1. Nathaniel Bradford of Accomack County, Virginia - Lower ...

Nathaniel in the Late 1660’s: 1666-1670
Addition to Plantation at Matchipungo
On 9 October 1667, Nathaniel received a patent for 400 acres adjacent to the 2400 acres he already held at
Matchipungo. 116 This acquisition brought the total size of Nathaniel’s plantation to 2800 acres, or almost 4
½ square miles. This was large in comparison to the size of most plantations in Accomack, and more than
enough acreage than was necessary for a single household. To what uses did Nathaniel put this land?
Though there is no direct evidence of it, he likely planted tobacco, as did nearly every landowner in
Virginia at the time. At his death Nathaniel owned such large numbers of sheep and cattle that it is fair to
imagine that a sizeable portion of his plantation was used for grazing. 117 Nathaniel may have had gardens to
supply his household with vegetables and orchards to supply it with fruit and cider. At certain points in his
life Nathaniel likely had tenants on his land 118 and possibly houses for servants and slaves. Some portion of
Nathaniel’s plantation would have also been used by the Indians who resided on his land, though it is
unknown how much land they used and unclear where precisely on the tract their land was located.
Map of modern-day Bradford’s Neck, depicting rough boundary of Nathaniel’s Matchipungo Plantation
Nathaniel’s home was probably located in the north of the tract near present day Bradford’s Bay and a little
to the south of the town of Wachapreague. The house doesn’t survive, but according to Ralph Whitelaw it
is possible a portion of it existed in his day as a room in the Gulf Stream Nursery. 119 Living on Nathaniel’s
plantation in 1667 were at least 9 individuals, a number arrived at through examination of the list of taxable
inhabitants in Accomack County for that year. Tax lists survive for Accomack County from the year of its
formation until 1695, with the exception of the years 1672 and 1673. These lists contain the name of every
head of household, as well as the number of taxable individuals in each person’s household, and are an
invaluable source for researching the lives of particular individuals as well as their relation to their
neighbors.
Page 23 of 74 Copyright 2008 Adam M. Bradford