Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 01.djvu/402

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BRADFORD

delphia, where he formoil a law jiartnersliip with liis fatlier, which contiiuuHl until the death of the latter in Oetol)er. ISil. Mr. Bnulford was a sueoessful railroad lawyer, and in l^oO he was elei-ted president of the Philadelphia and Tren- ton railrojid company. He continued in this ottice hy annual re-elections until January, 1872, and in the s;ime year was elected to the chair of civil liiw in the Washington and Lee university, I^'xinjrtun. Va., but declined the honor on ac- count of ill-health. In 1874 the imiversity con- ferred uiKin him the degree of LL.D., and in 1880 that of D.C.L. In his will Mr. Bradford, after providing certain annuities for personal friends and relatives, gave one-lialf of his estate to endow the Bradford chair of civil law and equity juris- prudence, and the Bradford chair of constitu- tional and international law in the Washington and Lee university, adding to the gift his large and valuable law library, and his gallery of paint- ings. The will requires that the law library and jiaintings shall lie maintained by the university by the annual appropriation of §400 and $500 re- spectively for additional works. He died at his liome in Philadelphia, Aug. 7, 1884.

BRADFORD, William, colonial governor, was lM)rn in AusterficM, Yorkshire, England, in March, 15s8. His father, a yeoman, died when the son was very young, leaving him a consider- able proi>erty. He was a cliild of studious and thoughtful nature, and when about twelve years old was deeply impressed by hearing the scrip- tures read. Later he joined the band of worship- pers known as Separatists, which was accustomed to assemble at the house of William Brewster in Scrooby, an adjacent village, and which met the disapproval of the members of the King's church. Persecution followed and James I. declared that he would " harry them out of the land, or worse." In this emergency they decided to remove to Holland, where they could worship God as they wished. They assembled with their goods and chattels at Bo.ston, England, with the ve.sseLs chartered and ready to start. But James, having succeeded in " harrying them out of the land " now proceeded tcf do " worse,"' and by treachery- of the captain they were be- trayed, seized by the king's forces, seven of them cast into prison, and their little property con- fiscateil. Bradford, because of his youth, was released sooner than the others. He proceeded to Zealand, where he was accu.sed of being an Engli-sh fugitive. On making known the cause of hi.s leaving England, he was liberated and joined his friends in Amsterdam, where he learned the trade of silk dyeing. At the end of three years he came into po.ssession of his inheri- tance. which he converted into money, and estab- lished himself in business. In 1609 the colony

removed to Leyden, where they remained for about ten years. Bradford was strongly in favor of making another change. They were undecided wliotlier to choose Guinea or the New Wrlil, but finally decided on the latter, and their elder, William Brewster, succeeded in obtaining for them a patent of land in Virginia. Returning to England they made preparations to embark, pur- chasing two small vessels, the ^)eedu'ell and the MaiiJlou-er. The former proved to be unsea- worthy, and as many of her j^assengers as possi- ble were transferred to the Mayflower. It had been the intention of the pilgrims to settle near the Hudson river, but arriving off the coast of New England, and being somewhat intimidated by the shoals and breakers, they decided to enter Cape Cod harbor, and on Nov. 11, 1620, before

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going into the harbor, they drew up an agree- ment as to their form of government, and chose for their governor John Carver. Then followed weary exploring tours in search of some favor- able place to settle. Bradford was one of the foremost in these hazardous journeys, and on his return from one of them was met with the sad news tliat his wife had been accidentally drowned. At last, on Dec. 21, 1620, the little band landed on Plymouth Rock. Even the most robust were scarcely able to bear up under the hardships and privations that followed. The number of deaths increased with alarming rapid- ity, six dying in December, eight in January, seventeen in February, and thirteen in March. In April the Mayfloirer returned t<i England, and shortly afterwards Governor Carver died. William Bradford was chosen his successor. For thirty -seven years he held this office, with the exception of the three years' term of Ed%vard Winslow and the two years" term of Mr. Prince.