Abigail Brownson Bradley Nov 20, 1758-Dec 10, 1843

Standing in the very first row in the Essex Common Burial Ground are the headstones for Samuel Bradley and his wife Abigail Brownson. Arching across the top of the marble on Samuel’s headstone it reads, THE GRAVE OF. It then proclaims, Deacon, Samuel Bradley. It then records, Who died June 30th 1834, Aged 75 years. Across the bottom is the sentiment, “When lips are cold let marble speak. This day, O man thy Savior seak.” Arched across the top of her headstone is her name, Abigail. Then it records, Wife of, Dea. Samuel Bradley, Died, Dec 10, 1843, in her 86 year. Then the epitaph, “If bliss eternal you would share. While you have time for it prepare.” We would like to address in this article the historical identity of Abigail Brownson Bradley. ____________ The Brownson family has been the subject of a considerable amount of genealogical research. One collection in particular has come to dominate the discussion on our branch of the Brownson family. It is titled, Genealogy of One Branch of the Richard Brownson Family. Almost all of what has been written about Samuel and Abigail can be traced to this source, which is in and of itself a review of previous sources. In the Brownson history Abigail is identified as person B-70. From the history, “Abigail Brownson, youngest child and dau. of Timothy Brownson, Sr and Abigail Jenner, was born at Salisbury, Conn. Sept. 9, 1750, but the history of Woodbury says born July 15th, 1753; she died at Sunderland, Vt. Dec. 9, 1843. She was married to Samuel Cornwall Bradley, son of Stephen Bradley and Jennie Cornwall. He was born March 16, 1756, at Guilford, Conn. And died at Sunderland, Vt. June 30, 1834.” The history lists Abigail as the tenth child born to Timothy and Abigail Brownson. Their first child, Huldah, was born May 22, 1730. The ninth child, Eli, was born May 31, 1748 when his mother was 41. Several recent events have caused us to revisit the history of Abigail Brownson. The information on her headstone indicates a date of birth in 1757/8 not 1750. In 1758 her mother would have been 51. Curiosity concerning this seeming conundrum lead us to a review of the probate file, published in 1766, for Timothy Brownson which we have recently posted on the Blog. In a detailed will and probate file, there are a number of references to each of Timothy’s surviving children his daughter Elizabeth having died in 1861. However there is no mention of a child named Abigail. In the Barbour records there is a record for all of Timothy’s children. There is no Barbour record for a daughter named Abigail. This raised the question, Was there an error made somewhere in the Brownson history? There are some obvious clues. The history lists the place of death for the Bradley’s as Sunderland. As one of the most prominent couples of their day their history and death in Essex, Vermont is well documented. The history lists the parents of Samuel Bradley as “Stephen Bradley and Jennie Cornwall.” As you can discover in any number of Bradley histories and in the work of our oft mentioned Alvan Talcott Stephen and Jennie are Samuel’s grandparents. This raises the question, Were Timothy and Abigail our Abigail’s grandparents? The Brownson history accurately records Samuel and Abigail’s marriage and family history as found in the Sunderland records. The record is found in volume 3 of the land deed ledgers on the 6th page of the town records. The town records are numbered separately and scattered among the pages of the land deeds. The single entry is for the marriage of Samuel Bradley and Abigail Brownson on Feb. 28, 1780. The entry also records the birth of their first three children, Lecty, ( Later identified as Electa written as Leity in the Brownon history) Silvey (Silvia) and Theron. The researchers had missed the fact that in 1787 the family had moved to Essex, Vermont. So this then poses the question, If Abigail is in fact the granddaughter of Timothy and Abigail Brownson who are her parents? There are clues in the Brownson history. Timothy and Abigail’s oldest son was Amos Brownson born in Woodbury, Litchfield County, Conn. June 10, 1732. Amos married Dorcus Strong on December 12, 1757. The Brownson history lists a family of 5 including the oldest child a daughter named Abigail born November 20, 1758 in Woodbury. As is the case in many Connecticut towns, town clerks that came along a little later in the town’s history rewrote the original town records. What has survived in Abigail’s case is her birth record as rewritten and certified as a true copy by the town clerks. “Abigail ye daughter of Amos Brownson by his wife Dorcus was born November 20th 1758.” Amos moved his young family to Salisbury, with his father, where the remainder of his children were born. . Abigail’s birth is also found in the Salisbury records along with her siblings that were born in Salisbury. In the Brownson history concerning Abigail the writer also notes “m. 22/12/1795 (?) to Isaac Merwin.” The entry seems to indicate that the writer had information that indicated Abiagil had married and thought it may have been to Isaac Merwin. Most subsequent histories have recorded this marriage as a fact when the original writer posed it as an educated guess. This circumstance is probably the reason there has been little if any follow up on Abigail’s personal history. Later in the same Brownson history another contributor documents in detail the marriage of a cousin, also named Abigail Brownson, born March 17, 1777 in Bethlehem, Conn. designated as person B-167, to Isaac Merwin in Bethlehem, Conn. on 22/12/1795. Ancestry.com has any number of well documented pages on this couple. So if Amos Brownson’s daughter Abigail did not marry Isaac Merwin who did she marry as surmised by the Brownson author? The Brownson brothers played a prominent role in the American Revolution. Their war exploits are well documented. For example housed in the Library of Congress in its collection of material documenting the life of George Washington is a letter written by Gideon Brownson to General Washington. Because of their Revolutionary War exploits their family histories have received a good deal of attention. After his father’s death Amos moved his family to the area of Williston, Vermont in 1775. He is considered the founding father of Richmond, Vermont an area carved out of several townships including Williston. Because of the uncertainty of events relating to the growing conflict with the British Amos left Richmond to join his brothers Timothy Brownson Jr.and Gideon in Sunderland, Vermont where they became prominent members of the “Green Mountain Boys” and associates of Ethan Allen. After the Revolutionary War Amos returned to Richmond where he lived until his death. There are five pages is the Richmond town history dedicated to Amos's family. Concerning his daughter Abigail they write "Abigail, the oldest, was born November 20, 1758. She was 17 in 1775 when they went to Williston." Living in Sunderland during the years Amos lived there was Stephen Bradley and his wife Ruth Meigs with their family including their son Samuel Bradley. Samuel also joined the Green Mountain Boys along with the Brownsons. The early Sunderland town and deed records are replete with Brownson and Bradley references. Amos Brownson’s daughter Abigail was certainly with the family in Sunderland. Is she the Abigail Brownson who married Samuel Bradley? Luckily for us we have the testimony of an eyewitness to these events. __________ In 1832 the Congress of the United States passed a Pension Act for soldiers who fought in the Revolutionary War. Samuel Bradley applied for and was granted a pension. Later on the Act was expanded to grant benefits to the widows of ex soldiers. Among the collections held at the Vermont State Archives is a file for Samuel Bradley. The file includes a record of the appearance of his widow before the Probate Court to apply for widow’s benefits. What follows is her personal testimony before the court. “ Declaration of Mrs. Abigail Bradley. On this 17th day of July 1837 personally appeared Abigail Bradley of Essex, County of Chittenden in State of Vermont, before the Court of Probate for the said county, district who being first duly sworn according to laws do on her oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefits of the provisions made by the Act of Congress passed July 4th 1836. That she is the widow of Samuel Bradley late of Essex, county and State afore said a pensioner under the Act of Congress passed June 7th 1832, she further declared that she was born as informed by her parents and according to the records of the family on the 20th of November 1758 at Woodbury in the County of Litchfield and State of Connecticut that she married the said Samuel Bradley on the 28th day of February 1780 at Sunderland, County of Bennington……….. the marriage was solemnized by Timothy Brownson Esq. of said Sunderland (her uncle ). That she has lived ever since with the said Samuel Bradley until his decease June 30, 1834. That she knows he was in service after their marriage and thinks he was several times but it is long since and she cannot remember how long and how many times he was out after her marriage ………. For the Commission of Pensions to the declaration of her late husband in the Pension Office as the testimony here with enclosed she further declares she is yet the widow of Samuel Bradley sworn to and subscribed on the day. Charles Russell Judge.” Her signature is at the bottom of the document. As part of the proceedings she provided a copy of her marriage license. “Samuel Bradley was married to Abigail Brownson Feb 28, 1780, Abner Hill town clerk. Town Clerks Office Sunderland Aug AD 1837. I certify that the above is a true copy of record as examined by me. James A Graves Town Clerk”. _______________ In essence Abigail Brownson Bradley testified that she is the daughter of Amos Brownson and Dorcus Strong and the granddaughter of Timothy Brownson. It should then come as no surprise to find that Abigail named a daughter Dorcus after her mother. Dorcus is a biblical name that indicates a woman who abounded in good deeds. _________ The extended Brownson family has historically used a number of different spelling for their family name. Brownson, Bronson, Brunson. The spelling has changed from one branch of the family to the next . It is also changed from generation to generation. The Bronson spelling is now the most commonly used variation. In Abigail's family tree the name was always spelled Brownson.