William Bradley

 

AMERICA THE GREAT MELTING POT

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William Bradley
Immigrant Ancestor see FAMILY TREE
Baptized: 27 Jan 1610/11 Bradford, Yorkshire, England

   
Married: 18 Feb 1644/5 Springfield, Hampden, MA

   
Died: Bef. 29 May 1690/1 New Haven, New Haven, CT

Buried: Grove St. Cemetery, New Haven, New Haven, CT



 

FATHER

Danyell Bradley

MOTHER

Elizabeth Atkinson

WIFE

Alice Pritchard

CHILDREN with Alice Pritchard

  1. Joseph Bradley
    bap. 04 Jan 1645/6
    m. 25 Oct 1667 Silence Brockett
    d. bef. 29 Jan 1704/5

  2. Martha Bradley
    bap.Oct 1648
    m. 28 Oct 1665 Samuel Munson

  3. Abraham Bradley
    bap. 24 Oct 1650
    m. 25 Dec 1673 Hannah Thompson
    d. 19 Oct 1718

  4. Mary Bradley
    bap. 30 Apr 1653
    m. 26 Nov 1668 Samuel Todd
    d. 26 Sep 1724

  5. Benjamin Bradley
    bap. 08 Apr 1657
    m. 29 Oct 1677 Elizabeth Thompson
    d. 4 Jun 1728

  6. Ester Bradley
    b. 29 Sep 1659

  7. Nathaniel Bradley
    b. 26 Feb 1660/1
    m. Abt. 1687 Ruth Dickerman

  8. Sarah Bradley
    bap. 21 Jun 1665
    m. 23 May 1682 Samuel Brockett
    d. 26 Oct 1742

William Bradley
by Susan Brooke
April 2022

The father of William Bradley, Danyell Broadley, married Elizabeth Atkinson in Bingley, Yorkshire, England, on July 1m 1607.  Six of their children, Agnes, Daniel, Matthew, Michael, Abraham and Marie, have registered baptisms in Bingley.  When the second son, Daniel Bradley, was baptized in Bingley, the record shows that the father, Daniel Bradley, was from Shipley. (1) Shipley is only three miles from Bingley, and there is a record of a William being baptized in St Peter Cathedral in Bradford on 27 Jan 1610/11 with a father of Daniel Broadley of Shipley. (2) This baptism is undoubtedly the correct record for this William Bradley. 

After the death of his mother, William Bradley's father remarried to Elizabeth Sheaffe about 1630 and had another five children.  Again, all these children, Ellen, Joshua, Daniel Nathan and Steven have registered baptisms in Bingley.  This is important because all of these half siblings show up in America with their mother, Elizabeth Bradley, William's step-mother.  His half brother, Daniel, gives us additional proof of William's heritage. Daniel took an oath of fidelity in New Haven in 1657.  It is assumed he was 21 at that time which would make him born in 1636 and the Daniel Bradley born in Bingley was baptized 8 May 1636.  Daniel drowned unmarried in New Haven just before 4 Jan 1658. In a court record of 30 May 1660, William Bradley is named as a half brother of the Daniel Bradley, deceased. (3)

William Bradley emigrated from Yorkshire, England about 1643 and joined the New Haven Colony in 1644.(4) He married Alice Prichard in Springfield, MA on 18 Feb 1645. (5)  He had been made a freeman of the New Haven Colony just the year before  They had eight children and William was active in the city affairs.  He wrote his will on 22 June 1683 making bequests to sons Joseph Bradley, Abraham Bradley, Benjamin Bradley, and three daughters "viz my daughters Munson, Todd and Brocket."  (6) He died sometime before May 29, 1691 at the age of 81 leaving an estate of a little over £380.  His widow died the next year.

Sources

(1) Baptisms of Bingley, Yorkshire, England
The Publications of the Yorkshire Register Society, Vol 9,  Hathi Trust
Baptism of Daniel Broadley

 

 (2) West Yorkshire England, Church of England baptisms, marriages and burials 1512-1812
found on Ancestry.com
Bradford, St Peter (Bradford Cathedral)
27 Jan 1610/11 "William son of Daniel Broadley of Shipley"

Baptism of William Bradley

(3) Bradley of Essex County, early records, from 1643 to 1746 with a few lines --
by Eleanor Bradley Peters 1915

page 24

 "Daniel took the oath of fidelity in 1657, the seventh day of the second months, at which time he must have been of age."  At that time in 1915 they did not know that Daniel was christened May 8, 1636 and they were correct that he was 21.  We know he drowned sometime before Jan 4, 1658 from the court records.  

  From Bradley of Essex County: 1660. "An inventory of the estate of Daniel Bradley, late of Newhaven, was presented, taken January 4th, 1658 by William Bradley and John Allen, amounting to £40-10s. 9d. besides which their is a debt fro Rich: Fellowes not yet cleared, and a sithe not yet found, also some weareing cloaths wch were caryed  away by the horse when he was drowned, not yet come to hand; the aforesaid appraisers witnessed upon oath that it was a true and full inventory of the estate of the deceased, both for pcells and vallew, to ye best of their light, at a court at New haven, Jan. 4."

"At a general court held at Newhaven for ye Jurisdiction, the 30th of May, 1660, There being a small estate left by Daniell Bradeley, deceased, the court was desired to declare how the estate should be disposed off, whereupon it was ordered that the estate of Daniel Bradeley (his inst. debts being paid) shall be divided amongst his relations, viz, his mother, brthren and sisters in equall portions, except Willm Bradley, who being a brother by the half only, is to have but a half share with the rest."  New Haven Colonial Records. p. 58 

 

 

pg 182
Probate Court: New Haven.  Estate of William Bradley, late of New Haven, May 29, 1691; mention of his sons: Joseph, Abraham, Benjamin; his three daughters, Munson, Todd, Brockett; his wife and son Nathaniel; "his widow"; Signatures of Alice Bradley, Joseph, Abraham, Benjamin, Nathaniel, Samuel Munson, Samuel Tod, Samuel Brackett, mention of "Nathaniel Broadley," Value of estate £380-01-00; date of will June 22, 1683.

(4) Record of the Colony or Jurisdiction of New Haven from May 1638-1649 page 139
The first time William Bradley appears in the New Haven records was when he was made a freeman of the New Haven Colony on 5 Aug 1644.  

(5) Massachusetts Town Records
FHL film 185414
Births Marriages and Deaths, Vol 1 1640-1728 city of Springfield

The Springfield, MA town clerk's entry reads: "William Bradley of New Haven and Alice Prichard of Springfield joyned together in marriage 12 mon 18 day 1644."

 (6) New Haven (Connecticut) probate records 1647-1703
FHL 5294 Vol 2 Part 1 pages 91-92
Estate of William Bradley