Bradley's in England

As early as 1183 many Bradley's were living on their deded estates, in England, paying taxes and looked upon as Gentlemen and loyal supporters of the Crown. So numerous were they to the northewest of Leeds that a large terrirtory as well as the villiage was called Bradley.

The name Bradley means people of the broad leas or broad plains.  Later they were called Bradlees, and as time went on the spelling was changed to Bradley.  Even today the name is spelled Bradlee in many places in the world.

These Bradley's were visited with a Coat of Arms at a very early date, which consisted of three crosses seperated into triangular form by a chevron upon a shield.  This coat of arms was motified from time to time for different members of the family.  One branch of the family used this form with a crest consisting of a gauntleted arm bearing a sword.  Some branches used the same orm with a closed helmet near the top of the shield, which indicated knighthood.  An heiress named Barton married into the Bradley family at a very early date, and brought into the Bradley Coat of Arms some of the characteristics of the Barton Coat of Arms.  This changed each cross to a boar's head.  There are 16 different forms of arms belonging to the Bradley family with the boar's head a predominating feature in  most of them. The crosses in the origianl arms indicated participation in the Crusades.  The gauntleted arm probably refers to the defense of the Crown in some particular way.

The symbolic description of the Bradley Coat of Arms is as follows: Red sheild stands for burning desire to spill blood for God and Country.  Silver stands for purity, justice and peace.  The chevron stands for the rafter of a roof and was often given to ambassadors and eminent statesmen as a reward for the protection (as under a roof) they gave their kings and country.  The boar symbolizes a well-armed, undaunted, and courageous warrior who resists his enemies bravely and never thinks of flight, the same as the boar who will fight to the bitter end.

The Bradley arms are engraved on a silver tankard owned by the granddaughter of the first William Bradley of New Haven.  They are the same as the armorial bearings confirmed by the Deputies of Camden to francis Bradley of Coventry, grandson of William Bradley of county York.

Living in Coventry, England, shortly after 1600, were two brothers,  Francis and William Bradley.  They were members of a large family born in Bingley, Yorkshire, England.  They were Puritans and worshipped differently than the Chruch of England.  William was a friend of Oliver Cromwell and was a Major in the Parliamentary Army, but he wanted to live were he could worship according to hiw own belief.  He turned to the New World for relief from the oppression of the chruch, and landed in Boston in 1637.  From there he immediately went to Saybrook, CT, and thus was the first Bradley to come to Connecticut.

Francis Bradley, brother of William, among other children had a son named Francis, whom he sent to America, possibly along with William, and bound him out to his life-long friend, Theophilus Eaton, who had already come to New Haven, CT.  The younger Francis was 17 years old at the time.

Theophilus Eaton had been a prosperous merchant in London, but came to Connecticut to find a place where he could worship in his own way.  He was the wealthiest and most influential man in New Haven colony, and became its first Governor.  He was Governor for twenty years. Although he had only one child, his household often consisted of thirty persons.  He was intensly devout and discoursed to his household at every meal and often two hours daily on religious subjects.  The only law he recognized was the Bible.  He was one of the seven men who organized the Colony of New Haven, and the Bible was accepted as the sole rule and guide for the conduct of its people.

Francis Bradley grew into manhood amid these religious surroundings in this home, which was palatial for those days. He was generally known as "Governor Eaton's man."  He, as well as William Bradley, was one of the founders of the First Chruch of Christ in New Haven.  This chruch was Congregational in its creed and still exists as the Center Chruch.