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

Stephen Charlton
The only mention of Nathaniel’s 1658 patent and the resulting 1661 grant comes in the record of his later
sale of the same land on 18 August 1663 21 . Where Nathaniel resided before settling this land is as much a
mystery as his origin, although a clue to both might be found in Nathaniel’s earlier appearances in the
records of the county. Nathaniel’s first mention in the court records came on 27 October 1654, as a witness
to Stephen Charlton’s gift of land, livestock and slaves to his daughter Elizabeth 22 . By March of the
following year Charlton had passed away, and Charlton’s executor paid Nathaniel 1046 lbs tobacco “for
payment of tobacoes and other charges” out of the account of the estate Charlton left to his daughters,
Bridget and Elizabeth 23 . In 1658, Nathaniel again appears in the records of Northampton as a bondsman to
Charlton’s widow Ann in the matter of the account of the orphan Bridget:
“This day Nathan l Bradford pett sd to y e Court to have his Bond delivered him in w ch bond him
Selfe and John West past w th M rs Ann Charlton to M r W m Jones the then high sherrife y t M rs Ann
Charlton widow should posecute an apeale granted her from North County Court to the then
Ensuinge qrter Court to bee houlden at James Citty w ch Court was adiouned and y e next and y e
next Court no pcecutions Its therefore y e Judgm t of y e Court y t hee have his Bond delivered him in
hee paying Maior W m Waters Guardian to Bridgett and Elizabeth Charlton for her Use five
hundred lb of Tobacco & Caske w ch was y e Said Waters his Chargs by him disbursed in y e pmises;
as y t John West Sonn to M rs Ann Charlton by his Consent bee ord d to repay y e Said Nath l Bradford
y e Moyetie of 500 lb of Tobacco & Caske & also of what other Charges to y e Sherrife and Clarke
doth accrue/.” 24
Stephen Charlton was one of the leading citizens of Northampton County. He was a signer of the
Northampton Protest, a member of the first vestry of Northampton, frequently a Justice, and twice a
Burgess, as well as the owner of large tracts of land in the county and a merchant with contacts throughout
the Atlantic world. Charlton’s widow Ann, his third wife, was also the widow of Anthony West 25 . Ann’s
son John West, a party to the above bond, himself went on to become one of the political leaders of the
eastern shore. What Nathaniel’s connection with Charlton may have been is unclear. Perhaps Nathaniel was
a relative, friend, or neighbor of Charlton’s, more probably a lessee or a dependant of some kind, such as a
servant or an employee. Nathaniel’s connection to Charlton may have come through Charlton’s wife Ann
and her son John West. In addition to entering into the above bond with Nathaniel, John West later
witnessed Nathaniel and Alice’s sale of their plantation at Occahannock 26 as well as Nathaniel’s gift of land
on the same day to his son Nathaniel, Jr 27 .
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Teackle Petition
Apart from his early association with Stephen Charlton, the only other record of
Nathaniel before 1658 comes in June 1656, when he appears as a subscriber to a
petition for the reinstatement of Reverend Thomas Teackle to the ministry of
Nuswattox parish. Teackle had previously petitioned the court for reparations since he
“doth lye under severall reproaches and Callumnies undeservedly cast upon [him] by
Collonel Edmund Scarburgh as concerneinge an Act of fornicacon with [Scarburgh’s]
wife, and attemptinge to take away his life by poyson; All which [Scarburgh] hath not
only privately instilled into several peoples’ eares, But allso publicly to his discredit
and Diffamacon blareth abroad to common conserne Although he hath never beene able
to prove any of those things against him.” 28
A month after Teackle’s petition, 35 of his parishioners, including Nathaniel Bradford, filed their own
petition with the court to have the Reverend reinstated to his ministry. 29
“To the Worth Comissioners of Northampton County nowe Assembled in Court att Hungeres
most humbly sheweth the Humble peticon of ye In Habitantes of Nuswattockes pish. That whereas
Mr. Thomas Teackle Clarke by by (sic) reason of some scandalous reports raysed of him Collonll
Edm. Scarburgh, hath bine dismissed to officiate as hee ought & is bound unto by Engagement
with us in ye worke of ye Ministrey. (To your peticioners great discomfort and detriment) Your
peticoners thereforedoth Humbly crave, That yo'r worpes would bee pleased in Justice as it ought
Page 8 of 74 Copyright 2008 Adam M. Bradford