injury, spent some time in care of those who were less
fortunate than herself. Her heroism and devotion to the injured ones
was noted in the columns of the newspapers in flattering terms. The
second child of the present Mrs. Brebner died young. Walter S. is now
learning the carpenter s trade at Galesburg.
Mrs. Susan Brebner is the youngest child born to William and
Rachel (Wells) Potter. Her paternal grandfather was an Englishman and
both her parents were born in New Jersey. They came to the Prairie
State in 1837, and settled in this county six miles east of Canton
where they purchased about ninety acres of land. Mrs. Potter died when
her daughter Susan was an infant. Mr. Potter subsequently married a
lady from New York City, and in 1847, purchased a farm in Trivoli
Township, Peoria County, three miles east of Farmington. He died there
in May, 1877, at the age of eighty-one years. He had served in the War
of 1812. The brothers and sisters of Mrs. Brebner are Hamilton, whose
home is in Canton; Harriet, wife of Calvin Breed who died in Canton;
Alice, wife of Jacob Silvernail of the same town; Isaac, who died
unmarried; Hannah, widow of Jacob Wilkison, who lives in Toulon; Phebe
A., who was drowned in the Ohio River by falling overboard from a boat;
Jenny, wife of Edward Emmons whose home is in Rockford.
Mrs. Brebner is a native of this State. She attended the public
schools, completing her education at Farmington. She keeps herself well
informed regarding topics of general interest, faithfully discharges
the duties which lie before her, and wins many friends by her good
qualities.
Mr. Brebner cast his first Presidential vote for Abraham
Lincoln, having taken out his naturalization papers soon after he came
to the State. He is a stanch member of the Republican party,
understands well the political issues of the day and firmly believes
that he is right in his judgment regarding them. For six years he did
efficient service as a school officer, and on one occasion was a
candidate for Supervisor of Trivoli Township, but was beaten in the
race by three votes.
