Along The Dragon

Land Record mentioning Samuel Bradford of Red Lyon Hundred

Above is a portion of a 1740  New Castle County, Delaware land record which mentions "Red Lion Sam" (Samuel Bradford, the maternal grandfather of our Rebecca Bradford Miller).  You can see the "Saml. Bradford" mentioned at the beginning of the 6th line down.  This is the document mentioned in a previous post wherein William Carpenter and his wife sell 113 acres in the Dragon Swamp area to our Samuel. While this doesn't help us "break through the brick wall" and move a generation further back, it is very interesting to see these centuries old documents naming our very own ancestors!

For furthers discussions about Samuel and this interesting piece of land, just put "Dragon Swamp" in the search box to the right.

If anyone would like the full land record, it's in Ancestry or you can email me at the address in the right-hand column.

An Evening Ride Along the Dragon

Where Did Red Lion Sam Come From??

Worcester County, MD

As you may know, we have hit a "brick wall" with "Red Lion Sam" - Samuel Bradford, maternal grandfather of our Rebecca Bradford and cannot locate the names of his parents or where he is from.

Here is information about some Miller's and Bradford's extracted from Worcester County, Maryland 1783 Tax Assessment records.  We need to investigate these clues to see if they contain any connection with our Red Lion Sam.

Though he died in 1767, perhaps his family of origin is the same as one of the persons listed below. If any of us do research on these clues, let's share our findings with everyone via this blog or the email listed to the right. Thanks!

http://msa.maryland.gov/msa/stagser/s1400/s1437/html/1437wo.html

Maryland State Archives

MARYLAND INDEXES
(Assessment of 1783, Index)
1783
Worcester County
MSA S 1437

Isabella Miller. Enlargement, pt, 110 acres. WO Buckingham and Worcester p. 9. MSA S1161-11-7. 1/4/5/54
John Miller. Troy Town[??], 169 acres. WO Buckingham and Worcester p. 8. MSA S1161-11-7. 1/4/5/54
John Miller. Partners Content, 500 acres. WO Buckingham and Worcester p. 8. MSA S1161-11-7. 1/4/5/54
Elisha Bradford. WO Buckingham and Worcester p. 1. MSA S1161-11-7. 1/4/5/54
Isaac Bradford. Saint Martins Desart, pt, 48 acres. WO Buckingham and Worcester p. 2. MSA S1161-11-7. 1/4/5/54
James Bradford. WO Queponco p. 1. MSA S1161-11-11. 1/4/5/54
John Bradford. Golden Neck, 50 acres. WO Buckingham and Worcester p. 13. MSA S1161-11-7. 1/4/5/54
Levin Bradford. WO Buckingham and Worcester p. 2. MSA S1161-11-7. 1/4/5/54
Samuel Bradford. Mulberry Grove, pt, 145 acres. WO Boquetenorton p. 1. MSA S1161-11-6. 1/4/5/54
Samuel Bradford. Morris' Security, 146 acres. WO Boquetenorton p. 1. MSA S1161-11-6. 1/4/5/54
Samuel Bradford. Truitts Harbour, 100 acres. WO Boquetenorton p. 1. MSA S1161-11-6. 1/4/5/54
Solomon Bradford. Solomons Purchase, 112 acres. WO Queponco p. 1. MSA S1161-11-11. 1/4/5/54

Solomon Bradford. Sandhill, 61 acres. WO Queponco p. 1. MSA S1161-11-11. 1/4/5/54

How Our Ulster Ancestors Named Their Land In America Could Provide Invaluable Clues!

In this interesting online article, two names of interest to our family history pop up - one a person and one a place:

Ulster Names on the Land

When land was patented in Maryland with a deed to the original owner, he gave his property a name. Many names are prosaic. Robert King, Gentleman, one of these Ulster Scots, called his 300 acres "Kingsland." Others preferred a memory of home. Wallaces had "Castle Finn," "Kirkminster" and "Camp." Caldwells called their tracts "Ballybuggin," "Desert" and "Clonlett." The Polks used "Ballendret," "Raphoe," "Moanen" and "Denegall" as well as "Polk’s Folly." Ninian Dunlap chose "Monyn." The Owens family used "Ballyshannon" and the Alexanders "Rapho." These emigrant families settled in Manokin Hundred of Somerset County together with McKnitt and Strawbridge families and others. Many of the names they gave their new homes are from townlands near Lifford. Magdalen Polk, wife of Robert Polk, for instance, inherited the townland of Moneen in the parish of Clonleigh (Lifford), Co. Donegal and left it in her will to one of their sons. The Polks were ancestors of U.S. President James K. Polk.

SOURCE:  http://www.ulstervirginia.com/migrationfromulster.asp

Ninian Dunlap is William Miller's grandfather's father-in-law (so if you're from my generation, Ninian is your 5th great-grandfather!

The place name of Lifford is the area in Northern Ireland where our Miller's hailed from.

This entire article is very interesting and very pertinent to our ancestry, and I encourage you to read it (see link above).