John Howard, Percy, Frederic, John Henry, Benjamin, Thomas, Anthony, HENRY
My 6xGt.Grandfather Henry Bradley of Bradbourne, Derbyshire in the 18th Century.
Henry’s Will and Property Divisions
Henry died in October 1720 and I have a copy of his Will dated July 1720 in which provision is made for his Mother (Anis?) who was obviously living at the time.
‘I give unto my dearly beloved wife the disposal of one half part of all my household goods to be given amongst all my children as she thinks proper and convenient (excepting ur bed which I allow her to make choice of for her own use out of the whole and the other half I give to my executor.’ Henry leaves her 2 rooms in the home at Bradbourne. It appears he was a man of some property in the surrounding area and into Staffordshire, e.g. Mathfield (to son Henry), Hognaston, Turlowfield and Hallfield (to Joseph). Anthony appears to have been given £50 and John and Benjamin £200? The daughters were also looked after, Elizabeth, wife of William Greaves and monies of £40 and £60 resp. to their children Sara and William. To daughter Martha, wife of Thomas Buxton and their daughter Sara. Both Elizabeth and Martha their marriage portions being formerly paid to their husbands. To his own daughters Sara and Anise £150 each. £200 each to his sons John and Benjamin To his son Henry`s children Mary and John £5 each.
I have copies of various indentures regarding the transfer of some of these lands.
In an indenture dated 1725 concerning land at Mathfield, Staffs Henry (jnr) is ‘of Woodhead in the parish of Kniveton’, and also including George and Ann Bowers, Anne Mathon and Deborah and Eleanor Mathon.
In an indenture concerning land at Mathfield, Staffs. dated October 1727, Henry Bradley (jnr) is ‘of Woodhead, Kniveton’, and Anthony is ‘of Hallfield’.
Anis and Anthony Bradley
There is an archived document, an obligation, dated December 1689 wherein Anis Bradley and Henry Bradley are administrators for the late Anthony Bradley of Bradbourn (husband of Anis) who died intestate. The question is whether Henry is brother to Anthony or son of Anis and Anthony. The Obligation is that Anis and Henry ‘will faithfully and truly administer goods and chattels by paying his debts so far as you are bound by law…..’
November 12th 1689 – a true and just inventory of all the goods and chattels of Anthony Bradley of Bradbourne lately deceased taken by us who were appraisers of them the day and year above written
The deed goes on to detail e.g. 16 cows, 4 bullocks, 10 stirks, 4 swinter(?) bullocks, 9 calves, 3 mares and foals, 3 colts, 1 mare and 1 small horse, 47 sheep, hay and corn, 1 swine. In the dwelling house 3 tables one form pewter and brass, 2 spitts(?) 6 chairs. In the upper parlour nethor parlour and chambers 5 beds with furniture belonging to them. In the new chamber … 3 chests, linen, and husbandry ware(?) and lumber. The total sum of this is £113 05 00.
Henry’s Children
Henry,and Sarah (?) had 9 children:
Henry (eldest son according to his father`s Will dated 1720) married Mary Brough (daughter of Mr Samuel Brough Rector of Carsington)and had 3 children Mary (bp.Atlow 1716), John (bp. Atlow 1718-1721 Bradbourne) and Sarah (bp 1719 Atlow-1722 Bradbourne).
Elizabeth (bp Bradbourne 1693 -?) married William Greaves and had 2 children Sara and William.
Anthony (bp 1695 Bradbourne – 1760 Bradbourne) married Catherine Wittaker
Martha (bp 1697) married Thomas Buxton 1719 at Bradbourne.
Sarah (not 21 in 1720, – 1724 Bradbourne)
Joseph (not 21 in 1720, – 1772 or 4 Bradbourne) Yeoman, married Thomasin Beresford of Cold Eaton 6 January 1723 at Alsop en le Dale. Thomasin died 1768 at Bradbourne. 4 children, Henry (bp 1725 Bradbourne – 1784 at Bradbourne, of Ashbourne), Mary (bp 1727 Bradbourne – 1802 Bradbourne, of Ashbourne), Anthony (bp 1729 Bradbourne – 1811), a sister ? Anthony married Mary Shaw in 1763 and they had 12 children: Ann (m. John Cooke), Joseph, William, Anthony, Mary, Henry, Sarah, John, Elizabeth (m. John Hayne 1795 – they had a daughter Elizabeth Frances), Judith, Harriet and Samuel. Wills held for John, Judith and their Aunt Mary (spinster) (all of Shawbanks.)
Anice (not 21 in 1720) bur. 1727 Bradbourne)
John (not 21 in 1720) Val Mason, mentioned below, has recently come across interesting information for John. In the year 1722 John, son of Henry Bradley (who died 1720) of Bradbourne, is apprenticed as a Distiller to Peter Hood. Also an entry from the British History Online under the heading The Piazza: no. 1-4 (consec.) Little Piazza with 11 Russell Street. This was regarding a fire at No. 11 Russell Street, the premises of John Bradley, a distiller which John had occupied since 1732. In 1747 he also became the tenant of the corner portico building, which had a shop in the ground floor, and in 1750 he became the lessee of this and the adjoining portico building on the south. The fire broke out in Bradley`s distilling house, under apartments occupied by Richard Vincent, a musician. It spread to Bradley’s shop on the corner, to his house in Russell Street and to the house next door. In 1769-70 this area was rebuilt and building leases were granted to John and Joseph Bradley. No. 11 Russell Street and the shop on the ground floor of No. 1 Little Piazza were let to the Bradleys. Belatedly, they were forbidden to set up a still ‘to extract any spirituous liquor by means of fire’. The Joseph Bradley mentioned here is John’s nephew, son of Anthony and Catherine Bradley. Joseph was apprenticed to John in 1758 but the papers relating to this were burnt in the fire. We also have John’s Will made 24th March 1770 and proved 16th October 1770. John is stated as late of Russell Street, in the Parish of St. Paul Covent Garden within the City and liberty of Westminster, but now of Holborn, distiller within the City of London. John leaves his daughter Sarah, the wife of John Santer the sum of £800 and a diamond ring given to him by her late uncle John Buckworth deceased. To his good friend Anthony Blagrave, brother of his late wife the sum of £1000. To his brother The Reverend Mr Benjamin Bradley of Knoston near Oakham in Rutland the sum of £150. Also to his friend Richard Ashcroft 50 guineas and to Zachariah Foxall 5 guineas for a ring to wear in remembrance of me. The residue and remainder to be paid to his nephew Joseph Bradley now in partnership with him. Joseph and Anthony Blagrave to be executors. In a codicil he also gives to Anthony his post chaise and horses and to his servant William Gibbons the sum of 20 guineas.
John`s daughter Sarah (bapt. 1736) mentioned in his Will married John Santer 29th December 1755. Sarah was 19 and a minor. They went on to have at least 9 children.
Henry was first married to Jane Buckworth on 30 October 1735 (in the Clandestine marriage records?)at All Hallows, Lombard St. London. They had Sarah (1736) and John (1737). After Jane’s death (burial 1 November 1743 St Paul Covent Garden) he married Jane Blagrave on 24th November 1746. Second wife Jane died and was buried 2 October 1762 at St Paul Covent Garden. This Jane made a Will on 17th November 1757 bequeathing the £2000 of her marriage settlement to John her husband. The Will was proved on her death in 1762.
Benjamin (1707-1780)(not 21 in 1720 re his father`s Will) – according to the Greaves Family History, was vicar at Mayfield 1733-34. Also from the Cambridge Alumni: Coll. Emmanuel entered 1726. B. 1707 died 1780. School Merchant Taylors Matric 1726. BA 1729-30, MA 1737. V. of Mayfield Staffs 1733-5. R. of Knossington Leics. 1736, V. of Stapleford 1768-74. 1775 Poll Book Knossington Reverend Benjamin Bradley at the Rectory – lands and tythes Mr Rawarth and Wm Cooke. D. Sept. 17 1780 age 72. MI at Cold Orton. Additionally from the CCED, Rector Thornton-le-Moor 1774-81. There are 3 children recorded bapt. to Ben (!) and Ann in Knossington – Benjamin 1747, Thomas 1749 and John 1756. It is easy to presume that ‘Ben’ and Rev. Benjamin are one and the same. Did he move to Stapleford and then back to Knossington?
Joseph, Sarah, Anice, John and Benjamin were all mentioned in their father Henry`s Will in 1720 as being under the age of 21.
These photos very kindly given to me by Val Mason, current resident of Hallfields. Val is also keen to discover more about the Bradley family and is helping with the research as she is very much in the area and has found a lot of the above information!
Henry is also described as ‘of Woodhead, Kniveton’ in later legal documents.
Most of this information has been sourced from Derbyshire Record Office and the National Archives.