From An Expert on Delmarva Bradfords

Delmarva Forestlands

(photo courtesy of http://www.delsjourney.com)

I am happy to share an email from Adam Bradford, one of the foremost authorities on Delmarva [Delaware, Maryland and Virginia] Bradford genealogies, and one who has spear-headed the Bradford DNA project. The email provides some extremely interesting links that I highly advise exploring.

Thanks Adam!

Thanks, Donna.  The website link you provided, [http://delmarvabradfords.com/dna/results.php]is my website, and it also displays the results from the DNA project.  I have intensely studied all the Bradford families of the lower Delmarva, including my own, and that's the main focus of the site.  

This is a summary of the available evidence on my own earliest known ancestor: http://www.delmarvabradfords.com/docs/Bradford.Worcester.Samuel.William.pdf.  

A couple years ago I wrote a little something on the search for my Samuel's origins:http://www.delmarvabradfords.com/docs/Bradford.Worcester.Samuel.origins.pdf.   This document is way out of date at this point, and needs to be updated.  At the time I wrote it, I theorized that the Whiskey Rebellion Bradfords might be related, because they are Scots-Irish.  Subsequently, a few representatives from their lines had their DNA tested and my hypothesis was confirmed.  Right now we have several independent Bradford lineages that we know share a common heritage based on DNA evidence. All these Bradford lineages are also quite closely related to the Braidwood family of Scotland.  Our best guess is that a branch of Braidwoods (or possibly Bradfutes, who lived nearby in Scotland) went to Ireland during the plantation of Ulster, where their surname became Anglicized to Bradford.  Then, representatives of this Irish branch of Braidwood/Bradfute came to America, whether at once or in separate migrations, it's hard to tell.