Norman Samuel Bradley of Essex, Vermont

Norman Samuel Bradley was born in Essex, Vermont in August of 1833 the son of Theron Bradley and Amanda Ring. We find most of his personal data in his death record dated December 30, 1903, which is found in the Williston town records; Bradley Norman S., age 70 yrs, 4 mo and 23 days, Born in Essex, Parents Theron Bradley and Amanda Ring. Found in Volume-1 of the Essex town records is his marriage to Sarah McDonald on “on the 20th day of August A.D. 1854”. Reverend J. D. Lang of the Congregational Society performed the marriage. Norman’s grandfather Samuel Bradley had served as the Deacon in the Society for over thirty years. We find the name of his first two children in the Society records, Lois Carrie and Sylvia Elizabeth. According to family records Sarah C. McDonald was born in Canada her parents English immigrants. The 1900 census notes that she arrived in America in 1845. The same census lists her date of birth as May 1831. I am guessing that the “C” stood for “Carrie” a name she gave to her daughter. The last record we have of her is the 1910 census.------ In the 1860 census the family is living in Essex. The family consisted of Norman and Sarah and their two daughters Carrie age 4 and Silva age 1. In the 1870 census the family is living in Warren, Vermont the family now included five girls, Carrie L., Sylvia, Abby, Maria and Hattie.------- Starting in 1859 Essex began keeping detailed birth and death records. In those records we find the birth and death record for William N. Bradley. William’s birth is recorded on October 6th, 1862. His parents are identified at Norman and Sarah Bradley. His death record is dated August 26, 1863, “William N. Bradley, 10 mo 26 days, Dropsy on the Brain, Norman and Sarah Bradley.”--------- There is no birth record in Essex for Lois Carrie. Evidence suggests that she was born in January of 1856. The only mention of her full name is found in the Congregational records. Her marriage to Alonzo Bellus is found in the Essex town records dated May 5, 1880. His name is spelled Alonzo Bellus. the Bellus family later on used the spelling of Bellows. The marriage record lists the marriage as the first for both and both are listed at the age of 24. Carrie’s parents and listed as Norman S. & Sarah Bradley. The marriage was performed by her father’s first cousin, A. B. Halbert, the Justice of the Peace. In the 1880 census taken in Essex the Bellus family is living next door to the Norman Bradley family. The death record for Carrie is also found in the Essex records in 1889, “November 23, Carrie Bradley Bellus, age 33-10, female, married, Consumption, Born Essex, Norman S. & Sarah Bradley.” Found three lines above is the record of the death of her daughter; May 10, “Not named Bellus, 1-4 Female, Cholera Infantum, Born Westford, Alonzo and Carrie Bellus.”--------- Sylvia Elizabeth Bradley was born according to the 1900 census in June 1854. Other evidence suggests that the date was in 1859. Her official death record places her date of birth in August 1857. The marriage of “Sylvia E. Bradley” to William H. Curtis is dated August 9th 1893. The bride is listed as thirty-four years old, William was twenty years her senior. L. B. Tenney, the Congregational pastor, performed the marriage. Sylvia E. Bradley is buried in the Essex Common Burial Ground. Her headstone reads, “Feb 21, 1901, Wife of Wm. H. Curtis, Age 42.” Her death record, found in the Essex town records, is dated February 21, 1901; Sylvia E. Curtis age 43 yrs 6 mo, married, nephritis, Place of birth Essex, Vt, Parents Norman and Sarah Bradley”.-------- The birth record for Abby Luella Bradley is found in the Essex town records dated July 19, 1864. Her parents are listed as Norman and Sarah Bradley. For most of her life she is identified as “Abbie F.”. Her marriage to Albert S. Bellows age “fifty-one” is found in the Essex records dated May 13, 1885. The marriage is listed as the “third” for Albert. She is listed as ‘Abbie F. Bradley” born in Essex, age “twenty-one”, daughter of Norman and Sarah Bradley. There is another marriage record for Abbie dated November 30th, 1893. She is identified as Abbie F. Bellows age “twenty-nine” the daughter of Norman S. and Sarah Bradley. The groom is Albert M. Thomas age “sixty-one”. The marriage is listed as a second marriage for both. Abbie’s first marriage was performed by a justice of the peace her second by the Congregational pastor. Apparently Abbie and Albert Bellows divorced. Albert Bellow’s death is recorded in Colchester, Vermont, August 12, 1912. A daughter Susan Thomas was born according to Essex records April 10th 1896. The 1900 census finds the Thomas family living in the next County in Cambridge, Vermont. In his marriage record to Abbie, Albert Thomas’s place of birth is listed as Townsend, Vermont. His parents are listed as Amos and Cynthia Thomas. In the town records in Sterling, Massachusetts we find his death record, it is dated March 20, 1904; Albert Major Thomas, place of birth Townsend, Vt, Parents Amos Thomas of Townsend and Cynthia Walden of Townsend. In the 1810 census taken in the 12th Ward in Boston we find Abbie and Susan Thomas age 14.-------- Sarah Maria Bradley was born in Essex September 22, 1866 the daughter of Norman S. and Sarah Bradley. Maria Bradley was living in her sister Abbie’s household in Cambridge in 1900. On September 25, 1901 she became the 3rd wife of her sister Sylvia’s husband William H. Curtis. The marriage is recorded in Cambridge. The record lists her name as Maria S. Bradley, the marriage as her first, her age as 35 years, and her parents Norman and Sarah Bradley. William’s death is recorded in Cambridge August 27, 1905. The last record we have for Maria is the 1920 census taken in Cambridge. She is listed as a widow and a servant. She is living in the household of an older man I think the correct term should have been housekeeper.-------- Harriet Bradley was born in Essex November 27, 1868. According to the census records her family called her Hattie. Her detailed marriage record is found in Boston. Dated September 13, 1896 it records; “Harriet E. Bradley, living Boston, age 24, School teacher, born Essex, Vt, parents Norman and Sarah.” Her husband is listed as; John W. Hunter, residence Hopewell, NB (New Brunswick, Canada), age 36, master mariner, born Hopewell, NB, parents Capt James and Nancy”.-------- In the 1900 census taken in Essex, Norman Bradley is the only name listed in his household. The census records had usually listed him as a farm laborer. The 1900 census notes that he was living in his own home, which he had owned for seven years. Living about twenty-five miles away in Cambridge, Vermont in the household of Albert Thomas we find; Abbie Thomas, Sarah Bradley, mother in law, age 69, Maria Bradley age 33 and Hattie Hunter age 31. In the 1910 census also taken in Cambridge we find living in the household of Harriet Hunter; Sarah Bradley, widow, the mother of six, three still living, and Mariah Curtis, widow.------- Reference the Blog: April 2014 for Theron Bradley, April 2014 for Samuel and Abigail Bradley