Thursday, August 22, 2013

The Bradley Family
Giving them back their Name

Great Grandchildren of Arthur and Patience Bradley
Grandchildren of Howard and Rose Monroe Bradley
Children of James Howard Bradley, Sr., and his wife Ella Demyers

For awhile now, I have been researching the slaves owned by Peachy R Taliaferro of Copiah County, MS, who owned members of my paternal family. Peachy's 1852 inventory list did not group the slaves into family groups but they did attempt to keep parents and their young children together when they were allotted.

Along with other slaves, this group was allotted to Peachy's wife Sarah in 1858: ARTHUR $700, PATIENCE $600, SUSAN $500, HOWARD $200, JACK $900, POLLY ANN $500, ELICK (Alexander) $500. LUCINDA @ $1200 was allotted to Peachy's son Charles.

Elick was Alexander on Peachy's 1852 inventory list. Some southerns pronounce Alex as E-lick.

I went to the 1870 Copiah County census searching for Arthur, without a surname, to see if Arthur and Patience were found as a couple.

Bingo! ARTHUR and PATIENCE Bradley, in their 50s, were found with their children ELLIC, POLLIE, Thornton, and William, the last two born after the 1858 allotment. Living next door was HOWARD and his family and next door to him JACKSON and his wife. On the other side of Arthur were Robert and Lucinda Austin, also slaves of Taliaferro.

Per Lucinda's death certificate, she was also a Bradley. She was the daughter of Harrison Bradley and Patience.

I followed the families in 1880 and discovered in Robert Austin's household his brother-in-law Alex Bradley. Robert and Lucinda married shortly before or after the slaves were allotted because their first child was born about 1859, a daughter Ella. Robert and Lucinda named a daughter Patience. Both Robert and Lucinda were allotted to Peachy's son Charles.

Nothing in Peachy's documents identifies the relationship of the people who lived on his land. Death certificates, census records and circumstantial evidence links this family.

Photograph courtesy of Melvia Ella Cherry Dean
Ella Demyers is a paternal cousin

9 comments:

Kristin said...

Good research and a really touching post with the photograph and the prices. Just boggles my mind every time.

LindaRe said...

Thank you, Kristin. Profit by any means, still the American MO.

Anonymous said...

Great research! Genealogical research always feels so rewarding to me when new information resolves a mystery.

LindaRe said...

Discovery is rewarding, sometimes mingle with sadness.

Unknown said...
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Melvia said...

"Ella Demeyers Bradley was my grandmother. I am Melvia Ella Dean

LindaRe said...

Hi Melvia, I communicated with you through the Demyers Facebook Group. I am a Demyers' descendant through my paternal grandmother Gertrude Overton Durr.

Unknown said...

Hello LindaRe, you did a great job or you are doing a great job . My name is Allie Jeanette Nelson, Patience is my Great grandmother's sister and Patience father is Robert Austin my great, great grandfather. you have list information I didn't have, thank you

LindaRe said...

Hi Allie, you are welcome.