COAL RIVER HISTORY

Naval officer and magistrate.  Married Elizabeth Ann D'Arch on 12^th March 1844 at St. John's Church, Launceston.  Breton spent three years in Australia from 1830 until 1833, and when he returned to England published a book entitled Excursions in New South Wales, Western Australia and Van Diemen's Land During the Years 1830-31-32-33.  The book was a practical book directed at intending migrants.  Police Magistrate at Richmond from 1835 until 1841.  Breton wrote to the Surveyor-General in 1837 complaining about the Richmond-Jerusalem road.  In particular he was concerned about the road having been closed by the fences of local farmers, which were forcing "…persons to diverge among the trees."  The people whose fences had obstructed the road were John Johnson, William Handley, George White, Joseph Poole (of Richmond), William Kearney and Edmund Bowman (of Coal River).  William Handley responded to the allegation in writing to the Surveyor-General on 4^th December 1837, and requested that the road actually be surveyed and thereby obviate any unnecessary destruction of his and others' fences.  In 1837, Breton also argued that land for a burial ground at Prossers Plains be put aside.  The nearest consecrated burial ground being at Richmond or Sorell, Breton believed these places to be too far from Prossers Plains. Breton was one of the stewards who organised a Ball at Richmond held on 10^th August 1840.  In the 1842 Schaw map of Richmond, Breton had received land grants within the township of Richmond as follows; 7 acres bordering on Bridge Street and partially on Blair Street (situated between Belmont and Belle Vue), 5 acres consisting of whole block bordered by Edward, Bathurst and Torrens Streets, 11 acres east of St Luke's Church bound by Torrens Street and the Coal River.

The visiting French naval officer, Barlatier Demas, stayed with Breton in 1840.
"Breton is a man of about fifty, with a frank and open face.  Being tired of the roving life of a naval officer, he has come to pitch his tent in Tasmania, where he has exchanged his sword for a plough.  His wide knowledge and utter integrity have gained him the post of chief police magistrate (sic) for the district of Richmond.  He has acquired excellent land, which is in full production and he lives quietly without any nostalgia at all for the deck of his ship."
"M. Breton took me to his house, where an excellent dinner awaited us.  My host was an enlightened natural history enthusiast; we only got to his door after passing through a row of petrified animals of all shapes and sizes; inside, a monster crocodile opened its gaping jaws, monkeys grinned on every side, and herons, penguins, kangaroos, snakes adorned a rather long vestibule that had to be crossed to reach the living quarters.  M. Breton's house is charming and kept shipshape in the navy manner.  At the front there is an attractive flower bed and at the back stretches a large garden."
Breton left Richmond in 1841 to assume magisterial duties in Launceston.  Alexander Goldie chaired a meeting on 19^th April 1841 which resolved to give a dinner to Breton at the Lennox Arms.  Tickets for the event were sold for 25s.  Stewards for the dinner were John Coverdale, Charles Octavius Parsons and James Kestall Buscombe.¹  In 1858, Breton who was then in England, still owned a cottage and ground in Blair Street (leased to Mrs. Mary Bayley). 

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¹ Colonial Times, 27^th April 1841, p.1, c.2.

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