Jemima Cornwall Bradley

There are several interpretations for the ancestry of Jemima Cornwall. Her story derives from her connection to two very prominent Connecticut families, the Cornwalls and the Bradleys. There are a number of family histories and genealogies written about the two families. Yet despite the available information there still remains some confusion as to her true identity. The histories all agree that Jemima married Stephen Bradley in Guilford, Conn. There are very few original town or church records of their marriage or early life in Guilford. There are traces of their membership in the Second Congregational Society. Most of what has been written by the Bradley family historians is based on the material written by Alvan Talcott. Talcott’s information looks like it is probably derived from the oral history of the early Bradley family. Looking at Talcott’s notes concerning Stephen Bradley’s family he makes the notation “Jemima of L.I.”. He includes a marriage date “1718” and her date of death Jan 16, 1787. At the top he lists East Guilford as the place where they lived. The Cornwall history is based on very detailed town and church records from Middletown, Conn. The Cornwall history lists her as the daughter of William Cornwall 1672-1704 and his wife Esther. “Children born in Middletown, Conn. 96. Jemima, bapt, Feb 4, 1700; m. Stephen Bradley of Guilford, Conn.” The history also records a sister Lois (97.) who was baptized Feb. 8, 1702. They note that Lois married Daniel Collins also of Guilford. What is written in most modern family trees is a description of Jemima Cornwall born in Long Island, christened in Middletown February 4, 1700, the daughter of William Cornwall of Middletown 1671-1747 and his wife Ester Ward 1669-1734. A few histories directly quote the Cornwall history listing her parents as William 1672-1704 and simply Ester. So why the confusion? The confusion arises from the fact that living in Middletown as contemporaries were three first cousins all named William Cornwall. Two of the cousins married women named Ester. When most modern genealogist went looking for the historical Jemima, the daughter of William and Ester, they found the most widely document of the cousins William Cornwall, the son of William Cornwall and his wife Mary Bull, who married Esther Ward. This William was born September 13, 1671, died July 16, 1747. The Barbour collection lists a marriage in Middletown between William Cornwall and Ester Ward 1692. The Cornwall history notes that the above named William (1671-1747) married Ester Ward the daughter of John Ward. The Long island connection comes from the Bradley tradition, based on the Talcott history, that lists her as Jemima Cornwall of (L. I.) or Long Island. ___________ To unravel Jemima’s story we need to start with the history of her great Grandfather William Cornwall. We have posted his will on the Blog. William Cornwall was born in England. His first stop was in America was in Roxbury, Mass. From Roxbury he was in the early wave of settles to arrive in the area of Hartford, Connecticut where his children were born. In the 1657 he relocated to Middletown. As one of Middletown’s earliest settlers his family is listed on the first page of the First Congregational Society records. They are also listed in his will. The Cornwall’s used three different spellings for their name, Cornwall, Cornwell and Cornell. The town clerks in Middletown gathered the key dates for his children and recorded his family in a single concise entry in the town records. They listed John, William, Samuel, Jacob, Sarah, Thomas, Esther and Elizabeth. It is the three oldest boys’ John, William and Samuel that are part of our story. John had a son who he named William born August 17, 1673. William’s son William was born September 13, 1671. The town clerks recorded the family of Samuel in the town records. We have posted his will on the Blog. Samuel’s son William was born January 22, 1672. The baptismal records for all three are found in the Congregational records. All three of these sons named William lived in Middletown. The church clerks were very careful to distinguish between the three in the church records. John’s family was recorded by the town clerks. John's son William is always referred to as William son of John. For example we find the record of the birth of William's daughter Martha, “William Cornwall son of John Cornwall owning ye covenant had his daughter Martha baptized”. The town clerks have also created a record for William the son of William. They also gathered a record for his son William ( William / William / William). The record for the 3rd William starts with a record of his marriage to Ester Ward, “William Cornwall / Cornell & Ester Ward were joined in marriage covenant January 22, 1692”. The record also notes his death in July of 1747. They list the children of the 3rd William as, William, Mary, Andrew, John, Sam, Esther and Jacob. The church records note the birth of Ebenezer who died as an infant. The Cornwall history has the same information. In the church records this William is referred to as the couple, William & Esther, or as William (son ) & Esther. The (son) indicating that he was William the son of William who was the son of William the ancestor. For example the birth of his son Samuel is recorded, “Samuel ye son of William Cornell (son) & Esther”. The third William, the son of Samuel, is always referred to as William Cornwall son of Samuel Cornwall. Thus the clerks created three separate easy to follow identities for the three different William grandsons. Of the three families William the son of Samuel has the least documentation. There are no references in the town records. But, as we previously noted the Cornwall history notes that “William, son of Samuel, grandson of William was born in Jan. 22, 1672 and died Dec. 25, 1704: married Esther.” They note that he lived in Middletown and his children were born there. They list “Jemima, bapt. Feb. 4, 1700”and “Lois, bapt. Feb. 8, 1702”.. We do find the baptismal records for the two girls in the Congregational records. “Jemima ye daughter of William Cornwall Jun. viz son of Samuel Cornwall was baptized Feb. 4, 1700”. “Lois ye daughter of William Cornwall son of Samuel Cornwall was baptized Feb 8 1702”. The reason for the lack of family records for this William is his early death in 1704. We have posted his probate file on the Blog. The cover for his probate file has the date 1704/05. A notation on the bottom of a document listing his assets records his two children “Jemima Aged 5 years” and “Lois aged 3 years”. The court clerks refer to William’s wife as “Ester”. However “Ester” signed her name twice both times using the spelling “Hester”. The convention of the day used the two names interchangeably. There is no reference in any of the histories or documents to “Esther Ward”. As a follow on we find an entry in the will of Samuel Cornwall (full will posted on Blog) the father of the above mentioned William, “To my two granddaughters Jemima and Lois I give 35 pounds………..that I had designed to give to my son William Cornwall the father of the said Jemima and Lois”. These two wills support the Cornwall histories’ description of Jemima as the daughter of William, the son of Samuel Cornwall, who married Ester/ Hester last name unknown. Both the Cornwall history and the various Bradley histories register the marriage of Jemima to Stephen Bradley in Guilford. In the case of the Bradley’s, Stephen Bradley to Jemima Cornwall daughter of William Cornwall of Middletown. In the absence of original town records it seems that this information was very much a part of each families’ oral tradition. ___________It is interesting to note that independent of the Bradleys and Cornwalls the Collins family hold the same tradition for Jemima’s sister Lois who married Daniel Collins. Lois’ son-in-law Oliver Wolcott was a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Because of his connection to those events his life has received a good bit of attention. From the Biographical record of Hartford County, “Daniel Collins, son of John Collins born 1701 at Guilford, Connecticut married in 1725, Lois Cornwall, of Long Island, a daughter of William Cornwall, of Hartford and Middletown, She was born at Middletown in 1702”. Their marriage is found in the town records in Guilford, “ Daniel Collins & Lois Cornell both of Guilford were married March 15, 1725”._____________ An updated biography for Jemima should probably read, Jemima Cornwall / William-Hester / Samuel- Rebecca Bull / William- Mary. Jemima was born in Middletown into the prominent Cornwall family. She was the daughter of William Cornwall who was born January 22, 1672 and died December 25, 1704 in Middletown, Conn. There is very little to identify her mother. The Cornwall historians spell her name Esther the probate clerks use the Ester spelling. She signed her name Hester on her husband's probate documents. There are no hints for her maiden name. Jemima was baptized in the First Congregational Society in Middletown February 4, 1700. “Jemima ye daughter of Willm Cornwall Jun. (viz son of Samll Cornwall) was baptized Feb. 4, 1700”. Her father died when she was still very young. Her father’s probate file lists her as” Jemima aged 5”. Her grandfather Samuel identifies her as a granddaughter and leaves her 35 pounds in his will. Jemima moved with her mother Hester and sister Lois to Long Island, New York. They later resettled in Guilford, Connecticut. In Guilford she married Stephen Bradley. Alvan Talcott in his notes list a marriage date in 1718. Her first child Joseph was born June 24, 1720. Joseph was followed by Freelove, Esther, after her mother, Clotildah, Stephen, Lois, after her sister, Benjamin, Timothy, Zenas, Zimri and Eber. There are very few documents from her life that have survived. Gathered together in Volume-2 page 77 of the Guilford town records is a list of her children and their dates of birth. Each entry contains the phrase “Of Stephen Bradley by Jemima his wife”. Her death is recorded in the Guilford Record of Mortality. It reads “ 1787 Jan 16 Stephen Bradley Wid.”____________ The same biography describes Jemima’s sister Lois. Lois married Daniel Collins in Guilford. Daniel died in 1751. At the time of her death Lois was living with her daughter Lorraine / Laura who married Oliver Walcott. Oliver was destined to play a major role in Connecticut politics. Lois would have had a front row seat to the events leading up to the American Revolution. She died nine years before her son-in-law signed the Declaration of Independence.

Using Material Posted on the Blog

The Blog was created in order to spread the family story to the extended Griffin ancestry. Everyone is free to use any of the material we have posted. I hope you will all spread the Blog's story to your family and friends. We would ask you to include the Blog address as the source of the material ; samuelgriffingenealogy.blogspot.com You may direct questions or requests to ; bradgruffydd@gmail.com

Will of William Cornwall of Middletown 1704/5

William Cornwall ; William / Samuel / William, was born in Middletown, Connecticut on January 22, 1672. William died as a young man December 25, 1704. He did not leave a will but there is a probate file recorded in the Hartford Probate District with a date listed “1704/5”. We have references to his family in the probate file. His wife is listed by the clerks as Ester, “Ester Cornwell Relick of William Cornwell”, as Esther Cornwall and as Hester Cornwall. In the two places where she adds her signature she signs her name as Hester Cornell. The various spellings reflect the conventions of the day. The names Ester, Esther and Hester were used interchangeable. The Cornwall family used three different spellings for their name Cornwall, Cornwell, and Cornell. On the inventory page of the probate file is listed his two daughters, “Jemima aged 5 years, and Lois aged 3 years”. Click to enlarge

Will of Samuel Cornwall of Middletown 1728

Samuel Cornwall the son of William Cornwall was born in Hartford, Conn. in September of 1642. He died in Middletown Conn. December 6, 1728. His family is well documented in both the town records and the records of the Middletown First Congregational Society. They were, Mary, who died young, Rebecca, William, Elizabeth, a second Mary, Samuel and Ebenezer. In his will be writes of his wife Rebecca Bull, “To my dearly beloved wife Rebecca”. In the will he lists the legacy that he had set aside for each of his children. The wording seems to indicate that he was verifying that he had already deeded his property to them. He mentions his sons Samuel and Ebenezer and daughters Rebecca, Elizabeth and Mary. To his grandson Samuel “To my grandson Samuel who bares my name I give a good Bible”. To the two daughters of his son William deceased “To my two granddaughters Jemima and Lois Cornwall” he leaves 35 pounds each.

The Will of William Cornwall of Middletown 1678

William Cornwall was born in England. He was living in Roxbury, Mass. by 1633 with his first wife Joane. As a young man he was in the early wave of settlers in Hartford, Conn. where his children were born. By 1657 he is living in Middletown where he took as his second wife Mary. The family was part of the First Congregational Society their names appearing on page one of the Society records. William died in Middletown February 11, 1678. In a detailed will he names his wife Mary. The will also names his children, his sons John, William, Samuel, Jacob and Thomas. He names his daughter Ester, who he refers to by the last name of her first husband Willcock in one place and her second husband Stow in another. He leaves property to his two other daughters Sara Hubbard and Elizabeth Hall. His family went on to become one of the most prominent families in Middletown. The family used a number of spellings for their last name, Cornwall, Cornwell and Cornell.

Samuel Griffin 1776-1851. Will posed Nov. 3 1851

Samuel Griffin was born in Killingworth, Conn. March 17, 1776 the son of Samuel Griffin and Mercy Bailey. He moved with his father Samuel and his two brothers John and Dan to Essex, Vermont at the turn of the century. In Essex he married Sylvia Bradley in about 1800. Together Samuel and Sylvia had a family of nine children. Zilpha, Philemon, Minor, Orlow, Albert, Harrison, Sylvia, Rosetta and Electa. Zilpha, Philemon and Minor and Orlow all preceded their father in death. The names of Samuel’s children are listed in the Congregational records that we previously published. Samuel died in Essex on September 19, 1851. His will was probated November 3, 1851. In his will he names some of his grandchildren. Zilpha’s children Edgar, Ellen, John and Albert Day. His son Orlow’s wife Hannah and children, Sylvia, David and Henry. He names his son Harrison and daughters Electa and Sylvia (Fuller). He had previous given his daughter Rosetta her inheritance. At the time of his death he had already sold the bulk of his property to his children. His son Albert had left Essex in 1836 and was living in Salt lake City, Utah at the time of his father’s death. Samuel’s wife Sylvia Bradley and Electa’s husband Chauncey Wolcott served as executors. Their signatures, along with Samuel’s, appear on the documents. ------------Samuel / Samuel / Samuel Griffin of Killingworth.

Family of Samuel Bradley and Abigail Brownson of Essex, Vermont

Samuel Cornel Bradley and Abigail Brownson were married in Sunderland, Vermont February 28, 1780. Sunderland was a very young community less than 20 years old at the time of their marriage. In 1786/7 they moved to an even younger community Essex, Vermont. The issue for us as family historians is that it took awhile for these new civic entities to put in place a system for keeping records. At the turn of that century the churches were still the primary recorder of birth, marriages and deaths. Unfortunately the organization of church record keeping even lagged behind the towns. This set of circumstances has posed some problems in trying to create a compete picture of Samuel and Abigail’s family. We have several sources to draw on. The first is the oral tradition that has been passed down through their generations. That tradition usually describes a family consisting of Leity/Lucy, Sylvia, Theron, Samuel, Cynthia, a second Samuel and Abigail. Much of the support for this family description comes from the Essex Common Burial Ground in Essex. Buried in a family plot is our subjects Deacon Samuel Bradley and his wife Abigail Brownson. We also find the two young Samuels. The first has a death date of Feb, 23, 1792 at the age of 5 months. The second died Aug. 20, 1822 at the age of 26 years and 3 months. Also in the family plot is Cynthia who died Aug 10, 1846 at the age of 53. In a family plot with her husband Horace Halbert we find Abigail Bradley who died Oct 3, 1867 at the age of 68. Buried in a family plot with her husband Samuel Griffin and her family we find Sylvia Bradley who died Feb, 10, 1873 at the age of 90. Theron’s name is found scattered throughout the Essex town records. His death record identifies his parents as Samuel and Abigail Bradley. The main question for this family portrait is Leity/Lucy. There is no burial record or town records that tracks a child by that name. _____________ To help in our quest we can turn to the few records that have survived. All of the new frontier town shared one key essential element. That element was a set of ledgers used to record the land deeds. A town was born and maintained its legitimacy based on the charter and records kept in those ledgers. In almost every town they were also used to record early town business. The election of town leaders etc. In many of these ledgers we also find recorded a few births and marriages scattered throughout the early pages. In Volume-3 on page 6 of the town records that are scattered among the deed records (pages 6,7,8,9 of town records are followed by page 22 of deed records) in Sunderland we find just such a record for the Bradleys. ______________“Samuel C Bradley was married to Abigail Brownson February 28th 1780. Lecty Bradley was Born March 18th 1781. Silvey Bradley was Born February 28th 1783. Theron Bradley was Born May 7th 1785.” __________________ In the ledgers of the Congregational Society in Essex under baptisms we find listed under parentage “Samuel Bradley”. Under the heading, Christian names, “Samuel, Abigail.” The greatest chronicler of the Bradley family was Alvan Talcott who we usually associate with Connecticut. The Bradley family was one of the founding families of New Haven and Guilford. As such Dr. Talcott devoted a lot of effort into recording their family history. Even though Samuel Cornel Bradley left Guilford as a young man Dr. Talcott used his sources and connections to keep track of Samuel’s family. In his notes he records the marriage of Samuel and Abigail. He writes, “Lived in Vt.” Of their children he writes,” Electa, b. 1781; mar Thomas Goss. ___Sylvia, b 1783; mar Samuel Griffin. ____ Theron, b 1785 ; mar Jane Bowens. _____ Dorcus, b 1788; mar Dea. David Hamilton.____ Ruth, mar Warren Payson.____ Samuel, dy. ____Cynthia, died 1846; unmar. ____Samuel, d ae 24; unmar. ____ Abigail, mar Horace Halbert.” _____________ Given this collection of information we can form a more complete picture of the family of Samuel and Abigail. The Sunderland record clears up the Leity/Lucy question. Leity is derived from the Lecty born in 1781 in Sunderland. Lecty is a family name for Electa just as Silvey is a pet name for Sylvia. We also need to add to our traditional list the sisters Ruth and Dorcus who got lost in the years after the Sunderland document and before the baptismal record in Essex. ________ Electa 1781-1836_______Sylvia 1783-1873 ______Theron 1785-1867 _____ Dorcus 1787-1866 _____ Ruth 1789 ______ Samuel 1791-1792 ____ Cynthia 1793-1846 _____Samuel 1796-1822 ____ Abigail 1799-1867. _____________ Abigail married Horace Halbert September 15, 1822. The marriage is found in the Essex town records volume-1 page 281. Her death is also recorded October 3, 1867 at the age of 68 years, 4 months and 12 days. That suggests a date of birth on May 21, 1799. In a collection of Chittenden County biographies is a biography for Hon. Alfred B. ( Bradley) Halbert. His parents are listed as Horace Halbert and Abigail Bradley. It references his maternal grandfather, Samuel Bradley a pioneer of Essex._____ Electa Bradley married Thomas Goss of Barkhamsted, Litchfield, Connecticut. In 1810 the family is in Norfolk, Connecticut where their first 4 children were baptized. They named their oldest son Samuel Bradley Goss. After a brief sojourn in New York with his brothers the family moved to Essex. Census records indicate that some of their children were born in Connecticut, some in New York and some in Vermont. In the deed records we find a deed between Samuel and his daughter who he identifies as Electa Goss of Essex. The deed is dated March 14, 1831. We also have a deed dated October 2, 1837 that starts “Thomas Goss and the heirs of Electa Goss late of Essex.” There are any number of land transactions between the families of the sisters. In the Congregational records we have a death record that notes Electa Goss died in 1836. Electa named a daughter Dorcus, after her grandmother, and another Abigail, after her mother. Dorcus and Abigail in turn named daughters Electa. There is a burial in the Bradley plot in the Essex Common Burial Ground that puzzled me for a long time. “Goss, Vira, 1808, dau of Tho & Electa Goss, Ae 3 mo.” __________ Dorcus Bradley married David Hamilton September 20, 1807. The name Dorcus comes from her grandmother Dorcus Strong Brownson. Their marriage is found in the town records Vol. 1 page 119. David Hamilton, like his father in law, served as a Deacon in the Congregational Society. His name is prominent in Essex history. In the Vermont state records there is a card that notes her death. “Dorcus Bradley Hamilton age 79, Parents, Bradley, Husband Dea. David Hamilton. Date April 19, 1866, Burial Elmwood (Burlington).” There is a collection of letters that have survived written by Dorcus’s sister Sylvia’s (Silvey in the Sunderland record) children. Some of them written by Sylvia’s daughter Electa named after her sister. Sylvia had married Samuel Griffin. There are references in the letters to news concerning Aunt Dorcus and Deacon Hamilton and the Halberts. An excerpt "We heard a few days ago that cousin Almon Griffin died a few weeks ago, he lived in Minnesota. Uncle Dan is also dead, died over a year ago, he went with Almon. Dea. Hamilton is dead, Aunt is living. Uncle Theron is living, lives near the center. Uncle & Aunt Halbert are living at their old farm". The local school system was divided into neighborhood districts. We find David Hamilton, Thomas Goss and Ruth Payson living in the same neighborhood._________ The marriage of Ruth Bradley to Warren Payson is found in Vol. 1 of the town records page 155. The marriage record is dated December 30, 1813. “On the 30th day of Dec. AD 1813 Warren Payson & Ruth Bradley both of Essex were duly joined in marriage.” This is the only record for Warren. In the 1820 Census for Essex Ruth is listed as the head of the house with a daughter. In the 1830 census we find as part of her father Samuel’s household persons that are probable Ruth and her family. We find a number of land deeds filed under Ruth’s name the last one dated in June of 1841. We have a deed dated in November of 1831 between Thomas Goss and Ruth. In the Congregational records as part of Ruth’s church history is the notation “Dismissed 1836.” This indicates that she had moved to a different congregation. In the congregation where her father Samuel Bradley had served as Deacon she was referred to as “Ruth Bradley.”