Abner Bradford - Any Relation??

Plymouth Colony

In researching our Bradford ancestors in Delaware, I have often come across an Abner Bradford for whom there is quite a bit of online information. He is, apparently, a direct descendant of the famous Governor Bradford of Plymouth Colony fame. However, I can find no tie-in to Abner via any of our Bradford relations ...yet!

Of course we know that the father and maternal grandfather of our Rebecca Bradford were both named Samuel Bradford. Her father has been ruled out as being related to Governor Bradford, this Samuel (and his brother James) being Scots-Irish, having come from Northern Ireland in the 1700's.

Of Rebecca's maternal grandfather, whom we affectionately refer to as Red Lion Sam in this blog, we know nothing of his origins. We only know that he was born around 1690 (place unknown), married "Margret" around 1710, and we learn from his will that he died on April 20, 1767, in Red Lyon/Lion, New Castle County, Delaware. The only children mentioned in the will were William, Sara (Rebecca's future mother), and Martha.  From land records, we know that Samuel owned a piece of land called “Dragon Swamp” located in Red Lion Hundred, New Castle County, Delaware.  And that is it.

We know nothing of this Samuel's parents or where he came from. However, if we ever do find a connection with the famous Governor Bradford of the Plymouth Colony, it would have to be through this Samuel Bradford.

Can we glean any clues about Samuel's life by studying the history of Abner Bradford?

Here is an interesting description of  young Abner, a Revolutionary War patriot, who enlisted soon after the Declaration of Independence:

Taken From A Delaware Military War Record

In addition to the above information, I have learned the following from other researchers:

• Abner Bradford was born 1758 in Brandywine Hundred, New Castle County, Delaware. Brandywine Hundred is right next door to Christiana Hundred where he enlisted (see above), and both are only about 10 miles north of Red Lion Hundred, where our Samuel lived.
• Abner died March 2, 2841, in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania
• His first wife was Rachel Baldwin.  She died and he had a second wife named Elizabeth (surname unknown to me).  He and Elizabeth lived for awhile in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania.
• He is thought to be the son of Abner Bradford (b. 1707 Kingston, Massachusetts) and Sarah Porter.
• That would make him grandson of Israel Bradford and Sarah Bartlett) whose father was Deputy Governor William Bradford, son of the famous Governor William Bradford.

While I have been unable to find a link to Abner, there are some interesting coincidences, the first being proximity.  Many of our Bradford's and Miller's lived in this region of Delaware, including our Abraham Miller (Rebecca's father-in-law) who owned property in Christiana Hundred (he is noted on a 1777 tax list of Christiana Hundred as having owned 13 acres there).

Secondly, descendants of Abner Bradford wound up in Adams County and Fayette County, Pennsylvania, just like many of our Bradford's did.

Still, I have found no direction connection between Abner Bradford and our Bradford's.

Additionally, because researching Bradford's is never straightforward or without confusion, a Rootsweb entry lists an Abner Bradford as being born in 1758 (a match), married to Rachel Baldwin (another match), having parents named Abner Bradford and Susannah Porter (close, but not quite a match), and that he was born in 1758 in Kingston, Plymouth County, Massachusetts (not even close to the Brandywine Hundred, Delaware as noted above)!

Brandywine Valley, Delaware

So as always, the mystery continues! Are we, as descendants of Rebecca Bradford Miller, or are we not, related to the famous Governor?? Only time and lots more research will tell.

NOTE:  If any descendants of Abner Bradford can throw any light on this question, we would love to hear from you!

Also, if any of you men can trace your surname line directly back to Red Lion Sam, a Bradford DNA test would be invaluable in solving this mystery (please see immediately preceding post).

Our Miller's and Bradford's Along the Elk

Elk Landing along Elk River
(Courtesy of http://www.elklanding.org/timeline.htm)

New research consistently attests that our Bradford's and Miller's were in the heart of Scots-Irish territory, just adding to the wealth of evidence that they were indeed from Ulster. Here is another example (search previous posts for their ties to the Elk River):

"A southern stronghold of Presbyterianism was in the neighborhood of Newcastle, Delaware. The narrow tongue of land between the upper shore of Chesapeake Bay and the Delaware River is shared by Maryland and Delaware. Maryland s portion includes the Elk River and is known as Cecil County. Delaware's portion is called Newcastle County, with Wilmington, its chief city, at the mouth of Christiana Creek. North of these two counties and across the Pennsylvania line are Lancaster and Chester counties (all known as Chester County from 1682 to 1729), extending from the Delaware River to the Susquehanna River. This territory, south a few miles from Philadelphia, became the mecca for Scotch emigrants from Ireland. These emigrants pushed up through Newcastle County to cross the Pennsylvania line, hoping to escape from Maryland and its tithes. Unfortunately at this very time the exact line of the boundary was in dispute between Lord Baltimore and the heirs of William Penn, and many of the settlers flocked in and preempted land in dispute, without obtaining right or title. To add to the confusion the Penn family were in a state of domestic discord, so that their agent James Logan allowed very few grants in any place after the year 1720. An exception was made however in the case of the Scotch Irish, people who, said Logan, "if kindly used, will I believe be orderly, as they have hitherto been, and easily dealt with; they will also, I expect, be a leading example to others. " These grants were made for a settlement which was called Donegal." (Source: http://www.lynx2ulster.com/ScotchIrishPioneers/014.php

Hitting Head On The Wall !!!

Old New Castle town, New Castle County, Delaware

Dear Readers,

Taking another break from the Abraham Miller/Holland series of posts in order to explain why I am hitting my head on the wall right now!

I spent a little time on the Mocavo Genealogy Search Engine looking for our William Miller this evening, and just came across this listing of New Castle County Delaware Marriages. Remember that land records indicate William lived in New Castle County when he was younger, and that many of the Miller's had land in that county as well as nearby Cecil County, Maryland. It seems that they moved back and forth between these very close-lying areas regularly.

If you peruse down the list, you will see seven William Miller's!! Granted, we can toss out the two who married in the 1840's and for good measure the one who married in 1820. That leaves four William Miller's living in the same general area and time period as our William, and whose land, court, military, etc. records we may have been incorrectly attributing to our William!

Arghhh !

Here is the record. Would really appreciate any input! - Donna

"DELAWARE GENEALOGY TRAILS"

NEW CASTLE COUNTY, DELAWARE MARRIAGES 1645-1899
FHL Film Number 0006414 to 0006422

Submitted by a Friend of Free Genealogy
This is a transcription of a transcription. You need to take the time to confirm ALL data for yourself!"

William Millar	Rhoda Heaton	24 May 1794
Richard Millason	Ann Millason	11 Feb 1789
David Millen	Margaret Kennedy	8 Nov 1787
Abraham Miller	Mary O'Neil	17 Sep 1828
Alexander Miller	Beats Turner	13 Jul 1752
Andrew Miller	Ann Silsbee	1 Jan 1789
Archibald Miller	Jane Boyd	4 Sep 1758
Benjamin Miller	Hannah Martin	30 Jul 1771
Frederick Miller	Catherine Graubein	6 Jun 1758
George Miller	Sarah Taylor	31 Dec 1801
George Miller	Susannah Bird	1 Jan 1744
Hannah Miller	Rachel Paulson	11 Oct 1756
James Miller	Jane Enkins	4 Feb 1768
James Miller	Mary Miller	1 Jan 1744
John Miller	Rebecca Reynolds	20 Feb 1809
John Miller	Eleanor Latimer	3 Jan 1788
John Miller	Margaret Scott	21 Jan 1813
John Miller		27 Mar 1772
John Miller	Anne Thompson	9 Sep 1754
Joseph Miller	Sarah Garland	11 Mar 1834
Joseph Miller	Margaret Sharp	15 Oct 1761
Joshua Miller	Sarah Davis	17 Jul 1799
Levi Miller	Mary Razell	27 Dec 1819
Levi Miller	Esther Ann Martin	25 Jan 1825
Martin Miller	Ann Justison	26 Sep 1832
Robert Miller	Ann Vance	2 Dec 1816
Robert Miller	Jane Eliza Burke	25 Jul 1835
Robert Miller	Ann Miller	28 Nov 1816
Samuel Miller	Elisabeth Smyth	26 Apr 1827
Tholly Miller	Mary MacFadden	19 Sep 1756
Thomas Miller	Lavinia Ann Townsend	14 May 1840
William Miller	Elizabeth Walker	1 Apr 1820
William Miller	Jean Magee	1 Jun 1746
William Miller	Sarah Hall	23 Jun 1759
William Miller	Hannah Hancy	31 May 1789
William Miller	Rebecca McMullen	31 May 1845
William Miller	Elizabeth Chamberlain	21 Oct 1796
William H. Miller	Eliza Tatem	1 Jan 1846

Dragon Swamp - Part 1

Marshlands of Delaware

Information on "Red Lion Sam," Rebecca Bradford Miller's grandfather on her mother's side, is sketchy, but we know he lived in Red Lion Hundred, New Castle County, Delaware (spelled Red Lyon in earlier times). Probably the oldest record we have of him is a land document dated November 29, 1740. (Can you imagine...Delaware was still a colony of Britain!).

It says: "William Carpenter and Neomy his wife to Samuel Bradford Red Lyon farmer—Whereas Henry Walraven late decd yeoman, to Jacob Calvert late decd laborer part of tract 600a [acres] in Red Lion Hd, Dragon Swamp. Jacob Calvert died intestate leaving issue only a certain Jacob Calvert of Appoquimink Hd. – Whereas Nicholas Meers Administrator, Town of New Castle mariner by order Orphans Court sold to Richard Drake 100a and Jacob Calvert by deed by 5-1740 to William Carpenter 113 acres—Now William Carpenter and Neomy his wife for sum L75 to Samuel Bradford."

Dragon Swamp--now that's a great name and I would love to know its origins! Scharf's History of Delaware makes brief mention of this area, explaining that it is located near Red Lion Creek and the Delaware River. This would apparently be the origin of the "Swamp" part of the name, as the area assuredly must have had soggy spots. But what about "Dragon"? Probably named in the 1600's by earlier settlers, what was it about this area that conjured up in these 17th century minds thoughts of dragons?

A clue to the name might be found in a Delaware Federal Writers' Project paper: "The Road Crosses Dragon Run, flowing east through the large Dragon Swamp to the Delaware River. This almost bottomless swamp harbors snapping turtles of great size; but the name probably was given it by reason of the proximity of it to the village of St. Georges, thus carrying out some wit's fancy to perpetuate the legend of St. George and the Dragon." [I personally adhere to the turtle theory!].

Oh, to be able to transport ourselves back in time and walk the land with the old gentleman! What did it look like? What did he grow? Was this a working plantation? At 113 acres, we can assume that Dragon Swamp wasn't just marshlands, but was indeed a working farm rich with fertile river-bottom soil and lush growth. Corn and tobacco were the important crops in that era. Many small streams, that have since filled with silt, did in early times flow easily into the Delaware River and were navigable with small boats, making the marketing of crops easier. At 113 acres, Dragon Swamp would have definitely been in the category of a small plantation (by Southern standards). Can we surmise, though, that for Red Lion Hundred this was a good sized farm? As ever, more research is needed. This might not have been his only holding, either. It was very common for planters of that era to have multiple land holdings not necessarily adjoining.

In the next post, we will learn more about Dragon Swamp and our ancestor, Samuel Bradford, who spent much of his life there.