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Major William Bradford (1624–1703), son of Governor William Bradford and Alice Carpenter
Alice Richards (bp. 1629–1671), daughter of Thomas Richards and Welthian Unknown
William Bradford was born on 17 June 1624 in Plymouth. [1] Major William Bradford, the husband of Mary, died on 20 February 1703/4, being near 80, in Plymouth. [2, 1: 132] He married first Alice, the daughter of Thomas Richards of Weymouth. [3] He married second the widow Wiswall. [1] David J. Webber argues that he probably married Sarah (__) Griswold, the widow of Lieutenant Francis Griswold. [4] Francis Griswold, the son of Edward Griswold and Margart Unknown, was born in 1629 and died in October 1671. [4] William married third Mary (Wood) Holmes, the widow of Reverend John Holmes, the second minister of Duxbury. [1][5] She died on 6 Jan 1714/5 in Plymouth. [5]
Francis Griswold was Deputy for Norwich eleven times between 1664 and 1671 and was lieutenant of the Norwich trainband. [4]
Alice Richard, the daughter of Thomas and Welthian Richards, was baptized on 7 April 1629 in Pitminster, Somersetshire. [6] She died on 12 November 1671 in Plymouth.
On this the 12th day of December, 1671, Mistris Allice Bradford, Junr changed this life for a better, about the age of 44 Yeares. She was a gracious woman, lived much desired, died much lamented, and was buried on the 14th day of the month aforesaid, att Plymouth aforesaid. [7: 33]
Governor William Bradford entered into an marriage agreement with Mr. Thomas Richards prior to his son William's marriage to Thomas's daughter Alice. [3]
William lived in Kingston on the south side of Jones River. [1] Kingston, incorporated in 1726, lies between Plymouth and Duxbury. Jones River runs through the town.
Mr. William Bradford, Jr. was appointed ensign of the Plymouth military company on 7 March 1647/8. [8, 2: 121] He was commissioned captain on 6 October 1659. [8, 3: 174] He was appointed a major during King Philip's War. [8, 5: 194] He was the chief military officer in Plymouth during King Philips War. [1] He was wounded in the Narragansett Fort Fight. [1] He was awarded 15 pounds on 2 July 1676:
Upon consideration of the great losses which Mr. Bradford hath sustained in the late warrs, and the faithfull service he hath performed ... [8, 5: 210]
He was on Plymouth Colony's Council of War on 2 April 1667. [9, 102]
On 10 June 1679 Major William Bradford released all his rights to Paul Sears in land at Sesuet that his mother had sold to Richard Sears, deceased, late of Yarmouth, father of Paul Sears. [10]
William was chosen an assistant of Plymouth Colony every year from 1658 until 1680. [8] He was chosen the treasurer every year from 1679 to 1690. [8, ] He was chosen a commissioner in 1682. [8, 6: 83] He was chosen the deputy governor every year from 1682 to 1691. [8]
Welthian Richards, widow of Boston, made her her will on 3 July 1679. She left bequests to the ten children of William Bradford of Plymouth and her deceased daughter Alice. She left 60 pounds to Alice, five pounds to Thomas, 40 pounds to Hannah, 10 pounds to Mercy, 20 pounds to William, Jr., ten pounds to John and five pounds each to Samuel, Melatiah, Mary, and Sarah.[11]
Children of Major William Bradford and Alice Richards:
i. Major John Bradford was born on 20 February 1652/[3?] in Plymouth. [7, 14] He died on 8 December 1736. [1] He married Mercy, the daughter of Joseph and Priscilla (Faunce) Warren of Plymouth, on 5 February 1674. [1][12] She was the granddaughter of Mayflower passenger Richard Warren and the neice of Elder Thomas Faunce. [12]. She was born on 23 September 1653 in Plymouth. [12] She died in March 1747, age 94. [1]
John lived in Kingston. [1] He was a major and deputy to the general court from 1689 to 1691. [1] He was the first representative to the General Court of Massachusetts from Plymouth. [1]
ii. William Bradford was born on 11 March 1654. [7, 16] He was baptized on 25 March 1655. [7, 16] William, Jr., died on 5 July 1687 in Plymouth. [2, 1: 134] He married Rebecca Bartlett of Duxbury in 1679. [1] Rebecca was the daughter of Benjamin Bartlett and his wife Sarah Brewster; she was the granddaughter of Love and Sarah (Collier) Brewster and Robert and Mary (Warren) Bartlett; she was the great-granddaughter of Elder William Brewster and Richard Warren of the Mayflower. [13] She was probably the Rebecca "wife of Caleb Samson, Sr." who died on 14 December 1741 in Duxbury. [5] She married second Robert Stanford. [5] She married third Caleb Samson, Sr. on 30 Janaury 1728/9 in Duxbury. [5] Caleb was the son of Henry Samson of the Mayflower. [5]
William's birth and baptismal record was entered in the handwriting of his grandfather Governor William Bradford. [7, 16]
William lived in Duxbury. [1]
iii. Thomas Bradford died on 26 March 1762, age 73, in Windham, Connecticut. [5] He married first Anne Raymond. [5] Anne, the daughter of Joshua and Elizabeth (Smith) Raymond, was born on 12 May 1664 in New London. [5] He married second Katherine ___, who died on 6 November 1733 in Lyme. [5]
iv. Alice Bradford was born was born about 1658/63 in Plymouth. She died on 15 March 1745 in Canterbury. She married Major James Fitch.
v. Mercy Bradford was baptized on 2 September 1660 in Boston. [5] She died before 5 April 1720 in Hartford. [5] She married Samuel Steele on 16 September 1680 in Hartford. [5] Samuel, the son of John and Mary (Warner), was born on 15 March 1652 in Farmington and died there before 2 January 1709/10. [5]
vi. Hannah Bradford was born on 9 May 1662 in Plymouth. [5] She died on 28 May 1738 in Windham. [5] She married Joshua Ripley on 28 November 1682 in Plymouth. [5] Joshua, the son of John and Elizabeth (Hobart) Ripley, was born on 9 November 1658 in Hingham and died on 18 May 1739 in Windham. [5]
vii. Melitiah Bradford was born on 1 November 1664 in Plymouth and died after 24 April 1739. [5] She married first John Steele about 1689. John, the son of James and Bethiah (Bishop) was born about 1660 in Hartford and died there before 6 March 1697/8. [5] Meletiah married second Samuel Stevens, probably after 23 June 1702 in Killingly. [5] Samuel, the son of William and Mary (Meiggs) Stevens, was born on 1 March 1656 in Guilford and died before 7 July 1712 in Killingly. [5] He married first Elizabeth ___. [5]
viii. Samuel Bradford was born about 1667 in Plymouth and died on 11 April 1714 in Duxbury. [5] He married Hannah Rogers on 31 July 1689 in Plymouth. [5] Hannah, the daughter of John and Elizabeth (Pabodie) Rogers, was born on 16 November 1668 in Duxbury and died between 1 June 1747 and 5 November 1754, probably in Hingham. [5]
ix. Mary Bradford was probably born in Plymouth in 1668. [5] She died on 7 May 1720 in Chilmark. [5] She married William Hunt about 1687. [5] William, the son of Ephraim and Ebbet (Brimsmead) Hunt, was born in 1655 in Weymouth and died on 2 January 1727 in Chilmark. [5] He married second Hannah (Skiff) Mayhew. [5]
x. Sarah Bradford was probably born in 1671 in Plymouth. [5] She died between 18 October 1705 and 29 September 1712 in Marshfield. [5] She married Kenelm Baker about 1687. [5] Kenelm was the son of Samuel and Eleanor (Winslow) Baker. [5]
Children of Major William Bradford and Sarah (___) Griswold:
| Thomas Fitch of Bocking | ||
| |
| Reverend James Fitch |
|
| | Mary (Fitch) Sherwood |
| Daniel Fitch |
| Anne Fitch |
| | Mary (Sherwood) Fitch |
||
xi. Joseph Bradford was born on 18 April 1675 in Plymouth. [5] He died on 17 January 1747 in New London. [5] He married first Anne Fitch on 5 October 1698. [Ref] He married second Mary (Sherwood) Fitch, the daughter of Matthew Sherwood and Mary Fitch and the widow of Daniel Fitch.
Children of Major William Bradford and Mary (Wood) Holmes:
xii. Israel Bradford was born about 1677 in Plymouth. [5] He died on 26 March 1760 in Kingston. [5] He married Sarah Bartlett on 27 November 1701 in Plymouth. [5] Sarah, the daughter of Benjamin and Ruth (Pabodie) Bartlett, died on 3 April 1761 in Kingston. [5]
Israel lived in Kingston. [1]
xiii. Ephraim Bradford was born in 1685 in Plymouth. [5] He died before 6 October 1746 in Kingston. [5] He married Elizabeth Brewster on 13 February 1709/10. [5] Elizabeth, the daughter of Wrestling and Mary Brewster, and granddaughter of Elder William Brewster, was born about 1690 and died on 5 December of February 1741. [5]
Ephraim lived in Kingston. [1]
xiv. David Bradford died on 16 March 1729/30 in Kingston. [5] He married Elizabeth Phinney on 23 February 1713/4 in Plymouth. [5] Elizabeth, the daughter of Jonathan and Joanna (Kinnicut) Phinney, was baptized on 27 October 1695. [5]
xv. Hezekiah Bradford died after 10 April 1761. [5] He married Mary Chandler, the daughter of Joseph and Mercy Chandler of Duxbury, on 21 May 1714 in Duxbury. [5]
Hezkekiah lived in Kingston. [1]
References:
1. G.M. Fessenden, "A Genealogy of the Bradford Family," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 4 (1850: 39–50.
2. "Massachusetts: Vital Records, 1620–1850," database with images, AmericanAncestors.org > Plymouth.
3. George Ernest Bowman, "Governor Bradford's Marriage Settlemen on his Son William," Mayflower Descendant 9 (1907): 65–66.
4. David Jay Webber, "Major William Bradford's Second Wife: Was She the Widow of Francis Griswold?" New England Historical and Genealogical Register 155 (2001): 245–50.
5. Robert S. Wakefield and Lee D. van Antwerp, Mayflower Families in Progress: William Bradford of the Mayflower and His Descendants for Four Generations (n.p.: General Society of Mayflower Descendants, 1987).
6. "The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620–1633, Volumes I-III," digitized book, AmericanAncestors.org, originally published as: Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, 3 volumes (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1995), 1575–9.
7. Nathaniel B. Shurtleff, Records of Plymouth Colony: Court Orders, Miscellaneous Records, 1633–1689 (Boston: William White, 1857).
8. Nathaniel B. Shurtleff, Records of Plymouth Colony: Court Orders, vol. 1, 1633–1640, vol. 2, 1641–1651, vol. 3, 1651–1661, vol. 4, 1661–1668, vol. 5, 1668–1678, vol. 6, 1678–1691 (Boston: William White, 1855, 1866). Chosen assistant: 3: 134, 162, 187, 214; 4: 13, 36, 60, 80, 122, 147, 179; 5: 17, 34, 54, 90, 228, 256; 6: 9, 34, 58; chosen treasurer: 6: 9, 34, 59, 83, 106, 124, 154, 185, 205; chosen deputy governor: 6: 83, 106, 124, 154, 185, 205, 264.
9. Eugene Aubrey Stratton, Plymouth Colony: Its History and People 1620–1691 ( Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1986)
10. Editors, "Major William Bradford's Confirmation of his Mother's Deed to Richard Sears with an Autograph of John Alden," Mayflower Descendant 25 (1923):, 49-51.
11. George Ernest Bowman, "The Wills of Thomas and Welthian Richards," Mayflower Descendant 9 (1907): 89–91.
12. Mrs. Washington A. Roeblino, "Richard Warren of the Mayflower, and Some of His Descendants," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 55 (1901): 70–78.
13. Emma C. Brewster Jones, The Brewster Genealogy (New York: Grafton Press, 1908), 23–32.
03-Aug-2023