Benjamin Franklin Bradley

Biography

Benjamin Franklin Bradley, son of Joshua Bradley and Nancy Gardner, was born 27 December 1804 in Sumner County, Tennessee. He married three times over the course of his life, having children with all three wives.

First Marriage: Benjamin married Nancy Harris shortly after 1820 in Jackson County, Illinois. Together they had nine children. Nancy died circa 1844.

Second Marriage: On 21 October 1846, Benjamin married Mrs. Sarah Osborne (née Jeffrey), a widow. They had two children together before Sarah's death circa 1851.

Third Marriage: On 17 June 1852, Benjamin married Martha Y. Harris, by whom he had five daughters. Martha was born on 5 September 1822 and survived Benjamin by 26 years, dying on 7 January 1896. She is buried in Holliday Cemetery near Murphysboro, Jackson County, Illinois.

Farming and Residence: Benjamin was a farmer and lived in the northwest corner of Bradley Township near the borders of Perry and Randolph Counties. This location placed him at the convergence of three counties in the heart of the pioneer farming community established by the Bradley family.

Public Service: Benjamin served his community in various capacities. He served as head of the Bradley Road District in 1832, the Kinkaid Road District in 1837, and on Jackson County juries in 1838 and 1840. His work maintaining the road districts was crucial to the development of transportation infrastructure in the region.

Benjamin died 31 May 1870 at the age of 65. With sixteen documented children from three marriages, he contributed significantly to the growth of the Bradley family presence in Southern Illinois.