BRADFORD-L Archives

From: glenn bradford <>
Subject: [BRADFORD-L] MAYFLOWER
Date: Sat, 18 Aug 2001 06:01:10 +1000

GEORGE WILLIAM BRADFORD
after the death of his father (William) at an early age George William
was to take his fathers name and continue using it throughout his life,
A trend continued by many descendants thereafter,thus givin many a
family researcher a merry `ol time.
I believe this may have been a follow on from days of old
when many a father would ask the wife to ensure the son continues the
family name
if they did not return from battle.
The ship he travelled on with 1st wife Dorothy May to the new land
was the "Mayflower".
1st son John was not a strong healthy lad from birth and was left in
England in the care of family and friends but was later to follow his
father to America
arriving first in 1627,however very little seems to be able to be found
on John and with his dad being a very astute writer and Governor of
Massachusetts for abt 5 decades it seems that John had only a brief stay
at first ,returned to England,very likely to continue his education
before once again retutning to spend his life in the U.S.of A.
I would like to use a bit of free license here and consider it possible
that John may very well have returned to England,likely married a young
childhood sweetheart and perhaps a couple of sons, ( Abel? Nathaniel? )
Then as was often back then she may have died in childbirth where John
may have decided to follow his fathers footsteps.leaving his children in
perhaps the care of again family and friends and then when arriving in
America met up with a widow Martha Bourne whom he married .
Though records (wills etc ) seem to show no issue from this alliance.
It would then be possible that one of John`s son`s,Likely Nathaniel
followed his pa and settled in Virginia or NC and would continue the
family tradition of giving us all a headache trying to sort them all
out.
In another scenario it is possible that GEORGE WILLIAM BRADFORD
"Hereafter refered as Governor William of the Mayflower "
was also the father of other children to his first wife Dorothy May.?!?
Well the Bradford`s of old have shown us open minded that they can
achieve about anything and be responsible for anything,However the vast
research of papers etc that have been read and reread over many moons
seem to point to any other children of that time as likely rellies of
Governor William
but perhaps from his brothers or cousins.
BUT YA MAY NEVER KNOW

Glenn

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• [BRADFORD-L] MAYFLOWER by glenn bradford <>