The earliest mention of the name of Bradley, in England, was in the year 1183; the survey of Bolton Burke reveals a “Roger de Bradley who held forty acres at Bradley and rendered half a mare besides forest service”. Subsequently, there were many places thru out England that had the name of Bradley. The only Bradley, the date of whose departure from England is known, was Daniel who was born 1615 in the parish of Alphage Cripplegate, London.. He emigrated from London in the Ship “Elizabeth”, William Stagg-Master, in 1635. .

Initially, it was thought that this Daniel Bradley who immigrated in 1635 was the Daniel Bradley who married Mary Williams. Subsequent research indicated that the Daniel Bradley who married Mary Williams was the son of Daniel Bradley who emigrated from England in 1635. This does provide a better chronology of events. The initial had a Daniel Bradley born in 1615 being married in 1662 to Mary Williams born in 1641 and having children in 1680 when this first Daniel would be 65 years of age. This is possible but highly improbable. We now see Daniel (2) being born in 1638+\- probably in Haverhaill, Ma as the son of Daniel (1) and Ellen(–) who were married in New Haven,Ct in 1633. Daniel(2) Bradley married 21 May 1662 , in Haverhill, Mary Williams th daughter of John and Jane (–) Williams.
References: FH55:1-25;NEHGR:V57:255,V14:306;PH19:884;PH71:V11:1;PH210:57;PH215: 256.

There are numerous records of Daniel Bradley(2) in the Haverhill,Ma area. relating to acquiring oxen, clearing land, acquiring land and various other sundry subjects. In 1682, Daniel (2) leased the parsonage farm, belonging to Rev.Mr. Ward, for twenty-one years. Daniel Bradley (2) was a yoeman who leased land for the purpose of growing crops and tending live stock. He was a selectman for many years. On the 13th of August 1689, a small party of Indians made their appearance in the northerly part of the town and killed Daniel(2) Bradley on the Parsonage Road not far from the present Atkinson Depot. In September following , his son Daniel(3) sent a petition to the General Court, asking that Joseph(Joshua?) , brother of his father be appointed as administrator, as his father had not left a will. This latter situation was typical of the times. Most people usually did not prepare a will until they were “in dire times” ,i.e., when they were ill or under stressful situations. Daniel Bradley (2) death was unforeseen; he had no inkling as to the event that was to take place. Further, the Bradley family was to suffer again from relations with hostile Indians. In the fall of 1695 a party of Indians appeared and made prisoners of Isaac. age 15 who was son of Daniel(2) and Mary Williams Bradley and one Joseph Whittakr,age 11. There is an extensive account of the trials and tribulations of these two in Chase’s History of Haverhill. In short, they eventually escaped but not after a series of adventures worthy of reading. Two other Indian massacre took place 15 March 1697 and on 6 February 1704 where the Bradley clan was severely impacted.
References:FH55:26-53;PH7:91;PH19:884;PH71:V!:1;PH210:57;PH215:256-264

Abraham Bradley, the youngest child, forth son of Daniel (2) and Mary(Williams) Bradley, was born 14 March 1683. He married , 18 October 1705, Abigail Philbrick, daughter of Thomas and Mehitable (Ayres) Philbrick. They remved from Haverhill to Pennacook (Concord), New Hamp- shire, in 1730+. He was on various committees, and in 1732, he was appointed together with two others, attorney for the proprietors of Pennacook. Abraham Bradley had a farm in the northern part of Concord(Pennacook). This farm became, including what had been added by purchase, one of the finest farms in the Merrimac valley. The house built by him is not standing; but a fine old gambrel-roofed mansion, built by his son on the same site, is at the present time occupied by his descendants. Mr. Abraham Bradley is said to have been a man of sound judgment, and one of the most enterprising of the inhabitants. They had a large family of children; two of the children, Lt. Jonathan and Samuel were among those killed by Indians at the massacre of 10 August 1746. From the History of Concord,NH, we learn that the descendants of Abraham Bradley took a prominent role in the affairs of the town and were greatly respected.
References:FH:55:27,148-155;PH13:105;PH19:884;FH136:75-76,PH71:V11:1-2;PH215:261

Samuel Bradley, the youngest son of Abraham and Elizabeth (Philbrick) Bradley was bp 24 Sept 1719. He married 1719+ Mary Folsom who was a sister of Susannah Folsom who married Jonathan Bradley, brother of our Samuel who resided at Rumford with his father after brother Jonathan removed to Exeter,Ne Hampshire. Samuel Bradley was a young man of enterprise, great promise, and piety. Samuel and Mary (Folsom) Bradley, due to Samuel’s untimely death, had but two children; John born 1743 and Mehitable born 16 January 1745. Samuel, with his brother Jonathan, had a devasting rendezvous with destiny.

As the summer of 1746 approached and with the concern for Indian raids, the citizens of Rumford and the surrounding area, appealed for increased militia support In response, a company of soldiers, under the command of Capt. Daniel Ladd and Lieut. Jonathan Bradley was sent by the Governor. Among others we find Samuel and Abraham Bradley in this group On the eleventh day of August 1746, Lieut. Jonathan Bradley, in Rumford, New Hampshire, took six men of Capt. Ladd’s Company including Samuel Bradley plus Obadiah Peters of Capt. Benjamin Melvin’s Company for a two mile hike to reinforce one of the nearby “garrisons”. They had proceeded about one and half miles when they were shot upon by forty or more Indians. Five of the party were shot ; prior to their death they were scalped, stripped naked, and very much cut, stabbed, and disfirgured. Prior to his death, Jonathan Bradley was hear to shout “Lord, have mercy on me: – Fight”. The two of the remaining men, Sargeant Alexander Roberts and William Stickney were taken captive. Daniel Gilman, the eighth man of the group managed to escape and related how the men fought back even though they were shot. The fort(garrison) was but three quarters of a mile away; The five dead men laid for about two hours before people from the garrison arrived. As a postscript, Sargeant Alexander Roberts eventually escaped and stated that he and others at the massacre had fought hard and deserved consideration. On the 19th of Nov 1747, the General Assembly of of New Hampshire passed a resolution which was approved by the Governor; “To Alexander Roberts, L15; to Daniel Gilman L7 10 Shillings; to the widows of Jonathan and Samuel Bradley L11 5Shillings; and to the heirs or legal representatives of Obadiah Peters, John Lufkin, John Bean, and William Stickney L7 10 Shillings. A Monument in memory of the five who were killed in this massacre was erected in Rumford in 1837 by Richard Bradley, son of the Hon. John Bradley and grandson of Samuel Bradley.

Following the massacre, Samuel’s wife, Mary(Folsom) Bradley, had the sad task of viewing the bodies of those slain including her husband. Her anguish was intense and overwhelming. It has been said that the impact, on little son John, age 3 years, was life long with with a continual sense of fear and terror of the Indians. Mary (Folsom) Bradley was a woman of remarkable powers. She remarried one Robert Calfe,Esq.of Chester, New Hampshire. Mary died at Concord in the family of her grandson, Richard Bradley,Esq., on 10 August 1817, age 98. In the latter years, she would speak with great affection of the husband of her youth and of his tragic end. She would relate to many little incidences of his life and would repeat expressions of his last prayer that he offerd with his family.
References:FH55:148,150-154;PH215:261;PH218:156-176.

Our Bradley ancestors were subject to a lot of grief because of the hostile Indians. But this situation has to be viewed in a larger perspective. The French and Indian War, 1689-1763, was well in progress; this war was really a part of the England/Europe campaign for “empire”. Abroad this “French and Indian War” was viewed as a minor part of the forementioned campaign . But, to the settlers in America, it was of much greater concern having to cope with ongoing border warfare and the brutal nature of same. Our early ancestors had to be and were of persevering, hardy stock.

Mehitable Bradley born on 16 January 1745 married Benjamin Melvin(same as noted above) 13 July 1762.
References: FH55:154;FH218:158,164