Bradley V Huntley 1827-1907

Bradley V Huntley was born May 19, 1827 in Milton, Chittenden County, Vermont. He was the son of Clarissa Bradley and Duran Huntley. As the oldest son his mother gave him her family name, Bradley. Giving a son a family name was a common occurrence. In this case it may have had a little more meaning since his mother’s father, Harding Bradley, (Blog April 2016) had died as a relatively young man in 1819. ---------- Duran Huntley was born in Lyme, Connecticut in 1764. He moved to Milton, Vermont at a young age. Evidence suggests that the much younger Clarissa Bradley, born 1796, was probably his third wife. Duran died in 1842. In the 1850 census taken in nearby Colchester we see Clarissa listed twice the matriarch of seemingly multiple Huntley households. Bradley also appears as the head of his own household with members of the extended family living under his roof in that 1850 census. Clarissa died in Colchester March 14, 1859. ---------- There still remains a good deal of confusion regarding the parentage of Duran’s children the issue being which child belonged to which wife. The issue is further compounded by the lack of a clear identity for the other wives particularly the first. You even see the confusion in the excellent Huntley family history. It seems quite clear however that Clarissa’s children were, Bradley V, Edgar Porter, Almeda and Henry. ---------- As a young man Bradley left Vermont and moved across Lake Champlain to the area of Plattsburgh, Clinton County, New York. There are very few surviving vital records from the Plattsburgh. Putting together a picture of Bradley’s life is reliant on census and military records. ---------- Bradley does not appear in the 1860 census records. His military records place him in Saranac, New York in 1862. In Saranac he married Mary Ann Cline. Listed as Mary or Mary Ann in the census records the only source for her last name is in the marriage records for two of her daughters. ---------- A daughter, who they name Cora, was born in 1862. But the contingencies of the ongoing Civil War saw Bradley enlist on June 14, 1862. His military enlistment file notes that he joined in Detroit, Michigan. At first glace you are led to believe that there must be another Bradley V Huntley, Michigan is some distance from Plattsburgh. The mystery is solved with the discovery that he joined the 17th Regiment Michigan along with his brother Edgar Porter who was then living in Michigan. Further clarity is found in the notation that his residence was Saranac, NY. a subset of Plattsburgh. ---------- The 17th was a support regiment. In various census records Bradley is listed as a wheelwright or mechanic. It is a fair interpretation to suggest that his unit was involved with the maintenance of wagon’s and equipment. His military records show that he left the army on December 16, 1862 having served 6 months. --------- The next time we find a record for Bradley is the 1870 census taken in Saranac, Clinton, NY. Saranac was formed from the western part of Plattsburgh. The 1870 census lists; Bradley Huntley, age 42, born in Vermont. Also listed is Mary Ann-27, Burnham-18, Cora, 8, John-5, Nellie-3, Mary 7/12, all born in NY. ---------- The name Burnham, age 18, poses some interesting questions. At the age of 18 Burnham would have been born in 1852 when Mary Ann was only 9 years of age. Is he a cousin? Is there a chance that Bradley was married once before? There is no definitive explanation. However there is circumstantial evidence that argues that he was in fact Bradley’s son from an earlier marriage. Bradley Huntley lived the majority of his adult life in the area of Plattsburgh. However in the 1892 New York State census he is living in Diana, Lewis, NY. some distance to the west. Why move to Diana? The answer is that Diana was the home of Burnham. It would seem that as he got older Bradley had moved closer to his oldest child. ---------- There are some additional bits and pieces to the Burnham mystery. Burnham had a son who he also named Bradley Huntley. This younger Bradley was born November 26, 1880. Most genealogies incorrectly list him as the son of Bradley V Huntley, but he is in fact Burnham’s son. In the 1892 census in Diane, Bradley is listed in the household of Burnham and Hattie Huntley, age 13. Father and son are buried together in the Watertown Cemetery in Watertown, NY. ---------- Another twist to the Burnham story was the discovery that for much of his life he went by the name of Vernon. Is the “V” in Bradley” V” Huntley actually Vernon? There is in fact a birth record for the Bradley in question that is found in St. Albans, Vt. It records the birth of Bradley Huntley, Nov 26, 1880, the son of Vernon Huntley and Hattie Day. St. Albans is just across Lake Champlain from Plattsburgh. --------- We find the family of Bradley Huntley in the 1880 census taken in West Plattsburgh. That area is more commonly referred to as Cadyville. Listed is; Bradley-54, Mary A- 38, Cora-19, Frederick-4, Burt-2. Vernon is also listed as the head of his own household in Plattsburgh. ---------- Bradley Huntley is listed on the muster roll for Civil War survivors in Plattsburgh in 1884; Bradley V Huntley, 56, born Milton VT,, Residence, W. Plattsburg. ---------- In 1890 he is listed in the muster held in Diana, Lewis, NY. ---------- He is also recorded in the 1892 New York Census in Diana; Bradley V Huntley-66, Mary Ann-47, John-28, Fred-17, Burt-15. ---------- Bradley is also found in the Federal census taken in Harrisville/Diana in 1900. Listed is Bradley Huntley, May 1827, Mary A.-Aug 1845, Eunice B-Nov 1887. --------- In the 1905 New York census he is part of the household of John Huntley in Plattsburgh; Bradley V, Father, 77. ---------- Bradley is buried in the Harrisville Cemetery. His headstone, erected by the military, reads; Bradley Huntley / Co F / 17 Reg Mich / Died / Nov 23 1907 / aged 78 yrs. --------- The lack of vital records from upstate New York makes creating a family profile for Bradley and his children difficult. He is the only Huntley buried in Harrisville. It is my guess that the remainder of his family is buried near Plattsburgh. John and five of his children buried in the Cadyville Cemetery. ---------- Bradley’s wife is identified as Mary Ann Cline in the marriage records for both of his daughters, Cora and Eunice. Census records place her birth in New York in August 1845. It is probably a fair assumption that she was born in or near Plattsburgh/Saranac. Her death occurred at some point between the 1900 and the 1905 census. ---------- Burnham/ Vernon and his wife, Hattie Day are buried in the North Watertown Cemetery. Watertown, Diana, and Harrisville are towns found in close proximity along the Black River. His headstone lists two dates 1857 and Dec 1922. --------- For the 1900 census the US government designed a very detailed census for the turn of the new century. One of the items they wanted to be recorded was the number of children each woman had delivered and how many were still living. That 1900 census lists eleven children born with seven still living for Mary Ann. We have only identified seven total. It is a rough guess that it is those seven who were still living in 1900. --------- Cora appears in the 1870 census, age 8, which suggest a date of birth in 1862. In the 1880 census she is listed as age 19. The next record we find for her is a marriage registered in St Albans, Vermont. The marriage date is January 6, 1882. The bride is identified as; Cora Huntley, age 20, born Saranac, NY, the daughter of Bradley Huntley and Mary A Cline. The groom is Henry S Huntley. After the marriage Cora disappears from the records. ---------- The census records are inconsistent in their estimation of John’s age. The best guess is October 1864. John married Anna Lawless. They lived out their entire married life in Cadyville/Plattsburgh. John and five of his children are buried in the Cadyville Cemetery. The dates provided by the existing cemetery transcription are lacking to say the least. He last appears in the census records in 1930. ---------- Nellie is listed as age 3 in the 1870 census. In 1880 she is listed as, age 15, living as a servant in another household in Plattsburg. Her sisters married in Vermont, which kept excellent marriage records. It is possible that Nellie married in New York for which there are no records and was still alive in 1900 as indicated in the 1900 census for her mother. --------- Mary was listed as age 7/12 in the 1870 census taken in August of that year. That suggests a date of birth in January 1870. That 1870 census is the only mention of Mary. ---------- Fredirick is listed as age 4 in the 1880 census. The 1892 New York census lists him as 17. In the 1900 census he is part of his brother John’s household. The 1900 census lists his birth as Aug 1877. There is a listing for a Fred Huntley age 28 in the Harristown census taken in 1905 New York census. ---------- Burt is listed as age 2 in the 1880 census. He is listed as age 15 in the 1892 census in Diana. There are no other records for Burt. Some family histories suggest that Burt is actually the Bradley we have previous discussed. However that Bradley appears in his own father’s household in the same 1892 census. There are no other records for Burt. ---------- There is a gap in the family between the birth of Burt in 1878 and that of the next child in 1887. Where the missing four children born in that time span? ---------- Eunice is listed in the 1900 census. The census gives her date of birth as Nov 1887. In the 1892 census there is listed a daughter, Mary N, age 5. The age of 5 suggests a birth in 1887. You would expect Eunice to also appear in the 1892 census. The fact is that the Mary N was probably a mistake and that we are looking as Eunice in both census records. --------- We find a marriage record for Eunice in Pawlet, Vermont dated September 27, 1920. It lists her as Eunice B Huntley, residing in Pawlet, born in Plattsburgh, NY, the daughter of Bradley Huntley and Mary Ann Cline. The groom is Warren Stratton of Pawlet. There are no other records for Eunice Huntley Stratton. Warren appears in the 1930 census. He died in 1950 in Pawlet. ---------- Eunice is not buried with Warren Stratton. Mary Ann Cline is not buried with her husband Bradley Huntley. It is my suspicion that somewhere near Plattsburgh is a yet undiscovered Huntley family burial plot that also includes the missing four children. ---------------------- Bradley V Huntley / Clarissa Bradley / Harding / Stephen / Stephen / Stephen / Stephen Bradley of Guilford.