History of Berks County - Brecknock Township
The following is reproduced from the 1876 Atlas of Berks County, Pennsylvania
Brecknock is situated in the southern portion of Berks county. Its boundaries are as follows: Cumru township on the north; Robeson on the east, and Caernervon on the south-east ; Lancaster county on the southwest, and Spring on the northwest. The township is small, containing only about ten thousand acres of land. The surface is hilly, and the soil is principally gravel. This has been well developed and improved by the industry of the inhabitants, who have made the earth to yield abundantly of her fruits for their own comfort and sustenance. The streams which flow through the different sections of the township contribute their share to the rendering productive of the land. Prominent among these is the Allegheny creek, which rises in the centre, flows in a northeasterly direction, and finally empties into the Schuylkill. The Big and Little Muddy creeks also have their origin in this township. The former rises in the eastern portion, and the bitter in the western. They finally unite in Lancaster county, and flow into the Conestoga river.
Brecknock was originally settled by people from Brecon or Brecknock, a township in South Wales. These gave the name to the township. But a few. of the inhabitants were Germans, as is evident from some of the names of the primitive settlers.
The principal business of the inhabitants is farming. A few mills are in successful operation on the different creeks in this territory. In 1810 there were 495 inhabitants ; in 1840, 935 ; In 1870, 813.