A Letter That May Have Been Written By Rebecca's Mother!

Dunbar Creek in Fayette County, Ohio

While recently looking at Sarah Bradford's FamilySearch page (#KLBC-1NN), in the Notes section at the bottom, I noticed an item I had never seen before--a letter purported to be written by Sarah Bradford herself!

The Latest Changes box at the bottom revealed that one of two persons might have entered the letter.  On contacting them, neither had, one person figured it might have been entered by Family-Search in 2013.  

The letter seems to be authentic and seems to be written by Rebecca's mother, Sarah Bradford, the daughter of "Red Lion Sam" (see previous posts).  Here is the letter, including a note by a fellow Bradford researcher:

"Note: This letter written by Sara to son David who was living in the Ohio wilderness in 1809 expressing her feelings at being so far separated and so little able to communicate with a loved one. The concern she expresses with the health of her family and his must also be regarded in the context of that day when medical science was little able to help those caught in epidemics or victims of injury. This letter was read by descendants of Sarah Bradford in Iowa on Thanksgiving Day 1909, 100 years after it was written."

"Dear Son:

I received your letter by Mr. Black and likewise your gratitude enclosed with great satisfaction. That you are so mindfull to your duty to your mother in her old age, whose necesses (sic) seem shorter than formerly, but never have suffered yet, thanks be to God for His mercies. I wish to thank God for His mercies for sustaining me so long with so small a store. I have no reason to complain of my health considering my age being now past my 74th year, but feeling strength fast failing, scarcely able to walk up from the river without resting three lof four times, but if it is God's will to prepare me for a better world before I be much burden to myself or relatives. but let God's will be done.

"You have often encouraged my seeing you once more, but I have little hopes of seeing you in this world, but that is a small matter if we have well grounded hope of meeting in a better world.

"Dear son, when I think of your great incumberances in this world, it may be a means of depriving you of a better. I often remember you and yours in my private duty to God. But that will llittle avail without living in thfe duty yourself, which I hope you will remember - as the things of this world are fading as you may easily see. Your relatives here are in a tolerable state of health. At present our neighbors are healthy. I had a letter from your old aunt, my sisfter, lately, which is yet alive and three of her family, her second son, oldest daughter - and second daughter, her oldest son being dead some years ago, and likewise you uncle's son who left a widow and five children. Sammy Allen left a widow and one daughter. I understand my sister's second daughter married very well, a man of good credit and good estate. A man now living in Mrs. Crawford's old dwelling was over the mountains this winter and brought us accounts of our friends and old neigdhbors we left there is dead, and likewise Adam Wallace died last fall and Benjiman Miller died some years ago.

"Dear Son, we have all great reason to prepare for death. We have had many sudden deaths in our neighborhood this winter, which was very alarming, none very near but some children.

"We hear a great complaint of the scarcity of money with you and we have the same complaint with us; the markets first stopted by the embargo and now by the rum exportation act. I had an account from your brother Billy about three weeks ago by James Parkison (sic), that they were all well at that time. I have not seen Billy since he came from the Orleans which was four (?) ago but I hear he is much busied in providing for the things of this world , but I would wish, if I had the opportunity, to provide for a better world. James Parkison informed us that his sister Patty is married to a gentleman the name Benjiman Coulter who is going or is gone to your part of the country, and I understand but a few miles distant from you.

"Dear son, you informed me of your little son, that he excels in activity superior to any of his age. I wish you much joy and comfort of him, and likewise the rest of your dear family. But I would wish you not to set you affection too much upon him. I have often seen and heard of great disappointment in great expectations. No more, but remains your loving mother. But a good wish to you dear family.
Sarah Bradford
April 24th 1809"

"David Bradford

I wish you would write every opportunity."

Though we don't yet know if it's authentic since no source is given, if it is real, there are many items in the letter which point to it being written by our Sarah Bradford.  Here is a list I made up quickly showing some obvious similarities:

• It's written to a David, so that could be her son. 
• "...past my 74th year" coordinates with her birth year of around 1735.
• She mentions walking up from the river.  Land records indicate the Miller-Bradford families lived either near the Youghigheny River, or along one of its tributaries such as Dunbar Creek
• She mentions "your relatives here..." which would fit as daughter, Rebecca and son-in-law William Miller, lived nearby.
• The mention of only one aunt would fit with what we know of the children of Red Lion Sam who had only two daughters, Sarah and Martha. This is interesting, as it would be the first time there has been any mention of Martha since the will of Red Lion Sam.  Sadly, if this is Martha, the only thing it tells us is that she was alive in 1809.  Sadly, names of her husband, children and other family members are not mentioned.
• Sarah talks about a Sammie Allen and while I don't know of a Sammie off hand, William and Rebecca's daughter, also named Rebecca, married into the Allen family.
• I've often seen Wallace's (and Wallis') living near Bradford's and Miller's in Maryland.  I don't remember any marriages, but will have to research this further.
• Benjamin Miller, is, I believe, either a brother or uncle of William Miller, Sarah's son-in-law.
• She mentions "Jimmie" which could be her son James.
• "Billy" could be son William who had been associated with the Parkinson's since he married a daughter and since the Whiskey Rebellion.  
• That he (Billy) was, according to Sarah, "much busied with providing for the things of this world" goes along with the following quotation from my research database:    

"Apparently William did not do too badly for himself, either. According to a biography of William Bradford found in “The Holmes Tree” by Charles A. Noel, (1983), William moved to a neighboring county where he lived for several years. There he married Margaret Parkinson in 1799. Eventually the couple moved to Brooke County, West Virginia.  They built a flat boat in 1816 and moved downriver to an area now known as Manchester, Ohio, and purchased a farm about four miles up river from Aberdeen, Brown County, Ohio, where they built a brick house in 1822. Sometime in the 1840's they moved to Maysville, Mason County, Kentucky, which is across the and only 20 miles away from where his brother, David Bradford, lived in West Union, Adams County, Ohio. Apparently  William Bradford, like his brother, was the owner two slaves, but again, like his brother, he freed both of them when the Civil War began. 

"A great nephew wrote: “William Bradford, was a large landowner in Braden County, Ohio [needs more research; no such county], was esteemed quite rich for those times, lived in Kentucky, and loaned his money in Ohio. I occasionally saw him an old man, leaning upon the top of his staff." (Source: Notes from “The Town As It Was In Olden Time” by Rev. D.G. Bradford; Jefferson College Historical Society, Cannonsburg, PA)."

Of course this article about David includes a time period beyond 1809 (the date of the letter), but suggests that David may have always pursued wealth energetically.  

Still, there seems to be quite a bit of evidence to suggest that this letter was written by our Sarah Bradford.

If anyone knows the origin and authenticity of this letter, please email me at:  sniders6@gmail.com

Any information will be very much appreciated.  Thank you!
Donna S.

Maysville, Kentucky where William Bradford, son of Sarah, lived