Bradley

Bradley

Russell County, Alabama 
and Muscogee County, Georgia


Russell County, 1895

1870 - 1880 · Oswichee Beat, Russell County, Alabama

On page 40 of the 1870 census for Oswichee beat, Russell County, Alabama I found Charles BRADLY,  aged 25 born in Georgia, and Kitty BRADLY age 18, born in North Carolina were enumerated.

In 1880, Charles and Kittie BRADLEY were still living in Oswichee beat. They have four children:

Loula BRADLEY, b. 1865, AL

Harriett BRADLEY, b. 1870, AL

Henry BRADLEY, b. 1872, AL

Charles BRADLEY, b. 1876, AL

I believe this is my gg-grandfather's family for the following reasons: From information on my g-grandfather's death certificate I had information that:

1. his father's name was Charles Bradley, 

2. he was born in Cottonton, Alabama, which is in Russell County. 

3. This is the only Charles Bradley of the correct age whose father was named Charles Bradley I was able to find in the 1880 soundex. 

In addition to the above, the two Charles Bradley families seemed to move together from Alabama to Georgia. 

 
W.C. Bradley Warehouse, Muscogee, GA

Interestingly, the next household is the family of Forbes BRADLEY (b. 1 Dec, 1809, CT - d. 1890).  Forbes was a major slaveholder in the 1850 and 1860 census.

 


1890  to 1954 Muscogee County, Georgia

 On the 31st of July, 1890, Charley BRADLEY married Caroline JONES in Muscogee county. The marriage was performed by Reverend D.L. Davis, MG (Minister of the Gospel).

In 1900 I found Charles BRADLEY, his wife ,Carrie and four children living across the Chattahoochee river in Muscogee County, Georgia. According to the census record, this was Charles' 2nd marriage and they had been married for 12 years. According to the census record Carrie has had 4 children, all living. She is therefore probably the mother of the four children living with them in 1900. Their names were:

Lawrence BRADLEY, b. Dec. 21, 1892, GA

Hattie BRADLEY, b. 4/1895, GA

Will BRADLEY, b. 4/1895, GA

Rose BRADLEY, b. 6/1896

Also on the same page of the census is my great-grandfather, Charles BRADLEY, born June, 1873 in GA, single, farm laborer, "living alone." From the various inaccuracies in this record, I suspect my great-grandfather did not answer the survey himself.

 On January 31, 1903, my great-grandfather Charles BRADLEY married my great-grandmother Minnie JONES (b. 1884 - d. 1923?) in Muscogee county. The ceremony was performed by A.E. Clark, MG.


Willie Mae BRADLEY
(1904 - 1978)

My grandmother, Willie Mae BRADLEY was born on July 29, 1904 in Muscogee County. Sadly, she was the only one of the 3 children Minnie gave birth to who survived infancy. Her grandchildren always referred to her as 'Ganga'. According to her daughter Ruth, she was named after her father's friend, Willie MAY. She never liked her name.

By 1910 the elder Charles BRADLEY and his wife Caroline are still living in the same location on Lumpkin road. According to the census, Caroline has 3 children living out of 9 born. If this is accurate then their child Rose, as well as 6 others have died during the 10 years since the last census. In addition to their surviving children, Lawrence, Hattie, and Willie, they have a niece and nephew Lydia and Louis PAN living with them.

My great-grandfather Charles BRADLEY, his wife Minnie JONES and their daughter, Willie Mae BRADLEY were still living close by. Charles' occupation is listed as farmer, renting. His age is recorded as 36 in this census.

Also appearing on the same page is Ed BRADLEY, mulatto, age 26 with his wife, Effie, 23, aged 23, and their daughter Ina L. aged 6 months. From his date of birth (1884) Ed is most likely the son of Kitty, gg-grandfather Charles' first wife. This was a second marriage for both Ed and Effie and according to the census record they had been married for 2 years. Ed is also a farmer and renting.

Finally, also in the immediate neighborhood, is Nancy JOHNSON (widow of McKay(?) JOHNSON) and her daughters Pinkie Johnson (b. 1884 - d. ca. 1966?) and Mary L. Johnson. Also living with her are her grandsons:

 

Eddie BRADLEY, b. 1903, GA m. Carrie Mae MITCHELL

George BRADLEY, b. 1905, GA

Charlie BRADLEY, b. 1907, GA

These are my g-grandfather Charles' children by Pinkie, with whom he had a long-term relationship. Shortly after my g-grandmother Minnie's death ca. 1923, Charles and Pinkie were married and stayed together for more than twenty years until Charles' death.

I could not find Charles or Carrie BRADLEY in the 1920 census. I do not know if they were deceased, missed, or had moved back to Alabama. I also cannot find their son Lawrence or either of their two daughters.

My g-grandfather, Charley BRADLEY is living with his wife Minnie and his two daughters Lula, age 17 and Willie, age 15. Lula was Charles' natural daughter, and according to my aunt, who knew her, was raised by Charles and Minnie. I have no information on who her mother might have been. Also enumerated in the same household is his brother Ed Bradley, his wife and 6 children, as well as Charles son's George and Charlie. Either they were visiting or it was a very large house.

Although Charles is recorded in the census as a farmer, he also worked as a carpenter, and during the 1930's - 1940's built several houses on land he owned.


Columbus Georgia, 1927

On June 5, 1923 Willie Mae BRADLEY married Robert Lewis WADE (b. September 24, 1903 , Murfreesboro, TN - d. November 1963, CA)  in Muscogee county. They had three children:

Ruth WADE m. Berry POWELL

 Barbara WADE m. Joseph QUAVE

 Charles H. WADE m. Geneva L. MORRIS

Charles BRADLEY died October 2, 1954 of heart failure. At the time of his death he was still living on the farm on Lumpkin road. His occupation was recorded as carpenter (retired). He was buried on October 10, 1954 at Porterdale cemetery in Columbus, Georgia.

Sometime between 1954 and 1964, according to the Southern Bell Phone Directory, Charles' widow, Pinkie Bradley moved into Columbus proper where she lived at 3224 Levy Road until 1966. After that date an Eddie Bradley, probably "Uncle Bish", her son, is listed at this address.

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