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

Bradford encourage ye boy Trafford and told him if he would be a good boy & please
me, being his mare was dead, he ye said Bradford would give him another mare." Ewell
afterward heard that Bradford had done as promised. Signed and sworn in open court 17
September 1691, by James (I) Ewell.”
- This William Trafford, described as “the boy” in the deposition of Henry Read, may have been the
son of the William Trafford mentioned in the 1673 will of John Fawsett, 197 the man who
purchased the Richard Smith land from Nathaniel. This same William Trafford, about 37 in
1674, 198 may have been the William Trafford who in 1677 was reimbursed along with Nathaniel
by Edward Hamond, a neighbor on Matchipungo creek, for securing a boat Hamond had found
whose owner was in question. 200
- The Mary Farrill who appears in the inventory of Nathaniel’s estate was likely the same Mary
Farrell who in 1687, as a servant to Nathaniel’s neighbor Arthur Robins, was given 25 lashes by
the court for the crime of fornication and bastard bearing. 201 Nathaniel must have purchased Mary
from Robins for the remainder of her indenture. Nathaniel’s son William inherited her and while
she was in William’s service she had yet another bastard, this time with the slave Spindolo, 202
likely the same person as that Sandela who is listed on Nathaniel’s 1672 patent. For this action,
she received 40 lashes. The child born to this union was named Thomas Ferrill and served William
Bradford until the age of 24, after which he disappears from Accomack court records.
Knowledge of another servant, employee, or lessee of Nathaniel’s comes from a court action of 1669, in
which an Edward Martin was fined for neglecting to clear the highways, but pled that it was the fault of
Nathaniel Bradford, with whom he lived, for not ordering him to do so. 203 This may have been the same
Edward Martin who appears as a headright of Nathaniel’s father-in-law Richard Smith 204 and who, as
Smith’s former servant, was given a legacy in Smith’s will. 205 Apparently Martin continued to live with
Richard Smith’s heirs for several years, at least until 1669, probably along with another of Richard Smith’s
servants, William East, whom Smith bequeathed to Alice. It is unclear what became of William East, but
by 1671 Edward Martin was out on his own, as he is listed as the head of his own household on the tax list
for that year. 206 Edward Martin has the dubious distinction of being an informant against what might be the
first theatrical production ever given in America, the 1665 play The Bear and the Cub 207
In 1684 or 1685, William Twiford received from Capt. Wm. Custis 1½ gallons of sturgeons oil and half a
bushel of peas which he delivered to “my Master Bradford.” 208 As Twiford appears as a head of household
on the tithable lists for 1684 and 1685, he was likely not a servant. His occupation was “feltmaker”, 209 and
Nathaniel may have employed him in that capacity for his shoemaking operation.
Richard Mason was probably a servant or employee of Nathaniel’s. He was living with Nathaniel in 1681
when the sheriff of Accomack attempted to take him into custody at Nathaniel’s house for a debt owed to
James Davis. 210
John Daniell was certainly a servant of Nathaniel’s. For a time in the early 1680s he looked after
Nathaniel’s plantation in Sussex County, Delaware. 211 Like Nathaniel’s servant John Reeves, he petitioned
for his freedom after Nathaniel tried to hold him to a longer term of service. 212
Though probably not a servant of Nathaniel’s, James Ewell lived on Nathaniel’s land for a time. 213 In 1678,
Nathaniel sued him for damage he had wrought to Nathaniel’s property while dwelling there. Arthur
Upshot and Wm. Nock were ordered to view the damages and found that Ewell had removed 18 apple
trees, and that his dwelling house was “damnified.” 214 Ewell was a brick mason, and probably had a hand in
building many public and private structures in 17 th century Accomack. 215 It’s possible Ewell rented land
from Nathaniel, though no record of a lease exists.
Nathaniel’s Slaves
In the course of his life, Nathaniel undoubtedly owned servants in addition to the ones enumerated above,
and had other dependants and employees. These are just the ones that appear as such in Accomack court
records. Nathaniel also owned slaves. In the inventory of his estate four were listed: Sambow and Judee,
each valued at 23 pounds; Bess, worth 5 pounds, and Spindelow, worth 18 pounds. 216 This Spindelow is
likely that Spinola who was listed on Nathaniel’s 1672 certificate of importation, and the same individual
as that Spindolo whose bastard child Nathaniel’s servant Mary Farrill bore following Nathaniel’s death.
Page 38 of 74 Copyright 2008 Adam M. Bradford