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Isaiah Breakey was born in the town of Ballibay, county of Monehan, Ireland. There are no records in this country to fix the day of this event, but judging from others that are perfectly accurate, it must have occurred about the year 1789. His father was James Breakey, an Irish gentleman residing upon his estates, where his mansion was known as
Thorn Hill.
In circumstances of such affluence he could well afford to give his son the advantages of a liberal education, and he was sent to Trinity College, Dublin, where he received his Masters degree in Arts. Having subsequently decided to study medicine, he was duly apprenticed to an apothecary in Dublin in the year 1814. During the two years following he attended the medical lectures at the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin, and became a licentiate in medicine and surgery agreeably to the regulations of that institution.
Dr. Breakey was devotedly attached to his mother, and remained in Ireland until after her death, when he yielded to the spirit of enterprise, and sought his fortunes on this side of the Atlantic. He remained in New York after his arrival in America for more than a year, and then by some circumstance in 1821, came to the village of Greenbush opposite Albany, and took his abode, and engaged in his professional calling. He united with the Rensselaer County Medical Society in 1830. Several of his intimate friends were about to engage in business in New Orleans, and Dr. Breakey was induced to join them, and accordingly removed to New Orleans, and while there he suffered from yellow fever. He returned again to Greenbush, where he continued to reside for the most of his life; a little time before his death he had taken his residence in Albany and united with the Medical Society.
Dr. Breakey had a large library of standard literature, and spent a considerable portion of his time in literary reading. He was a good classical scholar with cultivated tastes, fond of society and of music, agreeable and intelligent in conversation, greatly interested in the cause of education, of generous, catholic sentiments, kind to the poor and always ready to befriend his countrymen, whose misfortunes came under his notice. Dr. Breakey was strongly attached to his profession, though he was temporarily induced to enter into business life.
Before he left his native land, he had established his ecclesiastical relations with the Presbyterian church, and they were renewed in the home of his adoption, where he lived a consistent member of its communion.
Dr. Breakey contracted the disease which terminated his life, in an act of unostentatious philanthropy. Some emigrants, whom he found in the street, were ill with ship fever and in destitute circumstances. Dr. Breakey provided for them, and bestowed upon them medical attendance; and in rendering this willingly gratuitous service, he became subject of the malady of which he died on the 30th January, 1848. He received during his illness faithful attendance from his friends Drs. Cogswell aod Boyd. The wife of Dr. Breakey was a daughter of Benjamin Aikin, Esq., of Greenbush. Two children survive him: Benjamin A. Breakey a merchant in Chicago, and the wife of Dr. Alfred Watkyns of Troy.
