Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

BRADLEY, Daniel Burr,
Financier, Liegislator.
It is no uncommon thing to find at the
head of affairs in many of the New Eng-
land towns and cities men whose ancestry
can be traced to the first settlers of those
towns. It seems particularly fitting that
this should be so. One whose family is
old in the history of Fairfield county, and
whose career has been one to further
honor the name is Daniel Burr Bradley,
leading citizen and banker of Westport,
Connecticut.
The name of Bradley is of Norman
origin, and is a place name derived from
Bradley, in Lincolnshire, England. In its
old English form it was Brad-Leah and
literally signified broad lea or meadow.
The earliest Bradley known seems to be
Sir Francis Bradley, who probably flourished
in Yorkshire, and who must have
been born about mo. The American
immigrant ancestor of the family herein
described was Francis Bradley. John
Bradley, brother of the latter, was of the
parish of St. Andrew's, Middlesex, and
died in March, 1697-98. He was buried,
according to all directions in his will, in
the parish church of St. Pancras, on
March 30th. His will, dated February
20, 1696, was proved March 31, 1697-98,
in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury,
and is recorded in the records of that
court, 47 Pyne. The original will is pre-
served in the files.
The family of the immigrant in Eng-
land has been traced to William Bradley,
of SheriiT Hutton, County York, and the
pedigree is given in Camden's "Visitation
of the County of Warwick," in 1619,
which is published in Volume XII of the
"Publications of the Harleian Society."
The arms of the family are there given as
Gules, a chevron argent between three
:
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
391
boars' heads couped or. These arms were
not contained in early editions of Burke's
General Armory, but in the edition of 1868
he copied it and gave Camden as his au-
thority.
This William Bradley had a son, William
Bradley, of the city of Coventry,
County Warwick, England, who married
Agnes Margate. Francis Bradley, eldest
son of William and Agnes Bradley, mar-
ried Francisca Watkins, and their son,
Francis Bradley, son and heir, aged
twenty-four in 1619, was the founder of
the American line. Joseph P. Bradley,
author of "Family Notes Respecting the
Bradley Family of Fairfield," and one of
the chief historians of the family, announced
his faith in this descent in the
above work.
(I) Francis Bradley, the immigrant, is
first mentioned in the New Haven records
in 1650; he was a member of the household
of Governor Theophilus Eaton, and
it is possible that he came over with the
latter in 1637, or with his cousin, William,
in 1644. Francis Bradley settled in Branford
in 1657, and in Fairfield in 1660. He
was made a freeman in October, 1664. He
married Ruth Barlow, daughter of John
Barlow.
(II) Daniel Bradley, fifth child and
third son of Francis and Ruth (Barlow)
Bradley, was born in 1673, and died in
1714. He married Abigail Jackson,
daughter of Joseph Jackson.
(III) Captain Daniel (2) Bradley, son
of Daniel (i) and Abigail (Jackson)
Bradley, was born in 1704, and died April
23, 1765. Captain Bradley was an esteemed
citizen and a brave soldier; he
served at Cape Breton in 1745. In 1724,
Captain Bradley married (first) Esther
Burr, born January 31, 1702-03, a de-
scendant of Jehue Burr, and a sister of
Rev. Aaron Burr, the first president of