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

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John Difneth John Sparkes Ezard Paine Ann Paine Dammaris Worthy Ellnor. Puckett Ann Found Crestlean Wenters Joane Ossett From a patent of 9 October 1667 for 400 acres: 178 Edward Waller Jno. Tregon Tho. Gibbons [Benjamin Culme listed in original certificate] Margaret Strede Gideon Hayden Robt. Culliford James Finsh James Gold From a patent of 9 October 1672 for 400 acres: 179 Miles Roxell James Hoxley Richard Webster Tho. Bossington John Lovelock Mathew Kele Agnes Taylor Joane Mazed Anne Eaton Elizabeth Abbot From a patent of 9 October 1672 for 1400 acres (reissue of 1000-acre patent, plus 400-acre patent from 1667): 180 Edgar Lowderell Geo. Outrell Tho. Clarke Rob. Dotrington Nehemiah Blake Maurice Pembrocke Jno. Moore (?) Richd. Wiggon Samuell Taylor Robert Adkins Jno. Medcalf Mary Meares [the following names were crossed out] Edwd. Demstall Richd. Beare Joshua Rounder Adam Rinch From a patent of 25 November 1679 for 644 acres: 181 Tho. Vintner Jno. Barnet Tho. Fletcher Alexr. Nash Richd. Long Jno. Rawlins Xper. Wooton Ed. Spicer Katherin Sherley Sybill Bullock Wm. Fetherston Robt. Paine Samll. Thurston Elizab. Jenkins Edgar Onley (?) Margar ----- Rich. Clefton Wm. Edwards Tho. Carpenter Tho. Harcroft Tho. Williamson Jno. Reeves Sandela, Negro Joan, Negro Jno. Howill Nathaniel’s Servants & Slaves The 28 individuals on Nathaniel’s 1664 patent were probably transported by Colonel Scarburgh, the assignor, who most likely sold either the headrights or the certificate of importation itself to Nathaniel in order for him to receive the patent. If the individuals listed as headrights on the 1667 patent were transported by Nathaniel, there is no record that any of them ended up living in Accomack County, much less in Nathaniel’s household. The same is true for Nathaniel’s 400-acre 1672 patent and his 1679 patent. However, many of the individuals on Nathaniel’s 1672 patent for 1400 acres were known residents of Accomack County prior to 1672, some of them neighbors, such as Samuel Taylor and Jno. Medcalfe. The Mary Meeres listed on Nathaniel’s 1672 patent was probably the wife of Bartholomew Meers, the man whose sickness occasioned the illegal borrowing of Nathaniel’s horse by Alphonso Balls. Several others on Nathaniel’s 1672 certificate are his known servants or slaves. It’s worth taking a look at these individuals, since in many ways they were an integral part of Nathaniel’s household: they were involved in the daily life of Nathaniel and his family; they were either employed by Nathaniel or under his authority as servants; and for a certain number of years they would have been a steady presence on his plantation. - Robt. Adkins & Sibbe Bullock are already familiar as the two servants of Nathaniel whose fornication fines he paid in 1667. - Thomas Williamson was probably the Thomas Williams who first appears in the tax lists for Accomack County in 1677. 182 Before then he may have been a servant or employee in Nathaniel’s Page 36 of 74 Copyright 2008 Adam M. Bradford
household. A Thomas Williams was a witness for Christopher Sadbury in Nathaniel’s defamation suit against Sadbury in 1678 183 and in April of that year he was mentioned in a deposition as being with Nathaniel when Nathaniel accidentally killed one of William Burton’s hogs. 184 At Thomas Williams’ death, Nathaniel petitioned for administration of his estate as Williams’ greatest creditor. 185 Williams died owing various individuals more than the value of his entire estate, so his wife Elizabeth requested that she and her child at least be given clothing, since there would be nothing else left to her after the payment of Williams’ debts. Nathaniel Bradford was ordered to give Elizabeth the clothing and to take Thomas Williams’ estate into his care. 185 - John Reeves was certainly one of Nathaniel’s servants. In 1676, he petitioned successfully for his freedom from Nathaniel, who was attempting to keep Reeves for a year longer than the term of service for which he had been indentured. 186 It is known that Reeves was brought to Virginia by an individual other than Nathaniel, 187 so it appears that in this case Nathaniel purchased the headright rather than arranging for the transportation himself. It is likely that this was the case with most of Nathaniel’s headrights, since there is no evidence that Nathaniel was engaged in the shipping business. Reeves died a few years after completing his term of servitude. 188 Apart from the servants listed on Nathaniel’s 1672 certificate of importation, the identity of others may be surmised from examination of the Accomack County court records. The following individuals were servants of Nathaniel late in his life, being listed as in his possession at the inventory of his estate: Mary Stewart, Mary Shaw, William Trafford, Charles Justis and Mary Farrill. 189 Each of them was valued by the appraisers based on the time they had left to serve. Mary Farrill and Mary Shaw, who each had only one year to serve, were valued at a little over 1 pound sterling, whereas Charles Justis, Wm. Trafford and Mary Steward each had 5 years left on their indentures and were valued at between 8 and 9 pounds sterling. To give some idea of how much this was worth, passage to Virginia from England cost about 12 pounds sterling in 1680, or about 2500 lbs tobacco, and passage from Barbados 6 lbs sterling. 190 The court records of Accomack County allow the lives of these 5 servants to be traced to some degree: - It appears that Nathaniel’s son William sold Mary Stewart to Richard Bally after Nathaniel’s death, as in 1692 she was presented for fornication as Bally’s servant. 191 Charles Scarburgh paid her fine of 2000 lbs tobacco in exchange for her entering his service for two and a half years after she had completed her original indenture with Baily. It also appears that she wed the man whose child she bore, a certain Jones. 192 - Mary Shaw may have been the same Mary Shaw who in 1689 was in the service of Robert Hutchinson, and whose term of service was extended since she attempted to run away. 193 Nathaniel had several recorded dealings with Robert Hutchinson in his life: he was sued by Hutchinson in 1670 over an account 194 , and Hutchinson’s house is where a recorded conversation occurred regarding another of Nathaniel’s servants, the John Reeves mentioned above 195 . Hutchinson must have sold Mary Shaw to Nathaniel sometime in 1689 or 1690. - No significant records pertaining to Charles Justis exist in the Accomack court orders, but William Trafford appeared on several occasions. After Nathaniel’s death Trafford, though still a servant, sued the administrators of Nathaniel’s estate (his son William and wife Joan) for a mare and colt that Nathaniel had given him. 196 It’s worth quoting a few of the depositions given in this matter for the details they contain: “Deposition of Henry Read aged about 62 years: About a year ago in May, Mr. Natha. Bradford, Sr., came to Read's house and asked him to come down to his house to "cut horses and desired me if I had a good pliant rope to bring it with me. 'I have promised the boy William Trafford a mare for bearing of bricks.'" Bradford had already given him a mare, but it died, so now he was giving him another mare and colt. Read said he "would give him the cutting of ye colt", but Bradford "answered that if he had given him five mares, he had not lost by it" - for Bradford had hidden plate in a water hole; Trafford found it and returned the entire amount to Bradford. The last mare delivered to Trafford was branded "with NB with ye wrong end upwards." Signed in sworn in open court 17 September 1691 by Henry (R) Read” “Deposition of James Ewell aged about 55 years: About three or four years ago, Ewell bargained with Nathaniel Bradford to do some brick work; Bradford, who was to find a helper, brought William Trafford. "After some time, Mr. Bradford came to Pungutege and ask your deponent how I liked ye said Trafford. [I] replied he did very well. So said, Page 37 of 74 Copyright 2008 Adam M. Bradford
Page 1 and 2: 1. Nathaniel 1 Bradford of Accomack
Page 3 and 4: Sketch of Nathaniel Bradford Nathan
Page 5 and 6: in London that “no question . . .
Page 7 and 8: Nathaniel’s Early Years to Settle
Page 9 and 10: to tender our Cause; that (if ye sd
Page 11 and 12: Nathaniel as Constable & Birth of N
Page 13 and 14: Alice sold the Occahannock plantati
Page 15 and 16: The occupation of currier no longer
Page 17 and 18: approve the appointment of the King
Page 19 and 20: The fundamental division within the
Page 21 and 22: ecompense for their services. The m
Page 23 and 24: Nathaniel in the Late 1660’s: 166
Page 25 and 26: practice that another of Nathaniel
Page 27 and 28: man were the father of Nathaniel Jr
Page 29 and 30: Nathaniel as Grand Juror and Repres
Page 31 and 32: court’s reputation. Since the acc
Page 33 and 34: Nathaniel Bradford During the 1670s
Page 35: 2800 acres. In that same year Natha
Page 39 and 40: In 17 th century Virginia slavery w
Page 41 and 42: Mathews’ lack of payment for cert
Page 43 and 44: Governor Berkeley used the eastern
Page 45 and 46: Though tobacco was the staple of Vi
Page 47 and 48: himself was probably not in Sussex
Page 49 and 50: Now that all of Nathaniel’s land
Page 51 and 52: * * * * * Nathaniel as Attorney On
Page 53 and 54: Nathaniel’s tithables remained co
Page 55 and 56: towels, a small chest, a small brok
Page 57 and 58: Citations Introduction 1.Nathaniel
Page 59 and 60: early 1640s, Richard Smith Jr. is a
Page 61 and 62: 122.McKey, 7: 232. For knowingly co
Page 63 and 64: 219.Wesley Frank Craven, The Coloni
Page 65 and 66: 298.McKey, 7: 73. 299.McKey, 8: 49.
Page 67 and 68: Appendix A: Timeline of Events in N
Page 69 and 70: Apr 20 verbal bargain with Mathew S
Page 71 and 72: 1692 Feb 19 Robert Watson’s estat
Page 73 and 74: 3) Henry Bradford of the Muster Per

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

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