Welcome to the Bradley Family History
This site documents the descendants of Joshua Bradley (b. ca. 1769), tracing the family's journey from North Carolina through Tennessee to Illinois, where they became prominent pioneers and community leaders.
Joshua Bradley and his family were among the earliest settlers in Southern Illinois, contributing significantly to the development of Randolph and Jackson Counties through their work as stone masons, farmers, ministers, and public servants.
Joshua Bradley
Patriarch of the Bradley Family in Illinois
(Possibly Pennsylvania or North Carolina)
Jackson County, Illinois
near Shiloh, Randolph County, IL
(m. 17 August 1796)
(m. ca. 1816)
Public Servant
The Bradley Family Migration
Joshua Bradley purchases Lot #11. Marries Nancy Gardner on August 17, 1796.
Family moves to Tennessee where they remain for approximately 20 years. First child, James Henry, born June 13, 1797.
Joshua moves family by boat up the Cumberland River to Ft. Massac on the Ohio River, then to Randolph County (later Jackson County), Illinois.
Bradley family members instrumental in founding Shiloh School and Meeting House, later incorporated as Shiloh College in 1840.
Children of Joshua & Nancy Bradley
Eight children who established prominent families across Illinois