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One of my first challenges was to come up with a dynamic title for this digital book (that's the way I think of it). My first attempt, "The Breazeale's of Kosciusko", was just that, a first effort, not cut in stone. I liked the ring of it. Then, Aunt Clara suggested that it be called, "The Breazeale's of Ethel", which I had already considered, but felt it did not have the pizzazz I was looking for. Steve had made the same suggestion, and had given the same basic argument, that Ethel is where all the children were born and raised, etc. Still, I was resistive.
Well, I did a bit of research and came up with a name for the website that I like and one that incorporates the name Ethel. Two things: In Ann Breazeale's discussion of our family name*, she mentions that it is unlikely that the name could be French because there was a Clan deBreazeale in Ireland. Second, in my travels I came across a listing for the little town of Ethel, MS. that classified it as a village:
Facts & Statistics:
Place Name: Ethel
Place Status (Type): village
(1990 pop. 454)
Attala co., central Miss., on Yockanookany River
9 mi/14.5 km ENE of Kosciusko
33°07'N 89°27'W
Agr. (cotton, corn, soybeans; cattle)
Mfg. (lumber)
Natchez Trace Parkway passes to WestSo, I threw all this into the hopper and came up with:
Clan Breazeale of the Village Ethel Even if I was still considering the reference to Kosciusko, I believe I would prefer this one. It has the lively flair, the style, and the ring to it that I have been looking for and want the name for the site to have. It also has some underlying meanings and references that will make for a good story, when I get into explaining all that stuff. I think it is a perfect solution to the website name question.
If you have thoughts, ideas, suggestions or comments on the naming of the website, you are welcome to express them by email or by leaving a message on the guestbook. They will be taken under advisement by the executive committee.
Mick Breazeale
*In 1983, in the little booklet entitled, "The Sixtieth Wedding Anniversary of Aleta Grace Oliver and Charles Everette Breazeale", Ann Breazeale wrote a paragraph about the Breazeale name:
A brief word about the Breazeale name. Obviously the spelling of the name changed with our ancestors. This could have been deliberate or due to poor handwriting in old records. Some people think the name is French, but research has shown that there was a Clan deBreazeale in Ireland. The Henry Brashall listed as the first American ancestor could have been an Englishman. Throughout the lineage, there are no French given names which makes me believe we are of English stock. So, what do you think?
--Ann Breazeale