Simon Bradstreet
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Simon Bradstreet (abt. 1603 - 1697)

Gov. Simon Bradstreet
Born about in Horbling, Lincolnshire, Englandmap
Ancestors ancestors
Husband of — married 1630 (to 16 Sep 1672) in Englandmap
Husband of — married 6 Jun 1676 [location unknown]
Descendants descendants
Died at about age 94 in Salem, Essex, Province of Massachusetts Baymap
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Profile last modified | Created 2 Jan 2011
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The Puritan Great Migration.
Simon Bradstreet migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See Great Migration Begins, by R. C. Anderson, Vol. 1, p. 209)
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19th Governor
John Leverett
20th Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony
1679 - 1686
President of the Council of New England
Joseph Dudley
Governor in Chief of the Dominion of New England
Sir Edmund Andros
21st Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony
1689 - 1692
Governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay
Sir William Phips

Contents

Biography

Notables Project
Simon Bradstreet is Notable.

(most extracted from GMB, pp 209-215)

Simon Bradstreet was baptized at Horbling, Lincolnshire, 18 Mar 1603/4, son of Rev. Simon Bradstreet.[1]

"Morison argues that the Simon Bradstreet who received degrees at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, was not the immigrant, although the immigrant did reside at that college about 1628-9 and was a very well-educated man." [2]

He married first, before 1630, Anne Dudley, daughter of Thomas Dudley. She died at Andover, MA 16 Sept 1672. He married second 6 Jun 1676 Ann (Downing) Gardner, baptized St. Brides Fleet Street, London, 12 Apr 1633, dau of Emanuel Downing (by his second wife, Lucy Winthrop), and widow of Capt. Joseph Gardner of Salem (son of Thomas Gardner).[3]; she d. 19 Apr 1713.[4]

Simon and Anne (Dudley) Bradstreet and Thomas and Dorothy Dudley (Anne's parents) came with Governor Winthrop from England to the Massachusetts Bay Colony on the ship "Arabella" in 1630.

According to the records of the first Boston Church, Simon was the seventh member. This would have been in the fall of 1630.[5]

He settled initially in Boston, removed to Cambridge in 1634, Ipswich in 1636, Salem in 1646, Andover 1652, Salem 1676, Boston by 1689, Salem 1692.

He returned to England and back again in 1662.

He died in Salem, MA 27 Mar 1697.[6] He was buried at Old Burying Point Cemetery, Salem, Essex Co., MA

1620 Living at Sempringham, Planning for Massachusetts

The names of those living at Sempringham during the 1620s that developed the idea to form the Massachusetts Bay Company that led to the founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony: [7]

Last Will & Testament

Dated 23 Dec 1689, codicil 27 Jan 1692/3, proved 2 Apr 1697

"...having given all my eight children such portions as I thought meet and equal & divided my plate and household stuff amongst them" the remained bequeath to "my dear and loving wife Mrs. Ann Bradstreet all that estate real and personal whatsoever that I had of hers or with her in marriage... (according to agreement made with her before marriage) in lieu of her thirds" ... also "my negro woman Hannah and her daughter Bilhah now living with me, not to be sold to any except in way of marriage, but if she finds meet to dispose of them or either of them before or at her death, then to some of my children whom she pleaseth"... also provisions at the house in Boston with one quarter rent of the house wherein I lived at my death... whereas "by a former will I had given to my eldest son Samuel Bradstreet my farm at Lynn" but at his death by his will given to Mary Bradstreet "his eldest daughter by his first wife whom I have been forced to educate and maintain... since September 1670... and have now three of my said son's children sent me from Jamaica" make some alteration to this gift by granting my wife L10 a year from the arm and "to the said Mercy Bradstreet the daughter of my son Samuel" the farm in Lynn occupied by Cornet John Lewis, to her and her heirs or in want of such heirs of her body, to the children of her father Samuel Bradstreet equally... to "John and Simon Bradstreet two my son Samuel's children now with me my house and land in Lynn"... to "Anne Bradstreet another child of my son Samuel Bradstreet" a house and land in Lynn... "my dear and loving wife Mrs. Ann Bradstreet" executrix as regards the three children of my son Samuel viz. John Simon and Anne; to the three children of my son Simon Bradstreet viz, Simon John and Lucy... to Simon Bradstreet the eldest of the three children before mentioned... to my son Dudley Bradstreet... my house and farm at Topsfield wherein he now liveth... and to each of his children living at my decease L10 apiece... to "my grandchild Mr. John Cotton of Hampton" L20 and to his sisters "the daughters of my daughter Dorothy"... to "my son-in-law Mr. Andrew Wiggin" all that debth which he owest me L50" and to every of his children by my daughter Hannah.... to "my daughter Mrs. Sarah Ward and to her husband capt. Samuel Ward" all that debt which her former husband Mr. Richard Hubbard owed me being more than L100, and to every of her children... to "my daughter Mrs. Mercy Wade and to her husband Mr. Nathaniel Wade"... to "the three children of my son Simon"... to "my son Dudley Bradstreet"....

Children

By first wife:

  1. Samuel, b say 1632; graduated Harvard College 1653;[8] m1 "in" 1662 Mercy Tyng;[9] m2 by 1682 Margery or Martha ______.
  2. Dorothy, b say 1634; m Andover 14 Jun 1654 Rev. Seaborn Cotton,[10] son of Rev. John Cotton.
  3. Sarah, b say 1636 m1 by abt 1658 Rev. Richard Hubbard[11] (brother of William Hubbard the historian); m2 aft 1681 Samuel Ward.
  4. Hannah, b say 1638; m Andover 3 Jun 1659 Andrew Wiggin, son of Thomas Wiggin.[12]
  5. Simon, b 28 Sep 1640; graduated Harvard 1660;[13] m Newbury 2 Oct 1667 Lucy Woodbridge
  6. Mercy, b abt 1647 (in 68th year at death), d. Medford 5 Oct 1715; m Andover 31 Oct 1672 Nathaniel Wade.
  7. Dudley, b say 1649; m Andover 12 Nov 1673 Ann (Wood) Price, dau of Richard and Ann (Priddeth) Wood and widow of Theodore Price.[14]
  8. John, b Andover 22 Jul 1652; m Topsfield 11 Jun 1677 Sara Perkins.[15]

[What is the source of the following narrative?]

Governor Simon Bradstreet, son of a non-conforming minister, was born March, 1603, at Horblin, Lincolnshire. His father died when he was fourteen years old, and he was committed to the care of Hon. Thomas Dudley, for eight years following. He spent one year at Emanual College, Cambridge, pursuing his studies amidst various interruptions.

Leaving Cambridge, he resided in the family of the Earl of Lincoln, as his steward, and afterwards lived in the same capacity with the Countess of Warwick. He with Mr. Winthrop, Mr. Dudley, and others, agreed to emigrate, and form a settlement in Massachusetts; and being appointed an Assistant, he with his family and others went on board the Arbella, March 29, 1630; anchored, June 12, near Naumkeak, now Salem, went on shore, but returned to the vessel at night; came, on the 14th , into the inner harbor, and went on shore. He attended the first Court, Aug 23, at Charlestown.

In the spring of 1631, Mr. Bradstreet with other gentlemen commenced building at Newtown, now Cambridge, and his name is among those constituting the first company which settled in that town in 1632. He resided there several years. In 1639, the court granted him 500 acres of land in Salem, in the next convenient place to Gov. Endicott's farm. It appears that he resided a short time at Ipswich.

Mr. Bradstreet was among the first settlers of Andover, and was highly useful in promoting the settlement, in bearing the burdens incident to a new plantation, and in giving a right direction to its affairs. About the year 1644, he built the first mill on the Cochichewick. He was a selectman from the first record of town officers to 1672, soon after which, he probably spent most of his time in Boston and Salem. He was the first Secretary of the colony, and discharged the duties of the office many years. He was one of the first Commissioners of the United Colonies in 1643, and served many years with fidelity and usefulness in this office. In 1653, he with his colleague vigourously opposed making war on the Dutch in New York, and on the Indians; and it was prevented by his steady and conscientious opposition and the decision of the General Court of Massachusetts, though earnestly and strenuously urged by all the Commissioners of the other three colonies.

He was deputy Governor from 1672 to 1679, when he was elected Governor, and continued in office till Mr. Joseph Dudley, his nephew, was appointed, in 1686, head of the administration, and the government was changed and the Charter annulled.

Gov. Bradstreet was considered at the head of the moderate party; and, when the Charter was demanded by King Charles, he thought it better that it should be surrendered, than that it should be taken away by judgement, as in that case it might be more easily resumed.

He strenuously opposed the arbitrary proceedings of Andros; and when, in 1689, the people put down his authority, they made their old Governor their President. He continued at the head of the administration till May, 1692, at the advanced age of 89 years, when Sir William Phips arrived from England with the new Charter, in which Sir William was appointed Governor, and Mr. Bradstreet first Assistant. He had been in service in the government sixty-two years, excepting the short administrations of Dudley and Andros. No man in the country has continued in so high offices so many years, and to so advanced age as he. He was a popular magistrate, and was opposed to the witch delusion in 1692, which caused great alarm and distress at the commencement of Gov. Phips' administration. "He lived to be the Nestor of New England," for all who came over from England with him, died before him.

The following inscription is on the monument erected in Salem to Gov. Bradstreet:

Simon Bradstreet
Armiger, ex ordine Senatoris in Colonia Massachusettensi ab anno 1630, usque ad annum 1673. Deinde ad annum 1679, Vice-Gubernator. Denique, ad annum 1686, ejusdem coloniae, communi et constanti populi suffragio,
Gubernator
Vir, judicio Lyn ceario praditus; quem nec numma, nec honos allexit. Regis auctoritatem, et populi libertatem, aequa lance libravit. Religione cordatus, vita innocuns, mundum et vicit et deseruit, 27 die Martii, A.D. 1697, annoque Guliel: 3t. IX. et Aet. 94

Sources

  1. Greenwood, Isaac J. Gov. Simon Bradstreet's Ancestry. NEHGR (1874) Vol 48:Pages 168-171.
  2. Morison p 367-68; see Venn 1:203 for the record of the "other" Simon Bradstreet.
  3. Jacobus, Donald Lines. Hale, House, and Related Families, Mainly of the Connecticut River Valley]] (Connecticut Historical Society, Hartford, 1952), p 518.
  4. Diary of Samuel Sewall, p 710
  5. Boston Church Records, p 13.
  6. Diary of Samuel Sewall, p 371
  7. Charles W. Allen. Journey of Promise: West from Sempringham. ( 2014) [1] Accessed March 17, 2016
  8. Sibley, Harvard Graduates: 1:360-61
  9. Coddington, John Insley. A Royal Descent from King Edward the III of England to Thomas1 Cottymore of Chalrestown, Mass. Elizabeth wife of William1 Tyng of Boston, Sarah wife of Ralph1 Edowes of Philadelphia Co., PA, John Quincy Adams, Neveille Chamberlin and others. The American Genealogist (The American Genealogist, Barrington, RI, 1956) Vol 32, Page 18. View with NEHGS Membership.
  10. Sibley, Harvard Graduates: 1:292
  11. Sibley, Harvard Graduates: 1:342-43
  12. Libby, Charles Thornton. Genealogical Dictionary of Maine and New Hampshire (Southward Press, Portland, Maine, 1928), page 751. View on FamilySearch (go to online page 152).
  13. Sibley, Harvard Graduates: 2:54-57
  14. Hinman, Barry E. Ann (Wood)(Price) Bradstreet: an identity revealed. NEHGR (April, 1985) 139:139-42
  15. Robt Chas Anderson, GMB I-III, p 214; oddly he does not cite any sources for John's information.

See also:

  • Page 185: He "at the age of fourteen years, entered Emanuel College, Cambridge, and matriculated there 9th July, 1618, as a sizer, but received his degree of A. B. two years later, and a master's degree in 1624."
  • 1666, July, "My Fathers (Gov. Simon Bradstreet) house was burnt. The losse was at least 8. or 900£.




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Comments: 4

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Bradstreet-312 and Bradstreet-16 appear to represent the same person because: Bradstreet-312 (unsourced and orphaned) says it is a profile for Gov. Simon Bradstreet. Should be merged into his correct profile.
posted by Regan Conley
Ugh. I don’t know much of that side to connect. I’m in ancestry with a small tree…
posted by Carrie (Hennessy) Page
I think I am related to Simon. Not sure how to merge my results to compare
posted by Carrie (Hennessy) Page
Carrie, Connecting yourself to Simon is not done by merging. From your parents' profiles, you need to add their parents (your grandparents), and then from your grandparents' profiles, you need to add their parents (your great grandparents), etc. until you "connect" up to one of your ancestors who is already on WikiTree.
posted by Kay (Johnson) Wilson