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

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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 . * * * * * 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
to tender our Cause; that (if ye sd Teackle hath not appeared guilty to yor worpes before whome the matter hath bine brought to tryall of those crimes hee hath bine charged withall; Consideringe alsoe the Integritye of his former life and conversacon amongst us; which hath not bine any waye in ye least blemished since his Liveinge in this County (untill this reproache nowe put on him by Coll. Edm: Scarburgh.) Gods publiq worp maye bee noe longer Neglected, our Minister undervedly suspended (his office) Nor your peticoners uniustly deprived of the ordinances to the great dishoner of god and to ye most manifest discomfort and detriment of your peticoners and your petres shall praye: Wm Jones vice Comes Jno Pannell Tho: Benthall Jno. Custis Jno Hinman Nich: Granger William Smart Mary Cornelius Rich: Hudson Sampson Robins Thomas Harmanson Jno Edwards Elias Hartree Wm Ward George Bourer Xpofer Maior Wm. Gaskins Cornelius Corneliuson Tho: Selby Phill: Mathews Tho: Budd Michll Rickattes Symon ffoskue Nathll Bradford Jno Greene Allexander Maddockes Tho: Mashall Walter Price Jno Johnson James Barnaby Henry Vanse [name crossed out] Willm Robertes Jno Willyams Robert Burrel Wm Westerhowse Jno Smyth The matter had originally been referred to the General Court at James City. 30 Evidently Scarburgh must have been unable to prove his allegations, since on the occasion of this petition the county court sided with Nathaniel and the other petitioners and reinstated Teackle to his ministry. From this record it is apparent that Nathaniel was not only an Anglican, but one who was active in the affairs of the parish. Later in his life, Nathaniel maintained his close association with the church. When Henry Parke, minister of Accomack parish, died in 1687, his estate was sold at auction on Nathaniel’s plantation 31 and Nathaniel himself paid for his funeral 32 , circumstances which indicate a close association with the minister. Further evidence of Nathaniel’s religious life comes from the inventory of his estate, in which the appraisers found a large book of sermons. 33 * * * * * Nathaniel’s Marriage to Alice Smith - Move To Occahannock Wherever he may have resided in his earlier years on the shore, it is likely Nathaniel had seated his 400acre patent in Northampton by May 1659, as in that month he petitioned to have his land marked off from his neighbors so he could have a survey made 34 . By January 1660, Nathaniel had married Alice Smith 35 and in that month, after the death of her father Richard Smith, he inherited Richard’s 500 acre plantation at the head of Occahannock Creek: SMITH, RICHARD [R] – Undated / 30 Jan. 1659 – To my son-in-law Nathaniel Bradford the 500 A. plantation whereon I now live, the land to run[sic] for Alce Smith and her children. And if the said Alce dies without issue then the said plantation to Nathaniel during his lifetime and then to her [Alce’s] sister Susan Smith and her heirs. To my dau. Susan Smith 450 A. lying on the other side of the branch, one neck being called “James Davis’ Neck” and the other “King Tomes Neck”. To my dau. Susan the linen that was her mother’s. To my dau. Alce Smith my little boy William East. To my dau. Susan Smith my servant John Major. To Edward Martin who was my servant, his diet until next October. To John Gorthine 4 barrels of Indian corn. To my servant John Fisher one year of his time, and to the little boy William East one year of his time. To Alphonsoe Ballis 200#t. My son-in-law Nathaniel Bradford and William Thorn to assist my dau. Susan. Witt: William Thorn, Nathaniel Bradford, Alphonsoe Ballis – p. 57 {70} 36 Page 9 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: Nathaniel’s Early Years to Settle
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 and 36: 2800 acres. In that same year Natha
Page 37 and 38: household. A Thomas Williams was a
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
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early 1640s, Richard Smith Jr. is a
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122.McKey, 7: 232. For knowingly co
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219.Wesley Frank Craven, The Coloni
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298.McKey, 7: 73. 299.McKey, 8: 49.
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Appendix A: Timeline of Events in N
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Apr 20 verbal bargain with Mathew S
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1692 Feb 19 Robert Watson’s estat
Page 73 and 74:
3) Henry Bradford of the Muster Per
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1. Nathaniel Bradford of Accomack County, Virginia - Lower ...

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