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Author: decann
Surnames: Bradford, Blades, Brown, Phillips, Gant
Classification: queries
Message Board URL:
http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.indiana.counties...
Message Board Post:
This is another probe into what has become my all-time number one brick wall now for well
into the third decade. In a few words, I am trying to find the parents of my
4g-grandfather, whose basic details are:
Name: John Bradford
DOB: 25 July 1798 (undocumented by a reliable source)
POB: Tennessee (according to numerous census entries)
Married: Sarah Blades 20 Mar 1817 in Franklin Co., IN
Married: Susan (nee Brown) Phillips 7 Jul 1861 in Bartholomew Co. IN
DOD: 31 Mar 1877
POD: Jennings Co., IN
In searching for his parents all of this time, I am convinced for several reasons that the
following person is significant in his life, and possibly his biological mother:
Name: Mary Anne Bradford
DOB: 1782
POB: South Carolina (undocumented by a reliable source)
Married: John Russell 14 Jan 1800 in Grainger Co., TN
Married: Britton Gant 16 Jan 1817 in Franklin Co., IN
DOD: 18 Nov 1839
POD: Brookville, Franklin Co., IN
As you will note above, there were significant events in both lives that occurred in
Franklin County. In researching this for nearly a quarter century now, I have accumulated
a whole string of events in the lives of John and Mary Anne both that lead me feel that if
she was not his biological mother, then she was at best a "mother figure" in his
life. I have a long list of these events leading me to believe there is a close
connection between the two, and based on overwhelming circumstantial evidence I feel these
two individuals are connected somehow. I will be happy to furnish this information to
anyone interested, but it includes the fact that Sarah Blades was a neighbor of Mary Anne
Bradford in Brookville, IN at the time she married John, and I have reason to believe John
& Sarah were living with Mary Ann and her second husband in Brookville, IN during the
1820 census.
After all of these years of searching for John's parents, it has now come down to the
fact that it is almost necessary to find his name and his parents on the same document
somewhere, and that brings me to the real point to this post. If anyone reading this
lives in or near Franklin County, or at least has access to records there during this
period, I would be extremely grateful if you would take a look for me. Mary Ann lived in
Brookville, so since she was a widow (twice) at the time I wonder if she left a will or
one way or another left anything to John. Perhaps probate records, court records, or the
like might reveal something.
If anyone would be willing to look for me, I would be more than willing to pay you in
advance (send me an address to mail it to) any reasonable amount for copies of any
available document in Franklin County with Mary Anne's name or John's name on
them, and I will include money for gas as well. I have even considered hiring a
"professional" as well, if anyone know of one and can recommend one, but that is
a future consideration. Please let me know if you would be willing to look for me, and I
will send you all of the information that I have available for both of them, including an
old grainy picture of John if that will help. I thank you in advance for any leads or
scrap of information, no matter how small.
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