Gov. William BRADFORD ²⁹⁶⁶

  General Notes:

BET. 1621 - 1633 2nd Governor of Plymouth Colony
BET. 1633 - 1634 Asst. Governor of Plymouth Colony
1635 Governor of Plymouth Colony
1636 Asst. Governor of Plymouth Colony
1637 Governor of Plymouth Colony
1638 Asst. Governor of Plymouth Colony
BET. 1639 - 1643 Governor of Plymouth Colony
BET. 1645 - 1657 Governor of Plymouth Colony
Mayflower Passenger.

His Will:
"The last Will and Testament Nunckupative of Mr William Bradford senir: Deceased May the Ninth 1657 and exhibited to the court held att Plymouth June 3d 1657

Mr William Bradford senir: being weake in body but in prfect memory haveing Defered the forming of his Will in hopes of haveing the healp of Mr Thomas Prence therin; feeling himselfe very weake and drawing on to the conclusion of his mortall life spake as followeth; I could have Desired abler then myselfe in the Desposing of that I have; how my estate is none knowes better then youerselfe, said hee to Lieftenant Southworth; I have Desposed to John and William alreddy theire proportions of land which they are possessed of;

My Will is that my son Josepth bee made in some sort equall to his brethern out of my estate;

My further Will is that my Deare & loveing wife Allice Bradford shalbee the sole Exequitrix of my estate; and for her future maintainance my Will is that my Stocke in the Kennebecke Trad be reserved for her Comfortable Subsistence as farr as it will extend and soe further in any such way as may bee Judged best for her;

I further request and appoint my welbeloved Christian ffrinds Mr Thomas Prence Captaine Thomas Willet and Lieftenant Thomas Southworth to be the Suppervissors for the Desposing of my estate according to the prmises Confiding much in theire faithfulnes

I comend unto youer Wisdome and Descretions some smale bookes written by my owne hand to bee Improved as you shall see meet; In speciall I Comend to you a little booke with a blacke cover wherin there is a word to Plymouth a word to Boston and a word to New England with sundry usefull verses ;

These pticulars were expressed by the said William Bradford Govr the 9th of May 1657 in the prsence of us Thomas Cushman Thomas Southworth Nathaniell Morton; whoe were Deposed before the court held att Plymouth the 3d of June 1657 to the truth of the abovesaid Will that it is the last Will and Testament of the abovesaid Mr William Bradford senir."
^2966,2967

  Noted events in his life were:

• He immigrated on board the "Mayflower" on 11 Nov 1620 to Plymouth, Plymouth Co., Massachusetts, USA. ²⁹⁶⁸

William married Dorothea MAY, daughter of John MAY and Cordelia BOWES, on 10 Dec 1613 in Amsterdam, , Noord-Holland, Netherlands.²⁹⁶⁵ (Dorothea MAY was born on 19 Mar 1590 in Wisbech, , Cambridgeshire, England and died on 16 Dec 1620 in Plymouth, Plymouth Co., Massachusetts, USA.)

William next married Alice CARPENTER, daughter of Alexander CARPENTER and Unknown, on 14 Aug 1623 in Plymouth, Plymouth Co., Massachusetts, USA.²⁹⁶⁵ (Alice CARPENTER was christened on 3 Aug 1590 in Wrington, , Somerset, England and died on 26 Mar 1670 in Plymouth, Plymouth Co., Massachusetts, USA ²⁹⁶⁹.)