Whittington families » Joshua BRADFORD (1710-1758)

Personal data Joshua BRADFORD 


Household of Joshua BRADFORD

He is married to Hannah BRADFORD (BRADFORD).

They got married on February 17, 1736 at Kingston, Massachusetts, he was 25 years old.

CHAN: NOTE 13:25

Child(ren):

  6. Joshua (Jun) BRADFORD  1746-1827 
  8. Joseph (Sen) BRADFORD  1751-1811 
  10. Elisha (Sen) BRADFORD  1755-1833 


Notes about Joshua BRADFORD

Joseph and Hannah were second Cousins.

All this retun to genealogy interest was prompted by an idea I have to write an account in story form for my 10 yr. old granddaughter of our ancestor, Melatiah Bradford (later Churchill), who survived an Indian attack on her family at Friendship, ME in 1758.

It was part of the Massachusetts colony at that time.

Story is that on 22 May 1758, most of the families were holed up at the nearby garrison, but Melatiah's parents, «b»Joshua«/b» and Hannah, were killed and scalped as was a baby brother, Winslow.

She hid under a bed with another small brother, Elisha, but he cried out and she ran to the fort carrying Elisha.

An Indian threw his tomahawk which hit her in the back severing tworibs.

She survived...of course!

Her older brothers were captured and taken to Canada but later escaped.

Melatiah, her twin, Mary, and another sister were sent to an aunt's in Plympton, MA. Melatiah moved to Vermont with her husband, Isaac Churchill, and 10 children in 1785. Their son, Winslow Churchill, is the grandfather of Nettie Clarke. Stuff fiction is made of,huh?

But all true and makes a great story.

Will let you know of my progress, if any, with this project...by Barbara Syme.

ID: I6377

Name: Joshua (Killed by Indians) Bradford

Sex: M

Birth: 1710 in Plymouth, Plymouth Co., MA

Death: 22 MAY 1758 in Killed and scalped by Indians, Meduncook (Friendship), ME

Note:

GREAT GRANDSON OF MAYFLOWER PASSENGER GOVERNOR WILLIAM BRADFORD

GREAT GREAT GRANDSON OF MAYFLOWER PILGRIMS JOHN ALDEN AND PRISCILLA MULLINS

Jacob, his wife and child were killed and scalped by Penobscot Indians led by Chief Moxie on May 22, 1758.

"Joshua Bradford, Sr. came to Meduncook in 1758 from Kingston, MA and settled on the south-east side of Bradford Point. He built a log fort on Garrison Island as a retreat from Indian attacks. The settlers were supposed to seek shelter in the block-house at night. However, as Joshua had rescued Chief Moxie when the chief had broken through the ice on the Meduncook River, Joshua felt that Chief Moxie was his friend. The Bradford family remained at home.

Early in the morning on May 22, 1758 the Penobscot tribe, with Chief Moxie, murdered Joshua, his wife, one child, the baby. Their 17 year olddaughter hid under the bed until the Indians had gone some distance. She fled across the bar to the garrison with one child under her arm, probably Winslow Bradford. When she was nearly across, one Indian threw a tomahawk which struck her side, seriously wounding her, but she was able to make the fort.

The Indians took Joshua, Jr. and Benjamin captive and carried them off to Canada.

When the boys had been in Canada for a while, the Indians sent them out to steal from the white people. Joshua was sent to a house to steal some brown bread. He was in the kitchen with the bread under his arm, when a woman came rushing in with a large knife in her hand. Joshua explained that he was not an Indian boy but a white one that had been captured by the Indians. The woman, in order not to give him away to the Indians, gave him half the loaf of bread which he was to take back to the Indian camp. She also directed him by compass points to some American soldiers in the vicinity.

In not too long a time, Joshua was able to make his escape from the Indians and reached the soldiers who gave him directions home. Joshua was able to reach Friendship.

His brother, Benjamin, returned home after the war." --Dr. William Hahn

"109e Joshua4 Bradford b June 23, 1710, Plymouth, Mass. d May 27, 1756/8, Meducook (Friendship), Me. m Feb 17, 1736. Kingston, Mass. Hannah Bradford b Apr 10, 1719/20. Plymouth, Mass. d May 27, 1756/8. Meducook (Friendship), Me. Hannah4 - Mem 1311. Res Friendship, Me. Farmer. Both scalped by the Indians. Two sons (possibly Benjamin and Joshua) taken into captivity. Other children at the fort. Joshua grinding corn did not hear the warning shot. Did not fear local Indians because he had saved the life of the chief when he was drowning - having fallen through the ice. Meletiah hid under bed with Elisha. When Elisha cried, she crept out and dashed toward the fort. Indians leaving, saw her and started in pursuit. One gave her an ugly wound - supposed to have severed two lower ribs from spine. A soldier from the fort rescued her." --Thornton Bradford

FROM JANCESTRY WEBSITE:

The following is a typed copy of the certified photocopy of original Boston Obit for Joshua and Hannah:

"Extract of a Letter dated St. George's, at the ___, May 22, 1758.

"THIS Day at Twelve o'Clock a Whaleboat came up from Maduncook, with the melancholly News of the Indians' falling upon the Inhabitants there, this Morning half an Hour after Sun rise, they killed and scalped Mr. Bradford; his Wife, and Mr. Mille's Wife, and kill'd her Child ; two of Bradford's Boys they carried off Prisoners ; wounded one of his Daughters, and, a Boy of Mill's, dangerously : The People hearing the Indians yell, got out, and prevented their killing any more : One Child in the House escaped by crawling under a Bed."

Source: The Records of Meduncook Plantation and Friendship, Maine, 1762-1899 (transcribed and edited by Melville Bradford Cook, pub. 1985) makes a brief mention of the tragedy on page 1:

"The date of settlement [1775] is certainly incorrect, for as early as 1756 an English garrison was maintained upon a little island off Bradford's point, now called Garrison Island, as a protection for the settlers in the French and Indian war of that date. May 22, 1758, Joshua Bradford and his wife, with most of his household, were massacred bythe Indians, only one woman with a child in her arms escaping to the fort.

"The outlines of the fort are still discernible. Upon this island is the ancient burying-ground of the Meduncook settlement, and two stones of the pasture rock under a small oak indicate the burial-place of Mr. Bradford and other victims of the Indians. This point of land, known this day as well as in 1756 as Bradford's Point, was at all times after shunned by the Indians. Even as late as 1860 a trading party of Old Town Indians refused to encamp there, calling it bad land."

Sources:

1) David Lee Kunkel Database

http://worldconnect.genealogy.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET &db=videoman&id=I00393

2) Harry C. Hadaway Jr. Database

http://worldconnect.genealogy.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET &db=hhadaway&id=I00393

3) Mark Gibson Database

http://worldconnect.genealogy.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET &db=:253867&id=I291

4) JAncestry Website 2006

http://members.aol.com/jancestry/JAncestry/newpage4.htm

5) "The Indian Attack Upon the Bradford Family," History of Friendship, by Dr. William Hahn (published by the Friendship Public Library)

6)BRADFORD, Thornton, Roy W. 1920: Israel and Sarah (Bartlett) Bradford genealogy regarding the Indian attack (LDS Microfilm # 1033715, Item 4, p. 35)

_UID: C7824C21402E40A58C4CEE4B5EE3F266B314

Change Date: 25 MAY 2007

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Historical events

Birthday June 23, 1710

  • The temperature on June 23, 1710 was about 16.0 °C. Source: KNMI
  •  This page is only available in Dutch.
    Van 1702 tot 1747 kende Nederland (ookwel Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden) zijn Tweede Stadhouderloze Tijdperk.
  • In the year 1710: Source: Wikipedia
    • February 28 » Battle of Helsingborg: 14,000 Danish invaders under Jørgen Rantzau are decisively defeated by an equally sized Swedish force under Magnus Stenbock. This is the last time Swedish and Danish troops meet on Swedish soil.
    • April 5 » The Statute of Anne receives the royal assent establishing the Copyright law of the United Kingdom.
    • April 10 » The Statute of Anne, the first law regulating copyright, comes into force in Great Britain.
    • August 20 » War of the Spanish Succession: A multinational army led by the Austrian commander Guido Starhemberg defeats the Spanish-Bourbon army commanded by Alexandre Maître, Marquis de Bay in the Battle of Saragossa.
    • October 13 » Port Royal, the capital of French Acadia, falls in a siege by British forces.

Day of marriage February 17, 1736

  • The temperature on February 17, 1736 was about -0 °C. Wind direction mainly northeast. Weather type: zeer betrokken. Source: KNMI
  •  This page is only available in Dutch.
    Van 1702 tot 1747 kende Nederland (ookwel Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden) zijn Tweede Stadhouderloze Tijdperk.
  • In the year 1736: Source: Wikipedia
    • January 26 » Stanislaus I of Poland abdicates his throne.
    • March 8 » Nader Shah, founder of the Afsharid dynasty, is crowned Shah of Iran.
    • April 15 » Foundation of the Kingdom of Corsica.
    • May 26 » The Battle of Ackia was fought near the present site of Tupelo, Mississippi. British and Chickasaw soldiers repelled a French and Choctaw attack on the then-Chickasaw village of Ackia.
    • October 16 » Mathematician William Whiston's predicted comet fails to strike the Earth.

Day of death May 22, 1758

  • The temperature on May 22, 1758 was about 12.0 °C. Wind direction mainly northeast. Weather type: geheel betrokken. Source: KNMI
  • Erfstadhouder Prins Willem V (Willem Batavus) (Huis van Oranje-Nassau) was from 1751 till 1795 sovereign of the Netherlands (also known as Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden)
  • Regentes Anna (Huis van Oranje-Nassau) was from 1751 till 1759 sovereign of the Netherlands (also known as Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden)
  • In the year 1758: Source: Wikipedia
    • June 30 » Seven Years' War: Habsburg Austrian forces destroy a Prussian reinforcement and supply convoy in the Battle of Domstadtl, helping to expel Prussian King Frederick the Great from Moravia.
    • July 8 » French forces hold Fort Carillon against the British at Ticonderoga, New York.
    • October 14 » Seven Years' War: Frederick the Great suffers a rare defeat at the Battle of Hochkirch.
    • November 25 » French and Indian War: British forces capture Fort Duquesne from French control. Later, Fort Pitt will be built nearby and grow into modern Pittsburgh.
    • December 13 » The English transport ship Duke William sinks in the North Atlantic, killing over 360 people.
    • December 25 » Halley's Comet is sighted by Johann Georg Palitzsch, confirming Edmund Halley's prediction of its passage. This was the first passage of a comet predicted ahead of time.


Same birth/death day

Source: Wikipedia

Source: Wikipedia


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The Whittington families publication was prepared by .contact the author
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Philip James Wood, "Whittington families", database, Genealogy Online (https://www.genealogieonline.nl/whittington-families/I7205.php : accessed August 10, 2025), "Joshua BRADFORD (1710-1758)".