Captain Thomas Bradbury

Biography

Capt. Thomas Bradbury was born on February 28, 1610 in Wicken-Bonant, Essex, England and was baptized on February 28, 1611 in Wicken-Bonant, Essex. His parents were Wymond Bradbury and Elizabeth (Whitgift) Coles / Bradbury / Gil. He was a Gentleman.

Thomas married Mary (Perkins) Bradbury, Salem Witch Trials in May 1636 in Salisbury, Essex, Massachusetts, New England.

Together they had the following children:

Ann Bradbury;

Judith (Bradbury) Moody;

Jane (Bradbury) True;

John Bradbury;

Thomas Bradbury;

Mary (Bradbury) Stanyan;

Wymond Bradbury;

William Bradbury;

Jabez Bradbury;

Jacob Bradbury;

Elizabeth (Bradbury) Buss.

He died on March 16, 1695 in Salisbury, Essex, Massachusetts, New England and was buried in March 1695 in Essex, Massachusetts, United States.

In addition to constable, Thomas was a schoolmaster, town clerk, clerk of courts, Captain of the military company, a deputy to the General Court for seven years, and an Associate Justice.

Arrived at York, Maine in 1634, as agent or steward for Sir Ferdinando Gorges. One of the original proprietors of Salisbury in 1639, Freeman in 1640. Judge, Schoolmaster, Clerk of the writs, town clerk, Justice of the peace, deputy, county recorder and Captain.

He apparently owned no land at York and probably lived on Gorges Neck at Point Christian, occupying the Lord Proprietor's manor property there. He later removed to Salisbury in 1636 and remained there the rest of his life.

Thomas Bradbury was one of the most distinguished citizens of Salisbury; made a freeman there 13 May 1640 and on 10 Dec. 1641 he was appointed the first clerk of the writs, He is probably the "John" BRADBURY appointed constable in 1641. In Mar. 1648 he was appointed a "commissioner to end small causes" in Salisbury. In Mar. 1648 was appointed ensign of the train band at Salisbury. In 1651 he was chosen deputy to the General Court and again in 1651, '56, '57, '60 '61 and '66. Here he appears to have voted on the liberal side - in some instances, at least. In 1651 and 1652 he was commissioned to lay out the bound of Hampton, and he served on a similar committee to lay out a private grant to Emanuel DOWNING.

In May 1654 he was appointed a member of a special court to examine certain petitioners who prayed the General Court to restore Lieut. PIKE, he having been removed from office for some alleged refractory conduct. In October, the same year, and again in 1656, 1658 and 1659 he was appointed on various committees to settle differences concerning lands, to fix boundaries and to locate grants.

In May 1657, the law providing for commissioners for ending small causes having been repealed Mr. BRADBURY was commissioned to bind over offenders in criminal cases. That same year he was of a committee to inquire if ministers' widows and orphan children were properly provided for. May 1660 he was chosen to settle some difficulties at Portsmouth, requiring the intervention of the General Court. In 1666 he was of a committee to examine and report to the Legislature on the state of the defenses in and about Boston, constructed by Major General John LEVERETT.

In April 1668 he was appointed one of the Commissioners of Customs for Norfolk County. In 1675, '76, '77 and '79 he appears as one of the associate judges for Norfolk. Although Mr. BRADBURY'S term as clerk properly expired with the separation of New Hampshire from Massachusetts Bay in Feb. 1680 he still acted as recorder or clerk up to July 8 1681 (Norfolk County Records in Registry of Deeds and Clerk' s Office, Salem), and he appears to have kept the records even before his appointment. These he may have completed from the memoranda of his predecessor. In addition to the duties already enumerated he's found acting as captain of a military company at Salisbury, and in 1686 on the committee with APPLETON and GERRISH "to take account of births and deaths."

To crown all, he was, of course, licensed as an innkeeper or retailer, He was an easy, legible and industrious penman (his signature is shown here), and evidently a man of sound judgment and more than ordinary ability. He was sometimes called "Judge" in Salisbury.

July 28: 1692, Concerning my beloved wife, Mary Bradbury, this is what I have to say: We have been married fifty-five years, and she hath been a loving and faithful wife to me. Unto this day she hath been wonderfully laborious, diligent and industrious, in her place and employment about the bringing up of our family (which hath been eleven children of our own and four grandchildren) she was both prudent and provident, of a cheerful spirit, liberal and charitable. She being now very aged and grieved under her affliction, may not be able to speak much for herself, not being so free of speech as some others may be. I hope her life and conversation have been such among her neighbors as gives a better and more real testimony of her than can be expressed by words. Tho. Bradbury."

from: http://books.google.com/books?id=UfIffx05f0QC&lpg=PA611&ots=7g3HlsY...

"Thomas Bradbury, son of Wymond Bradbury (7), was baptized at Wicken Bonant, Essex county, England. February 28. [610-11. Early in 1634 he appeared in Agamenticus. now York, Maine, as the agent or steward of Sir Ferdinando Gorges, the proprietor of the Province of Maine. Bradbury was one of the original proprietors of the town of Salisbury, Massachusetts; one of its earliest settlers and a foremost citizen for more than a half century. He was admitted a freeman May 13, 1640; was at various times school master, town clerk, justice of the peace, deputy to the. general court, in 1651-57-60-61-66; clerk of the writs in 1641. and for years afterward county recorder, associate judge and captain of the military company. He wrote an easy, graceful, legible hand, as shown by the records he kept.

He died March 16. 1694-05. His will dated February 14, 1693-94. proved March 26, 1695. He married Mary Perkins, daughter of John and Judith Perkins, of Ipswich. Her father was born in Gloucestershire, England, in 1590: came to America in 1631; has a numerous and distinguished posterity, especially in Essex county. Massachusetts. Mrs. Bradbury in her old age was tried for witchcraft and convicted July 28. 1692. The evidence in her defense is a fine testimonial to a worthy life. Her husband's testimony was: "We have been married fifty-five years, and she has been a loving and faithful wife unto me unto this day. She hath been wonderful laborious, diligent and industrious in her place and employment about the bringing up of our family which have been eleven children and four grandchildren. She was both prudent and provident, of a cheerful spirit, liberal and charitable. She being now very aged and weak, and grieved under afflictions, may not be able to speak much for herself, not being so free of speech as some others might be. I hope her life and conversation among her neighbors has been such as gives a better or more real testimony than can be expressed by words." One hundred and eighteen of her friends signed a statement commending her good character: "she was a lover of the ministry in all appearance, and a diligent attender upon God's holy ordinances, being of a courteous and peaceable disposition and carriage, neither did any of us (some of whom have lived in the town with her above fifty years) ever hear or know that she had any difference or falling out with any of her neighbors, man woman or child, but was always ready to do for them what lay in her power, night and day, though with hazard of her health and other danger."

Rev. James Allen, her pastor, said: "I having lived nine years at Salisbury, in the work of the ministry and now four years in the office of pastor, to my best notice and observation of Mrs. Bradbury, she hath lived according to the rules of the Gospel amongst us; was a constant attender upon the ministry of the word, and all the ordinances of the gospel full of works of charity and mercy to the sick and poor; neither have I seen or heard anything of her unbecoming the profession of the gospel." The evidence against her was as scant as it was nonsensical. Mrs. Bradbury was defended by Major Robert Pike. She was convicted with four others who were hanged in September, 1692. Mrs. Bradbury's execution was postponed, why we know not, but the delusion passed and her life was spared.

Children:

1. Wymond, born April 1. 1637, mentioned below.

2. Judith, born October 2, 1638. married, October 9. 1665, Caleb Moody. of Newbury.

3. Thomas, born January 28, 1641.

4. Mary, born March 17. 1643, married, December 17, 1663, John Stanvan. of Hampton. New Hampshire.

5. Jane, born May 11, 1645. married. March 15, 1668. Henry True.

6. Jacob, born June 17, 1647, died at Barbadoes unmarried.

7. William, born September 15, 1649, married, March 12, 1676, Rebecca Maverick, nee Wheelwright.

8. Elizabeth, born November 7. 1651. married May 12, 1673, John Buss, of Durham. New Hampshire.

9. John, born April 20. 1654; died unmarried, November 24. 1678.

10. Ann, born April 16, 1656, died 1659.

11. Jabez, born June 27, 1658, died April 28, 1677."

• Marriage to Mary Perkins: (May 1636 — Age: 26) Salisbury, Essex, Massachusetts, USA
• Burial: Salisbury, Essex County, Massachusetts, USA
  • Updated from Ancestry Genealogy via daughter Judith Bradbury by SmartCopy: Nov 29 2015, 1:59:21 UTC

http://ma-vitalrecords.org/MA/Essex/Salisbury/aDeathsB.shtml "(BRADBURY (Bredbury)) Thomas, Capt., Mar. 16, 1694-5. NCTBK" Note - "NCTBK" is the 'old' Norfolk County Court Book.

Captain Thomas Bradbury was an agent of Sir Ferdinando Gorges in 1636, and who was admitted a freeman at Salisbury in 1639. (Source: History of Kennebunk Port).