Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 01.djvu/403

 BRADFORD.

BRADFORD.

His thorough understanding of Indian character, and his promjit action, tact and bravery, saved many lives and won for liini the love and i-espect of his people. Had it not been for the Indians the pilgrims would have starved, for new emi- grants were arriving at intervals, bringing with them no provision, and the alarming inroads made on their scanty stores caused a severe famine in the settlement. Governor Bradford sent out expeditions to trade with the savages, and in almost every instance the colonists were treated with fairness. In 1629 a new and larger patent of land was granted them in the name of " William Bradford, his heirs, associates, and assigns,"' confirming the laws they had drawn up and giving them many privileges for which they had not dared to hope. Little by little the judicious management of the governor lessened the extreme misery and want of the colonists. The friendship of the Indians kept them many times from starvation, and the furs and other products for which they traded were readily turned into money on being taken to England. Though in his youth Governor Bradford had been given scant opportunities for acquiring knowledge, later in life he had studied the lan- guages in order that he might, as he quaintly expressed it, '" see with his own eyes the ancient oracles of God in their native beauty." French and Dutch, Latin, Greek and Hebrew were all familiar to him, and he was also a student of history, philosophy and theology. His pen was as busy as his brain, and though but one of his works was published during his life, many others have been handed down as valuable, both from a historical and literary point of view. The first book was " A Diary of Occurrences," embracing the time between the landing of the pilgrims at Cape Cod, Nov. 9, 1620, and Dec. 18, 1621. He was assisted in writing it by Edward Winslow and it was printed in London in 1622. In his wiU he mentioned some manuscripts of which he said, " I commend vmto your wisdom some small books written by my own hand, to be improved as you shall see meet." These were published in the collections of the Historical society of Massa- chusetts, and include: '"Some observations of God's merciful dealings with us in this Wilder- ness" (1794); " A Word to Plymouth " (1869-70); "Of Boston in New England," and "A Word to New England" (1838), and " Epitaphium Memn." In " Chronicles of the Pilgrim Fathers of the Colony of Plymouth from 1602 to 1625," published by Alexander Yoimg, in 1841, are the following writings from the hand of Bradford: a part of the '" History of the Plymouth Planta- tion," the " Diary of Occurrences," " A Dialogue, or the S\im of a Conference between some young men born in New England and svmdry ancient

men that came out of Holland and Old England," "A Memoir of Elder Brewster,"' and a fragment of Bradford's letter book. His "" History of the Plymouth Plantation " at one time existed in the original manuscript in the New England library, but was probably lost during the war with Eng- land. For additional facts regarding Bradford's life and \\T:itings see " The Life of WiUiam Brad- ford," by Cotton Mather; "American Bio- graphy," by Jeremy Belknap; "The Pilgrim Fathers," by W. H. Bartlett; '• Historical Memoir of the Colony of New Plymouth,"' by Francis Baylies; "Chronicles of the Pilgrims," by Young, and "History of Massachusetts," by Hutchinson. Governor Bradford died at Ply- mouth, Mass., May 9, 1657.

BRADFORD, William, printer, was born in Leicester, England, in 1658, and belonged to the company who, imder the leadership of William Penn, came to America in 1682. He set up the first printing-press in Philadelphia in 1685, and the same year published " Kalendariimi Penn- silvaniense " for 1686. In partnership with two others he built a paper mill on the Schuylkill river in 1690, and would doubtless have contin- ued in Philadelphia had it not been for his sharp thrusts at the New England churches. His " Ap- peal to the People " in 1691, and other tracts were held to be so flagi-antly libellous and seditious, that all his publications, his press, type, etc., were confiscated. He was tried before the courts; conducted his own case, and escaped by disagree- ment of the jury. Being invited to establish a printing-press in New York, he set up the first press in that province in 1693, and printed the laws of the colony. Aside from his ordinary printing business, he had the position of public printer, not only of New York but of New Jersey, and for thirty years he was the only printer in the colony, and held the oflice of public printer for more than fifty years. He retained an inter- est in the press he set up in Philadelphia vmtil 1713, when his son, Andrew Sowles, took charge of it, and became the public printer. Mr. Brad- ford's imusual vitality and vigor is indicated by the fact that when sixty-seven years old he started the New York Gazette. This was in October, 1725. The Gazette was the fom-th news- paper in the colonies. Three years later (1728) he built a paper miU in Elizabetlito%vn, N. J. He died in New York city. May 23, 1752, and was buried in Trinity churchyard.

BRADFORD, William, soldier, was born in New York, 1719. He was a grandson of William Bradford, the first printer of New York, and was a partner for a while with his uncle. Andrew Sowles, in Philadelphia. He went to England in 1741; secured printing material and a library, and on his return to Philadelphia began the publica-