Our Bradford Ancestors

REPRESENTATIVE MEN AND OLD FAMILIES OF SOUTHEASTERN MASSACHUSETTS...  By J.H. Beers & Co., Pgs. 1305-1306

Gov. William Bradford of the Plymouth Colony was born in 1588, son of William and Alice (Hanson) Bradford, of Austerfield, England, and grandson of William Bradford.  His father dying in 1591, he was then cared for by his grandfather Bradford until his death in 1596, and later by his uncle Robert Bradford, the latter of whom was a resident of the village of Scrooby, England. He united with the church where Revs. Clifton and Robinson preached and was soon one of the “Separatists,” and became a leader among them. In time he went with the community which migrated to Holland and was one of the most influential among them. He married in Amsterdam Holland, Dec. 9, 1613, Dorothy May, he being at the time twenty-three and she sixteen. In 1620 they went to England and in September of the same year sailed from Plymouth, with the first company of Pilgrims in the  “Mayflower,” and reached Cape Cod harbor in New England in November following. While they were at anchor and when Mr. Bradford was absent, his wife Dorothy fell overboard and was drowned. He subsequently married (second) Mrs. Alice Southworth, widow of Edward, and daughter of Alexander Carpenter, of Wrentham, England.

From the very beginning of affairs at Plymouth Mr. Bradford’s part in the fortunes of the community was important and powerful. Soon after the first governor—William Carver__ died, Bradford was elected to the office, which he held by annual election until his death, excepting the years 1633, 1634, 1636, 1638, and 1644. He died May 9, 1657. His widow Alice died March 26, 1670. His children, the eldest only born to his first wife, were:
John; William, born June 17, 1624; Mercy; and Joseph, born in 1630.

Maj. William Bradford (2), son of Gov. William born June 17, 1624, married (first) Alice, daughter of Thomas Richard of Weymouth, who died in 1671, age forty-four years, and he married (second) Widow Wiswell, and (third) Mrs. Mary, daughter of John Atwood, of Plymouth, and the widow of Rev. John Holmes, of Duxbury. She died in 1714-1715. Mr. Bradford removed to Kingston, Mass.; was assistant, deputy governor, and chief military officer of Plymouth Colony. He died Feb. 20, 1693. His children were: John (born Feb. 20, 1653), William (born March 11, 1655), Thomas, Samuel, Alice, Hannah, Mercy, Meletiah, Mary, Sarah, Joseph, Israel, David, Ephraim and Hezekiah.

Israel Bradford, son of Maj. William, married Sarah Bartlett, of Duxbury, daughter of Benjamin and Sarah (Brewster) Bartlett, granddaughter of Robert and Mary (Warren) Bartlett, and great-granddaughter of Richard Warren and of Elder William Brewster, of the “Mayflower.” Israel and Sarah Bradford lived in Kingston, and their children were: Ruth, born Dec. 11, 1703, who died in that year; Bathsheba, born Nov. 8, 1704; Benjamin, born Oct. 17, 1705; Abner, born Dec. 25, 1707; Joshua, born June 23, 1710; Ichabod, born Sept. 22, 1713; and Elisha, born March 26, 1718.

Joshua Bradford, son of Israel, born June 23, 1710, married Hannah, daughter of Elisha Bradford and his wife Bathsheba LaBrock(e), and who was half-sister to the mother of the famous Deb (Bradford) Sampson,” who under the feigned name, Robert Shurtleff, served three years as a private soldier in the army of the Revolution, and was badly wounded in the skirmish at Tarrytown, carrying in her body the bullet through life. Joshua Bradford removed from Kingston to what later became Friendship, Maine, and was there killed by the Indian May 27, 1756 and their children carried to Canada, where they remained in captivity until Quebec was taken by General Wolfe;  they then returned to their Maine home. The children of Joshua and Hannah Bradford were: Cornelius, born Dec. 10, 1737; Sarah, born Oct. 16, 1739; Rachel, born Jan. 28, 1711; Mary and Meletiah (twins), born March 16, 1744; Joshua, born April 2, 1746, who married Martha Jameson and died May 9, 1827; Hannah, born March 9, 1748; Joseph, born March 19, 1751; Benjamin,  born May 28, 1753; and Elisha, born Oct. 15, 1755; and possibly Winslow.

Note: We descend from two of Joshua and Hannah’s children. The eldest son, Cornelius through his daughter Silvia who married Zenas Morton and their daughter Rachel Bradford who married Ebenezer Morton.

Cornelius Bradford, son of Joshua, born Dec. 10, 1737 married and lived in Friendship or Cushing, Maine. His children were: Joshua; Josephus, born Feb. 10, 1768, who lived in Cushing, Maine;  Frederick;  James and Cornelius.

Notes: This text has been copied exactly as it appears; the only change I have made is to add bold text to our direct ancestors. There are some discrepancies to this family history. First, the year they give for the massacre is 1756. The gravestone for Joshua and Hannah is dated 1758. Not all of the children were taken into captivity. The child killed was Winslow.  Joshua and Hannah were second cousins. Hannah's last name was Bradford, not Cole and she was the full sister of Deborah Bradford, mother of Deborah Sampson Gannett.

Source: Massachusetts Town and Vital Records 1620-1988

Source: Massachusetts Town and Vital Records 1620-1988

                   ****************  CORNELIUS BRADFORD****************
Cornelius was a Captain in the 6th company under Col. Mason Wheaton's 4th Regiment of Lincoln County, Massachusetts (now Maine) He is in the list of officers of Massachusetts militia dated at St. Georges, June 3, 1776; His commissioned is dated July 3, 1776.

The Revolutionary War was fought between 1775 and 1783. A man born between 1730 and 1765 who lived in Massachusetts is probably listed in some form of military record. If he supported the rebellion, he may be mentioned in records as a rebel, patriot, or Whig. Those who opposed the rebellion were Loyalists or Tories. Our families did not always support the same side.

In 1775, when the American Revolution began, there was no regular army. Instead each colony defended itself with a militia made up of local men. With few exceptions, any male 16 or older was expected to participate in the milita. By 1776 Washington had an army of 20,000 men. About one-third came from colonial militia groups, and two-thirds were regular army.

The 4th Regiment included the towns of  Waldoborough, the Plantations called St. Georges, Meduncook, and Camden; the Town of Belfast, with all the settlements on the western side of Penobscot-River.