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![Show Contents]() Bresland History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 Ireland
The Irish surname Bresland is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic patronymic name Ó Breisláin, or "descendant of Breisleán." Early Origins of the Bresland familyThe surname Bresland was first found in Donegal (Irish: Dún na nGall), northwest Ireland in the province of Ulster, sometimes referred to as County Tyrconnel where the O'Breislein Sept, branch of the Cenél Enda held the district of Fanad, located in the Barony of Kilmacrenan. They were one of the principal Brehon families of Ireland, mentioned frequently by the Four Masters. Brehons served as judges, ambassadors and negotiators, brokering deals and treaties, and settling disputes between the feudal lords of medieval Ireland. They were the interpreters of Brehon law. Early History of the Bresland familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bresland research. Another 97 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1260, 1306, 1307 and 1659 are included under the topic Early Bresland History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Bresland Spelling VariationsMany spelling variations of the surname Bresland can be found in the archives. One reason for these variations is that ancient scribes and church officials recorded names as they were pronounced, often resulting in a single person being recorded under several different spellings. The different spellings that were found include O'Breislein, O'Berislein, O'Breslin, Breslin and others. Early Notables of the Bresland familyMore information is included under the topic Early Bresland Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
 Bresland migration to the United States | + |
Irish families left their homeland in astonishing numbers during the 19th century in search of a better life. Although individual reasons vary, most of these Irish families suffered from extreme poverty, lack of work opportunities, and exorbitant rents in their homeland. Many decided to travel to Australia or North America in the hopes of finding greater opportunities and land. The Irish immigrants that came to North America initially settled on the East Coast, often in major centers such as Boston or New York. But like the many other cultures to settle in North America, the Irish traveled to almost any region they felt held greater promise; as a result, many Irish with gold fever moved all the way out to the Pacific coast. Others before that time left for land along the St. Lawrence River and the Niagara Peninsula, or the Maritimes as United Empire Loyalists, for many Irish did choose to side with the English during the American War of Independence. The earliest wave of Irish migration, however, occurred during the Great Potato Famine of the 1840s. An examination of early immigration and passenger lists has revealed many people bearing the Bresland name:
Bresland Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- John Bresland, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1837 1
- Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
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Bresland migration to the United States 
