BRADFORD-L Archives

From: TRACY REINHARDT <>
Subject: NEW TO LIST
Date: Sat, 03 Jan 1998 08:23:42 -0800

I am new to your Bradford list, and want to post my problem.

Do any of you find "Bradfords" that really aren't "bradford"?

I am researching the ancestry of Robert BRAFORD, and his wife Sarah
Cornish, who were married Dec 24, 1773 in North Canaan, Litchfield Co.
Conn., and settled in New Ashford, Berkshire Co. Mass.
My problem starts with the fact that at approximately the same place and
time there exists Robert BRADFORD and his wife Penelope Bonfoey.

Many many years ago, some family researcher jumped to the erroneous
conclusion that this was one man with two wives, and passed along the
tradition that the Braford's descend from Gov. William Bradford etc.
etc. etc. Well, Braford researchers have proven conclusively that the
BRAFORD family is entirely separate from the Bradford family.

The most frustrating problem, is the fact that the name BRAFORD often
gets indexed as BRADFORD, and we do not always find everyone we are
looking for. Robert BRAFORD and Sarah Cornish had 10 children, and we
have managed to trace the lines of 5 of his 10 descendants. Robert was
an "orfin" and married Sarah Cornish, a woman with no paternity (she was
born 3 years after her mother's husband had died). Their children were
all born in New Ashford, Berkshire Co. Mass, but we have not been able
to locate any birth/baptismal records on their children.
When the oldest children married, the families migrated, ca. 1804, to
Cayuga Co. NY, where Robert and Sarah died. No record is found of their
burial.

Their children were: Abi, married Abia Barnes; Elizabeth (raised by
Elijah Mentor) married Elijah Spencer; Robert, married Sally Spencer;
Abiram married Sally Fletcher; Hosea married Doratha Spencer; Sally
married Jacob J Debar; Chloe married Vincent Jones Jayne; Clarissa
married Benjamin Chaffee, Hiram, nev. marr; and Amy, married #1 - ?
Goodrich, #2-John Cleveland.

If you want to read more about my family, I have a Braford page,
complete with history called "Braford Tapestry"
http://www.iosys.net/treinhardt/tracy/surnames/braford/brafordhist.html

the section called "Exploding a Myth" deals with all the data collected
which separates this Braford family from the Bradfords.
There is also an index of names and places.

If anyone has encountered information on this line, or on Robert's
ancestry from Middlesex Co. Mass. I would appreciate any assistance.

Thank you.
Tracy Reinhardt

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• NEW TO LIST by TRACY REINHARDT <>