Person:Philemon Bradford (1)

PHILEMON & MARY ( ) BRADFORD Philemon (pronounced Phil EE mon) was the third and youngest sonof Richard II and Anna Bradford. He was born about 1703 inCharles City County, Virginia, where five generations of hisancestors had lived. He lived on the family plantation untiladulthood; but, after both parents died in 1724, the brotherssold the family property and went their separate ways.Philemon's portion of the land was 470 acres, which he sold in1726. He remained in Charles City County at least until 1737,when he was reportedly fined five pounds for not attendingchurch. After leaving Charles City County Philemon may havejoined his brother Richard in Caroline County, Virginia, or,more likely, his brother Thomas in Edgecombe, North Carolina. 1

The next record I have found for Philemon is in 1742/43, when heacquired land in Edgecombe County, North Carolina, in theportion that later became Granville County. He spent the rest ofhis life there as a farmer and a land speculator. Land recordsthat I have seen show that in a twenty-year period Philemonacquired more than 6,000 acres and sold more than 2,500 (some ofit to his sons).

LAND in Edgecombe Co NC 2 1742/3 DB 3 p 65 Granted 600 acres1744/45 DB 5 p 374 Granted 400 acres & sold it the same day 1746 DB 3 p 65 Sold 300 acres 1748/49 DB 3 p 374 Sold 100 acres 1758 A deed describes landadjoining Philemon BRADFORD's (Other BRADFORDs in Edgecombe Co.,Nathaniel (d 1756) & his son John) LAND in Granville Co NC acres 3 1746-51 DB A 236 From Granville 296 From Chas. BRADFORD 1756-69 DB C 110 From Granville 539 ToPhilamon BRADFORD, Jr. 625 From Granville DB D 291 From Granville 436 From Granville DB E 40 To ThomasBRADFORD 41 From BULLACK 469 From Granville DB F 441 From Rich'd BRADFORD DB G 75/82 From Granville DB H 100 From Granville (Some of these might be Philemon, Jr.)

TAX LISTS for Granville Co., NC 1750 Philloman 2 polls 4 1762 Philemon 1 white (males 16 & over)& 3 blacks 5 (Also sons Thomas, Richard & Philemon, Jr.) 1769 Philemon 3 white (males 16 & over) & 4 blacks 6 (AlsoRichard & Philemon, Jr) 1771 Mary 6 taxables (white males over 16 & slaves over 12) 6 (Also Thomas, Richard, Philemon, Jr. & John) 1780 Mary Total valuation in pounds 7,359 6 (Also Thomas,Thomas, Jr.,Richard, Capt. Philemon, Philemon, Jr., John,David,) 1782 Mary Valuation in pounds 526, acres 430, slaves 6 6 (AlsoCapt. Thomas, Philemon, Philemon, Jr., David, David, Jr., Booker)

Philemon's farming, in addition to feeding his own family, mayhave produced cash crops of tobacco, livestock, fruit, corn andwheat. Because of the lack of actual cash in the colonies,tobacco was frequently used as the medium of exchange for thepayment of county and parish taxes and for the purchase ofsupplies and equipment, including products imported fromEngland. Tax lists show that Philemon had slaves; he passedeleven slaves to his wife and children in his will.

Philemon may have been married more than once; some researcherssay three times. Mary, who was named in his will, survived himfor at least twelve years. It seems possible that she may havebeen the mother of John and David, but not of the other fivechildren; there is a thirteen-year span of time between childnumbers 5 and 6. If Mary was the mother of John & David, theywere probably married about 1750. page 91 1

David T. Bradford suggests that Philemon was married in Virginiato a woman named BIRD or BYRD. He further says that otherresearchers believe that the second wife was Mary PARKER,daughter of Johathan and Ann (COPELAND) PARKER. Providingpossible support for that thesis is the fact that two of thewitnesses to Philemon's will were Joseph and Mary PARKER.

An abstract of Philemon's will, dated 25 Aug 1769 and proven Jan1770 in Granville Co., NC court: page 106 1 "After debts and funeral expenses, Philemon left five pounds each to his daughters Elizabeth HUDSPETH and Mary WHITE, and to his sons Thomas and Richard. To his wife, Mary, he left the plantation where I live, fourmale and three female slaves, and all stock and household goodsuntil she either died or remarried. To his son John he left all that tract of land I purchased of myson Thomas on each side of Fort Creek containing four hundredacres more or less as well as, at his mother's death, threenamed slaves, all cattle he was keeping at William Parnals,three cows and calves, six sows and pigs, two beds and furniture-- all of which was to be divided among Philemon's otherchildren if John died childless. Philemon's son David was to inherit, on his mother's death orremarriage, the 400 acres whereon I live, which was described asbeing on Poplar Branch, and another thirty acres Philemon hadpurchased from his son Thomas, along with four slaves, six cowsand calves, two beds and furniture -- all of which was to bedivided among David's living siblings if he should die under ageor before marriage.? Executors: Wife Mary and sons Thomas and Philemon. Witnesses: Joseph and Mary PARKER, James HEFLIN, and ChristopherPARNAL. Proven in open court upon the oaths of Joseph PARKER and JamesHEFLIN, with wife Mary as executrix and his son Thomas asexecutor.

Note that the two youngest sons, who were about 18 and 15 yearsold were to receive the bulk of the estate. Four of the olderchildren received token legacies, and son Philemon, Jr. is notmentioned at all, even though he was living in Granville Countyat the time.

SOURCES 1 THE BRADFORDs OF CHARLES CITY COUNTY, VIRGINIA, 1994, David T.Bradford, Pages 75 & 90 to 108 2 Edgecombe Co NC Deed Books 1-6 (1754-1758) LDS Microfiche#6019508 3 Granville Co NC Index to Deeds (1746-1874) LDS Film #0306113 4 North Carolina Genealogical Society Journal 1982, p 30 5 Ibid Feb 1987, p 27 6 Granville Co NC Tax Lists, Film #V131-0010 (1769/ 71/ 80/ 82/85/ 86/ 96/ 97/ 98)

24 May 1994 Prepared by LaVere Peters 29 Jan 1996 Added David Bradford info 15 Aug 2003 To PAF