his parents were James Bradley (1720-1796) and Elizabeth Pelham (1724-1788) who were of Scots-irish decent.
Francis married Abigail Alexander about 1767.Abigail was born May 24,1748 in Cecil County,Maryland.Her parents were James Alexander (ca.1690-1799) of Cecil County.
The children of Francis Bradley and Abigail Alexander include;
1.James Bradley born about 1768;
2.Rebecca Bradley born about 1770;
3.John McKnitt Bradley born January 31,1772,died October 15,
1827,married Jeanette Williams.
4.Elizabeth Bradley born about 1775,died August 19,1817 married
Alexander Stinson.
5.Esther Bradley born about 1776.
Francis Bradley and Abigail Alexander settled on Long Creek near Hopewell Presbyterian Church in Mecklenburg County about 1770 and established a farm there.According to Dr.J.B.Alexander,in his 1902 History of Mecklenburg County,Francis Bradley,who was usually called by the nickname Frank,was a true Patriot and said to be,physically,the strongest man in the County.
Bradley participated in the Mecklenburg Convention on May 19 and 20,1775 and became Captain of a company of the Mecklenburg Militia from the Hopewell area.The Mecklenburg,Rowan,and Tryon Militia combined to form 2300 soldier expedition against the Cherokee led by General Griffith Rutherford July 29 through the end of September 1776. This was a result of the Indians forming a pact with the British and making many raids against the settlers in Tryon County earlier that year when several children were killed and scalped. It is not certain that Capt.Bradley went on the expedition or was simply responsible for mustering the local troops.He served as a county tax collector in 1777 and was road overseer 1778.I talked to the Minister of the Hopewell Presbyterian Church in North Carolina,and he told me they did find Francis`s Headstone on the Mauney Plot Old Fort,and it has been returned to the Church,he has a new one built 1912,his body was untouched,he remains at the Hopewell Cemetery.
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Will keep updated after further research,hope you enjoyed so far.
