Thomas Breakwell, Date of Birth, Date of Death

Thomas Breakwell

British Baha'i

Date of Birth: 31-May-1872

Date of Death: 13-Jun-1902

Zodiac Sign: Gemini

Thomas Breakwell (1872–1902) was the first Englishman to become a Bahá'í and the first to make the pilgrimage to ?Akká.
He was also the first western Bahá'í to give the Huqúqu'lláh contribution to the head of the religion.
He was taught the Bahá'í Faith by May Bolles (later to become May Maxwell) in the summer of 1901 in Paris, went on Bahá'í pilgrimage to meet ?Abdu'l-Bahá in ?Akká that same summer.
At ?Abdu'l-Bahá's request, Breakwell took up permanent residence in Paris, where he worked enthusiastically to teach the religion and help develop the Paris Bahá'í community.
Thomas Breakwell died of tuberculosis on 13 June 1902, not quite a year after joining the religion. From the Bahá'í perspective, the significance of Thomas Breakwell's life lies not in his material or professional accomplishments, but rather in his spiritual capacity.
His purity, detachment and intense devotion were noted by a number of those who met him, most significantly and most keenly by ?Abdu'l-Bahá himself.
In 1955 Shoghi Effendi, then head of the religion, described Breakwell as one of the "three luminaries of the Irish, English and Scottish Bahá'í communities".