I am a new subscriber to this list, and am looking for the parents of John Bradford who was born in Tennessee on 25 July 1798. I do not know what county he was born in, but I am told by a reliable friend "it was most likely Sumner or Davidson County." A group of Bradford folks migrated from Tennessee to Franklin County, IN around 1805, at which time John (my 4G-grandfather) would have been about 7 years old so his name would not have appeared on any documentation or census figures of the time, even if they were available. I assume John and his parents were among these folks though, since John is shown to have married in Franklin County, IN in 1817, though I cannot find him in either the 1820 or 1830 Census. This John Bradford has been a major brick wall for me for nearly two decades, and while I do continue to "nibble away" at the brick wall with little tidbits of information, I have yet to find so much as a word on who his parents might be. If this sounds at all remotely familiar to anyone, I would be eternally grateful to anyone who can give me some direction or guidance on pushing this line back another generation or two. My thanks to anyone responding. No lead, guidance, or fragment of information is too small. I welcome anything and everything, even a wild guess. :-) David E. Cann decann@infionline.net davidecann@gmail.com (alternate) * * * * * * 1. John Bradford was born on 25 Jul 1798 in Tennessee. He owned $1,000.00 worth of real estate on 1 Jun 1850 in Sand Creek Township, Bartholomew County, Indiana. On 1 Jun 1850 he was a farmer in Sand Creek Township, Bartholomew County, Indiana. He lived with his son Jonathan and daughter Sarah in Columbus Township, Bartholomew County, Indiana on 1 Jun 1860. He appeared in the census in 1860 in Columbus Township, Bartholomew County, Indiana. He is shown as a widower and able to read and write. On 1 Jun 1870 he was a wheelwright in Geneva Township, Jennings County, Indiana. He owned personal property valued at $200 on 1 Jun 1870. John Bradford and Sarah Blades were married on 20 Jan 1817 in Franklin County, Indiana. The ceremony was performed by a Rev. John Blades, a Baptist minister serving Franklin, Rush, and Bartholomew Counties, and thought to be Sarah's uncle. They appeared in the census in 1840 in Sand Creek Township, Bartholomew County, Indiana. They lived in Sand Creek Township, Bartholomew County, Indiana in 1840. They lived on their farm in Sand Creek Township, Bartholomew County, Indiana on 1 Jun 1850. They appeared in the census in 1850 in Sand Creek Township, Bartholomew County, Indiana. The census entry indicates that she could not read or write. Sarah Blades (daughter of Isaac Blades and Sarah Higgs) was born on 27 Jun 1800/1 in South Carolina. She is thought to have been born in Abbeville County, but this is undocumented. She died before 1860 in Bartholomew County, Indiana. She was buried before 1860 in Section (now Harmony) Cemetery, Bartholomew County, Indiana. One source states her gravesite has no marker. John Bradford and Sarah Blades had the following children: 2 i. Isaac Bradford, born on 19 Sep 1827, Sand Creek Township, Bartholomew County, Indiana; married Sarah Jane Bickerton, on 18 May 1848, Sand Creek Township, Bartholomew County, Indiana; died on 30 Nov 1908. 3 ii. Harvey Bradford, born on 16 Nov 1828, Sand Creek Township, Bartholomew County, Indiana; married Merium; died on 21 May 1900. 4 iii. Emaline Mary (Emily) Bradford, born on 18 Dec 1830, Sand Creek Township, Bartholomew County, Indiana; married John Carney, on 10 Jan 1850. iv. John Herod Bradford was born on 23 Apr 1832 in Sand Creek Township, Bartholomew County, Indiana. He appeared in the census in 1840 in Bartholomew County, Indiana. He lived with his parents in Sand Creek Township, Bartholomew County, Indiana on 1 Jun 1850. He appeared in the census in 1850 in Sand Creek Township, Bartholomew County, Indiana. He is shown as a student in school. He appeared in the census in 1860 in Columbus Township, Bartholomew County, Indiana. He is shown on the census as living with his brother Isaac and his family. In 1860 he was a carpenter. He lived in Elizabethtown, Bartholomew County, Indiana in 1870. He politically a Republican and stated his faith simply as a "Christian" about 1874 in Bartholomew County, Indiana. He died on 25 Jan 1904. He was buried after 25 Jan 1904 in Springer Cemetery, Bartholomew County, Indiana. v. Sarah Ann Bradford was born on 19 Apr 1833 in Sand Creek Township, Bartholomew County, Indiana. She appeared in the census in 1840 in Bartholomew County, Indiana. She lived with her parents in Sand Creek Township, Bartholomew County, Indiana on 1 Jun 1850. She appeared in the census in 1850 in Sand Creek Township, Bartholomew County, Indiana. She is indicated as a student in school. She lived with her father and brother Jonathan in Columbus Township, Bartholomew County, Indiana on 1 Jun 1860. She appeared in the census in 1860 in Columbus Township, Bartholomew County, Indiana. She is shown as able to read and write. She died on 12 Nov 1900. 5 vi. Jonathan William Bradford, born on 1 Jan 1838, Sand Creek Township, Bartholomew County, Indiana; married [name unknown]; died on 16 Jun 1903. John Bradford and Susan were married after 1860. They appeared in the census on 1 Jun 1870 in Geneva Township, Jennings County, Indiana. According to census figures, he was head of household and an American citizen over 21 years of age. They lived with his son Harvey and his wife in Geneva Township, Jennings County, Indiana on 1 Jun 1870. Susan was born about 1806 in New York. On 1 Jun 1870 she was keeping house in Geneva Township, Jennings County, Indiana.