PHILEMON & MARY ( ) BRADFORD
ID 974
rin 48 & 49
Philemon was the third and youngest son of Richard II and Anna Bradford.
He was born about 1703 in Charles City County, Virginia, where five generations of his ancestors had lived. He lived on the family plantation until adulthood; but, after both parents died in 1724, the brothers sold the family property and went their separate ways. Philemon's portion of the land was 470 acres, which he sold in 1726. He remained in Charles City County at least until 1737, when he was reportedly fined five pounds for not attending church. After leaving Charles City County Philemon may have joined his brother Richard in Caroline County, Virginia, or, more likely, his brother Thomas in Edgecombe, North Carolina.
The next record I have found for Philemon is in 1742/43, when he acquired land in Edgecombe County, North Carolina, in the portion that later became Granville County. He spent the rest of his life there as a farmer and a land speculator. Land records that I have seen show that in a twenty-year period Philemon acquired more than 6,000 acres and sold more than 2,500 (some of it to his sons).
Philemon's farming, in addition to feeding his family, may have produced cash crops of corn and wheat. Tobacco, in that time and place, was usually grown for the payment of county and parish taxes. Philemon did have at least one fruit orchard. Tax lists show that he had slaves; he passed eleven slaves to his wife and children in his will.
Philemon may have been married more than once; some researchers say three times. Mary, who was named in his will, survived him for at least twelve years. It seems possible that she may have been the mother of John and David, but not of the other five children; there is a thirteen-year span of time between child numbers 5 and 6.
David T. Bradford suggests that Philemon was married in Virginia to a woman named BIRD or BYRD. He further says that other researchers believe that the second wife was Mary PARKER, daughter of Johathan and Ann (COPELAND) PARKER.
Providing possible support for that thesis is the fact that two of the witnesses to Philemon's will were Joseph and Mary PARKER.
An abstract of Philemon's will, dated 25 Aug 1769 and proven Jan 1770 in Granville Co., NC court:
"After debts and funeral expenses, Philemon left five pounds
each to his daughters Elizabeth HUDSPETH and Mary WHITE, and
to his sons Thomas and Richard. To his wife, Mary, he left
the plantation where I live, four male and three female slaves,
and all stock and household goods until she either died or remarried.
To his son John he left all that track of land I purchased of my
son Thomas on each side of Fort Creek containing fore hundred acres
more or less as well as, at his mother's death, three named slaves,
all cattle he was keeping at William Parnals, three cows and calves,
six sows and pigs, two beds and furniture -- all of which was to
be divided among Philemon's other children if John died childless.
Philemon's son David was to inherit, on his mother's death, the
400 acres whereon I live, which was described as being on Poplar
Branch, and another thirty acres Philemon had purchased from his
son Thomas, along with four slaves, six cows and calves, two beds
and furniture -- all of which was to be divided among David's siblings
if that son died childless."
Witnesses: Joseph and Mary PARKER, James HEFLIN, and Christopher PARNAL.
Proven in open court upon the oaths of Joseph PARKER and James HEFLIN, with wife Mary as executrix and his son Thomas as executor.
Note that the two youngest sons, who were about 18 and 15 years old were to receive the bulk of the estate. Four of the older children received token legacies, and son Philemon, Jr. is not mentioned at all, even though he was living in Granville county at the time.
THE BRADFORDs OF CHARLES CITY COUNTY, VIRGINIA, 1994, David T. Bradford
PHILEMON BRADFORD DOCUMENTATION, 1994, LaVere Peters (ANCESTOR.BRAD-PH1.WPS)
PHILEMON BRADFORD CHILDREN, 1994, LaVere Peters (ANCESTOR.AUNTUNCL.BRAD-CH.WPS)
Prepared Jan 29, 1996 by LaVere Peters