PERSON COUNTY, NC - BIOGRAPHIES - The Bradsher Family ==================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Martha Bradsher Spencer marbsp@nternet.net ==================================================================== A History of THE BRADSHER FAMILY By Eugenia Bradsher A Descendant of Both Moses and James Bradsher People will not look forward to posterity who never look backward to their ancestors. --Edmund Burke A commonwealth is the expression of the ideals and material interests of its people. Each individual is a unit bound to other units in a common government, and as these struggle for spiritual expression and material prosperity their type of government recedes or advances in proportion to the spiritual growth of its people. Therefore, Person County is what its people have been and what they now are. Three families intimately connected with the development of Person County were among those appearing with the almost incredible influx of settlers into that part of North Carolina later known as Orange, Caswell and Person between 1740 and the beginning of the Revolutionary War. Probably the first of the three to settle in this section was that of William Sergeant. From records recently examined it would appear that the Winstead family soon after followed the Sergeant family, preceding the Bradsher family by a few years. This article is primarily concerned with the Bradsher family and mention of the others is made merely because a daughter of Daniel Sergeant, who fought in the Revolutionary War, married Samuel Winstead, and three of their children married into the Bradsher family. This intermarriage of Bradshers and Winsteads has lasted for more than a century, though the names of the descendants have sometimes changed. As tradition has it there were three Bradsher brothers who settled in what was then Caswell County, Moses, John and James [The will of heir father, John Bradsher, was probated in 1808 and names them and sisters as heirs. Land grant records show that John Bradsher received the first of at least two land grants on So. Hico in 1754. From state grants, deeds, and wills, it would appear that the men of the family were men of wealth and distinction. MOSES BRADSHER The first mention of Moses Bradsher in an official capacity was in 1799 when, as Treasurer of Public Works, he reported the expenditures made by him for certain public buildings in Roxboro. As his will was probated in Caswell County in 1820, it indicated ownership of property in both counties. A grant to him made by the state in 1784 when Alex Martin was governor mentions lands lying on both sides of Hico in Caswell County. Moses was the father of fourteen children mentioned by name in his will. Seven sons and seven daughters were enumerated. His land was divided among his sons; his daughters were given slaves. No division was to be made during the lifetime of his wife, Martha, for whom he provided most handsomely. Among the assets mentioned were horses and their accoutrements--bridles and saddles--cows, calves, furniture, table silver, numerous slaves, growing crops, and much land. He made it plain that his wife, Martha, was to have a slave, Amelia, for her exclusive use. Two sons, Abner and John, were made executors of the will. ABNER BRADSHER Abner, the oldest son of Moses Bradsher, was born in 1778. He married Elizabeth Johnston (Jordan?). In his will probated in 1857 he mentioned one son and three daughters. The son was William Bradsher, who in connection with the husband of a daughter called Susan Oakley was named an executor of the will. A witness to the will was E. G. Reade. Unlike the will of his father, Moses, his land holdings which consisted of many large tracts were divided equally among his four children. The custom of devising lands only to the sons seems to have disappeared with the father. Besides land he willed furniture, numerous slaves, and large sums of money to his children. Besides the two already mentioned there were Martha, who married Thomas Davenport, and Jane who married a Coleman (Robert). After the death of Thomas Davenport, Martha married Benjamin Jacobs. To this union there was born one child, a daughter Eunice, who married James Winstead. This couple had five sons and one daughter. The sons were Thomas Davenport (Winstead), Andrew Jackson, Benjamin, Nash, and Fletcher. T. D. (Thomas Davenport) Winstead married Henrietta Dixon. Their daughter Esther married Dr. B. A. Thaxton and they have three children, Bennie, Esther, and Thomas Winstead (Thaxton). T. D. Winstead, after the death of his [first] wife married Maggie Winstead, a cousin. (She was the cousin of C. S. Winstead and Loula Winstead whose mother was Bettie Bradsher Winstead and a grand-daughter of John Bradsher, third son of Moses Bradsher). One son, Dewey, died some years ago. The other sons married and had children. Fletcher married his cousin Clara, a daughter of C. E. and Minnie Lee Stephens Winstead. Hattie, the only daughter of James and Eunice Winstead married her cousin, Clarence Winstead. They had several children. After the death of her [first] husband James Winstead, Eunice married C.M. G. Wagstaff, an older member of the widely known Wagstaff family of Person County. WILLIAM BRADSHER William Bradsher, the only son of Abner Bradsher, married Catherine Winstead. The marriage bond of this couple is dated December 28, 1841. Catherine was the daughter of Samuel Winstead and Elizabeth Sergeant. They had four daughters: Bettie, Mary White, Eunice, and Lura Dean. Bettie married John Brooks, the son of a Milton physician. She taught school in Person County many years. Mary White married William Loftis. Eunice died unmarried. Lura Dean married Samuel Woody. Their children are Lee, Helen, Edgar, Thomas Bradsher, William H. and Mary Sue (Woody). Lee married Rosa Robertson, daughter of E. J. Robertson of Woodsdale. Thomas B. was graduated from the University of North Carolina, later taking his degree in law from there. He is a prominent Roxboro Realtor. He married Beatrice Seviers of Kentucky who is a graduate of the University of Kentucky. They have two children, Mary Seivers and Thomas B. Mary Seivers graduated from Saint Mary's college in June (1941) and will enter Duke University this fall. William H. was graduated from Wake Forest College. He took his degree in medicine from Tulane University, New Orleans. His is located in Baltimore, Md. with a practice limited only by physical endurance. Mary Sue is the wife of the Reverend Mr. Hudson JESSE BRADSHER His life was gentle and the elements So mixed in him that Nature might stand up And say to all the world, "This was a man." The foregoing Shakespearean quotation sums up the character and disposition of Jesse Bradsher, second son of Moses and Martha Banks Bradsher and accounts for the influence he exerted in this county and the esteem in which he was held. The rather unusual educational advantages given him by his father functioned in a variety of ways. Under the militia law of North Carolina which allowed regiments to choose their own field officers, he was selected Colonel of his regiment. He taught school and family tradition says [that he] taught his future bride, Nancy Royster. As her instructor he seems to have made a success, since later in life she gave evidence of real culture, especially in historical subjects. One story goes that when disturbed by an untoward domestic incident she repaired to her favorite seat in the chimney corner with pipe in hand and a copy of Josephy's History of the Jews in her lap, read and smoked until her equanimity was restored. Another picture was given of her by a grandson who told of seeing her sit for hours on the front porch reading either the Bible or Shakespeare unmindful of stockings undarned. The names of Colonel Jesse and Nancy Royster Bradsher's children were Stella, Gallatin, Solomon, Charles Harrison, John D. and William Granderson. Stella married Jefferson Whitefield, long a merchant in Leasburg, N. C. They reared a large family of children, the oldest being Eugenia, named by the Reverend Solomon Lea who had a daughter born the same night that he also named Eugenia. The first named Eugenia had all the educational advantages offered by the famous Somerville Institute then under the direction of Solomon Lea. Her proficiency in English and music fitted her for teaching, an occupation she followed until her marriage to W. H. Jones of Orange County. After marriage her teaching was confined to her own family thus giving to her two daughters and only son educational advantages sufficient to reach to succeed in her or his own way. Stella, the oldest child, took training to become a nurse. She married soon after and now lives in Fayetteville, NC. Mae, the second daughter, married Herbert Cates, until his death a highly successful businessman of Hillsboro, NC. Their only daughter, Lilly Mae, married Riley Oakley of Roxboro, N. C. The five sons of Mae Jones Cates are gradually developing individual business interests. Macon Jones is Associated Press dispatcher for Hollywood. His daughter, Marcia Mae Jones, is a young movie actress of considerable note. As a small child she played in "The Champ", Wallace Beery starring; in the "Children's Hour," and with Deanna Durbin in "Mad. About Music," and a number of other successful plays requiring the early teen age. The oldest son of Stella Bradsher Whitefield was Albert Pinckney Whitefield, who took charge of his grandmother's home after the death of Colonel Jesse Bradsher, carrying on his youthful shoulders the burden of looking after the slaves and seeing that the land was properly cultivated while his young uncles fought in the Confederate Army. He followed with boyish ardor the fortunes of the Confederacy as it fought its last losing battles, having constantly in mind the fate of his beloved young uncle, William G. Bradsher, who was mustered out at Appomattox after Lee's surrender. GEORGE D. WHITEFIELD Sometime after this experience Albert Pinckney's father and mother moved to High Point where his father died. In the meantime, Albert Pinckney had gone to Danville, Virginia, and engaged for a time in a highly successful business venture in tobacco. There he met and married Alice Moore, daughter of George Daniel and Lockey Sharpe Moore. Their children are Ethel Whitefield Cain of Columbia, S. C., who directs the activities of the American Red Cross of that city; George D. Whitefield who is executive vice president of the P. Lorillard Company, the oldest tobacco company in America, having been established in 1765; Marvin, who went to Dallas, Texas, when quite young; Grace Woodley, a teacher of history in the Roanoke, Va., junior high school and William Irvine Whitefield a graduate of the [blank space] Institute, a member of the Board of Visitors of that school, and division manager of the Appalachian Electric Power Co. of southwest Virginia. George D. married Hallie Carlin of Ashland, Wisconsin. Their children are George D., Jr., Kyle Carlin, Stella, and Hallie Lou, all of whom were graduated from the University of Wisconsin. Ethel, older daughter of Pinckney Whitefield and Alice Moore, married Lee Cain of St. Matthews, S.C. They had three daughters, all graduates of Winthrop College. They are Alice, wife of Edward S. Reed of Charlotte, N. C.; Adele, wife of W. L. Younger of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute; and Florence, wife of James Kinloch of Tryon, NC; the only son of Ethel and Lee Cain is William Pinckney Cain, a graduate of Bailey Military Academy. He is [a] First Lieutenant in the Infantry of the United States Army stationed at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana. W. I. Whitefield, the youngest son of A.P. Whitefield, married Lillian Harrell of Roanoke, VA. Their children are Katherine Jane, a recent graduate of Penn Hall at Chambersburg, Pa.; Lillian Frances; and William Irvine, Jr., a mere lad. The other children of Stella Bradsher and Jefferson Whitefield were Eudora, Jefferson, Cornelia, Robert Lee, and Brick Pomeroy, none of whom is living. Cornelia married Edward Davis, an architect of Washington, D. C. Jefferson married Hattie Gibson of Mississippi and became the father of two sons, Baldwin and Banks. A daughter of Robert Lee is Sadie Whitefield who holds a position with the Southern Power Company in Asheville. GALLATIN BRADSHER Gallatin, the oldest son of Jesse and Nancy Royster Bradsher, went to a far southern state and there are no facts available concerning him. SOLOMON BRADSHER, JOHN D. BRADSHER Solomon died when sixteen years old. John D. fought in the war of Secession and died shortly after Lee's surrender. DR. CHARLES H. BRADSHER Charles Harrison Bradsher studied medicine. He married Martha Hopkins and lived in Roxboro owning the home, which later came into the possession of W. M. Long. With him began the high professional reputation of the Bradsher physicians. His services were sought for miles around. People taken sick were willing to wait as long as three days to secure him as their doctor in preference to any other practitioner so great was their confidence in his healing powers, which today would probably be explained as psychic. Whatever the reason, his patients recovered and frequently boasted that " 'Old Prac' brought me around." He was interested in plant life, often taking long tramps through the woods of Person County examining the botanical specimens native to this part of the state, searching meanwhile for those having medical value. He was a surgeon in the Confederate Army. DR. CHARLES E. BRADSHER Charles Edward, oldest son of Dr. C. H. and Martha Hopkins Bradsher followed in the footsteps of his beloved father, embracing medicine as his profession. Graduated from Louisville Medical College, he began his professional career in association with his father, who had then moved to the Hurdle Mills section of Person. While living in this section he married Nannie Malone, daughter of Washington Malone and Lethia Brown, a sister of Reverend Young Brown, local teacher and preacher. After a few years he located in Roxboro, and the reputation established by his father lost nothing in the hands of this brilliant son. Dr. Charles E. soon established a reputation for surgery. Here is a case in point, which was before ambulances and hospitals were accessible. Two Negroes got in a fight on an unpaved street of Roxboro. One slashed open the abdominal cavity almost severing the duodenum of the other spilling his intestines on the dusty ground. Dr. Bradsher was called upon to take charge of the wounded Negro. Thrown upon his own resources without the aid of a trained nurse, he washed the gritty intestines, replaced them in their natural position, sewed up the wound, and in a short time the patient was as good as new and probably as mean. ARTHUR B. BRADSHER The children of Dr. Charles E. Bradsher and Nannie Malone were Bertha, who married Joseph Willis of Nashville, N. C.; Gelia, who married C. B. Alston, city treasurer of Durham, N. C., and Arthur B. Bradsher, executive vice president of the Imperial Tobacco Company, located at Montreal, Canada. Charlie Alston and his wife, Gelia, were the parents of two daughters, Nancy, a graduate of Duke University who married Howard Wallace of Florida and Frances Alston Howerton. Arthur Bradsher married Lizzie Muse of Durham, and they were the parents of five children. The older son, Charles K. is an instructor in chemistry at Harvard University and the father of one son. Arthur, Jr., graduating from Duke University, took his degree in medicine from McGill University. He is now an interne at the Duke Hospital. After the death of Dr. Charles E. Bradsher, his widow married O. T. Carver. Their only child Gordon Carver, is an official in the Durham Industrial Bank. They have two children, Nancy and Gordon, Jr. EARL A. BRADSHER The second son of Dr. C. H. Bradsher and his wife Martha were E. A. [Earl] Bradsher. He married Mamie Gregory, daughter of Mrs. W. E. Webb by a former marriage. Their children no longer live in Roxboro. The three sons Carl, Lawrence, and William are each successful in his own line. Lawrence is in business in Goldsboro and William in Greenville, NC. A daughter lives in Raleigh. WALTER C. BRADSHER Walter C., the third son, was a leading tobacconist, owner of the W. C. Bradsher Tobacco Co. of Durham, NC, at the time of his death. He married Sallie Reams, daughter of I. M. Reams and Lucinda Howard. Sallie Bradsher's father was one of Durham's pioneer tobacco warehouse owners and operators. WILLIAM GRANDERSON BRADSHER The youngest son of Jesse Bradsher and Nancy Royster Bradsher was William Granderson. He studied dentistry in Baltimore, Maryland, and practiced his profession many years in Person County. He fought in the Confederate Army, having joined a cavalry regiment that was organized in Caswell County. His commanding officer was Captain Mitchell. He acted in the capacity of dental surgeon and often jokingly asserted that he had extracted at least a barrel of teeth during the war. Dr. William G. Bradsher married his third cousin, Mary, daughter of Abner Bradsher and Elizabeth Winstead Bradsher. They had two sons and one daughter. The older son was Jesse who studied medicine and became another favorably known Bradsher doctor. When at home on vacation after one year at Jefferson Medical College he was called upon to amputate the hand of a Negro which had been torn to pieces by an explosion of dynamite. The student surgeon performed the operation successfully and experienced physicians commended his work. The Negro patient outlived his youthful surgeon by many years. Dr. Jesse Bradsher was especially noted for the treatment of typhoid fever in the days preceding the use of typhoid vaccine when the patient had only his doctor to treat him and his family to nurse him. After removing to Berea, NC, he became a member of the Oxford Lodge of Masons. He was buried with Masonic honors. DR. JESSE BRADSHER Dr. Jesse Bradsher married Hallie Currie Barnett, daughter of major Samuel Currie Barnett and Lucy Ann Dickens. This couple had two daughters, Mabel and Margaret. Mabel married Dr. J. Frank Docherty who received both his academic and medical degrees from Toronto University in Toronto, Canada. For four years Dr. Docherty was in the employ of the Rockefeller Medical Foundation. For one year he had charge of it medical work in Albuquerque, New Mexico and was stationed in Colombo, Ceylon, for three years in charge of the work there. After the return of Dr. and Mrs. Docherty to the U. S. Dr. Docherty located in Conneaut, Ohio and now has a large practice. Margaret married Peter Emery Huth of Rochester, Pa.; He was graduated from Georgetown University, Alexandria, VA. Later he took his medical degree from the same institution. After doing general practice in Franklin, Pa. he decided to specialize. After a year's post graduate work, Dr. and Mrs. Huth moved to Sumter, SC, where Dr. Huth is a well-known urologist. They have two daughters, Peggy and Mary Ann. William Thompson, second son of William G. and Mary Bradsher was educated at the University of North Carolina, where he later studied law. He was associated in the practice of law with his great-uncle, the late Col. C. S. instead. He represented Person County in the Legislature one term. He, in connection with the late J. A. Long, representing Person and Granville Counties in the Senate, sponsored a law imposing a special road tax. During the fight over its passage one constituent wrote that neither Mr. Bradsher nor Mr. Long would get fifteen votes if either should offer for re-election. His colleagues were his friends; the acquisitive instinct was never strong enough to antagonize an opponent; and his fairness was never questioned. His quick intelligence, gracious manners, and personal charm added prestige to William Bradsher's reputation as an able lawyer. His career was cut short by a pulmonary trouble. Eugenia, only daughter of William G. and Mary Bradsher [author of this history] was educated at Greensboro College and the University of North Carolina. At the latter institution, she specialized in English, French, and North Carolina history. After teaching in Roxboro for a while she was appointed principal of the Hurdle Mills School. In 1918 she became connected with the Durham City Public Schools, a position she still holds. While having a wholesome respect for the eternal verities in education, she uses methods, which require student participation on a co-operative basis. She puts into successful operation student checking of practically all work done. SQUIRE JOHN BRADSHER John, the third son of Moses and Nancy Banks Bradsher, was born in 1784. He married Sarah T. Moore who was born May 30, 1792 and died in 1855. She was the daughter of Capt. Robert Moore who fought in the Revolutionary War and Elizabeth McGehee. They were married August 24, 1784. [Robert Moore and Elizabeth McGehee. Marriage bond for John Bradsher and Sarah T. Moore was issued January 21, 1813.] Elizabeth McGehee Moore was a sister of Thomas McGehee who represented Person County in the Legislature of 1829, 1830, 1831, and 1832. She was the aunt of Montford McGehee who was Person's representative in 1872, 1876 and 1873. Previous to the War of Secession John Bradsher was accounted a wealthy man. As a justice of the peace for many years he took part in the judicial procedure of the county, and was familiarly known as "Squire John" Bradsher. He owned a handsome residence which stands today as a reminder of the esthetic value the Southern planter placed upon his home. Overlooking south Hico, it stood in a grove of aspens whose leaves trembled with the slightest breeze. Pungent box outlined the walks of the large yard, while old-fashioned shrubs and flowers delighted the eye. The excellent educational advantage educational advantages given his children were easily discernible in his descendants. The children of John and Sarah Moore Bradsher were Bettie, Loula, Alexander, Richard, John B. [Banks?], and Sallie. Bettie married William Granderson Winstead, son of Samuel and Elizabeth Sergeant Winstead. The home established by this couple was noted for its beautiful surroundings. Set upon a hill with a gentle slope, it was enclosed by a clipped cedar hedge protected by white palings. Its winding walks were bordered by boxwood, lilacs, snowballs and the boxwood, with beds containing tulips, hyacinths, star-of-Bethlehem and other flowers, contributed to the beauty of the grounds. In an environment noted for its beauty, its culture, its gentle manners and observance of the Christian virtues there grew up a lovely, gracious daughter, Loula, and two sons, Albert and Edward D., who were trained in the best traditions of the South. Loula married her cousin, Charles S. Winstead, the second son of Meldrum Winstead, who was Sheriff of Person County before the War of Secession. This couple had six children, as follows: Charles Meldrum, Arthur, Maggie, Clarence, Loula and Harry. Charles M. married Dora Wagstaff, daughter of C. M. G. Wagstaff and Sarah Paylor. They had six children. Guy, a youth in his teens, was killed in France. Loraine is Mrs. Morris Daniel. Mary Lou married Robert Hester. Mrs. Jucile Winstead Gardner lives in Roxboro, NC. Arthur married Mollie Barnett, daughter of S. C. Barnett. By this marriage there were six children, Meldrum, Loula Belle, Carl, Cam, Ray and Alex. Meldrum is a banker in Lincolnton, NC; Loula Belle is Mrs. Lewis Sherman of Oxford, NC; Carl is a young merchant of much promise located in Roxboro. He married his cousin, Emma Dean Rogers. The last three mentioned are farmers. Maggie married her cousin, Thomas D. Wiinstead. Clarence married his cousin, Hattie Winstead. They have several children. They are Roy, Eunice, Drusilla, Clarence, Jr., Lester and lacy. Lacy recently married his cousin, Sarah Winstead whose mother was Emma Bradsher before her marriage. Harry, youngest son, was graduated from the University of North Carolina. During the summers throughout his undergraduate years, he acted as agent for a company selling kaleidoscopes. So successful did he become that the company soon elevated him to agent trainer. Thus early in his career he showed the tendency toward financial activities, which has since placed his among the foremost citizens of Person County. His land acquiring instinct is undoubtedly a throwback to two of his Person County progenitors, Moses Bradsher and Montford McGehee, as he is now one of the largest landholders in this section of North Carolina. Harry married Effie Wharton of Guilford County. They have one daughter, Anna Wooding, who is the wife of Walter Murray, and a son, Wharton, who married Mary Elizabeth Merritt, daughter of Dr. J. H. Merritt. They have a son Wharton, Jr. Loula died at the age of fifteen. Albert Winstead, son of Bettie Bradsher and W. C. Winstead, was married to Sallie Williams. They had four children: Edwin, Laura, Daisy and Harvey. Edwin married and left a family of children who are well established in the business and social world. Laura married Ivey Stephens, a son of Captain T. J. and Fannie Rogers Stephens. Their children are: Daisy who is Mrs. Allyn Horton of Washington, DC; Mary who married J. J. Hambrick, a tobacconist; Louise, who is a teacher, Rachel, who is the wife of Dr. Paul Forth, a recent graduate of the School of Medicine of Duke University; and Emily, long connected with the Department of Education of Person County, who is Mrs. F. M. Puryear. Daisy, second daughter of Albert and Sallie Winstead, died at an early age. Harvey died several years later. Edward D. Winstead was engaged in the manufacture of tobacco for many years. He married first Eugenia Wharton of Guilford County. After her death he married Annie Reblett. One son, Colin, lives with his mother in Milton, NC. CHILDREN OF JOHN AND SARAH MOORE BRADSHER Louise, daughter of John and Sarah Moore Bradsher, married a Jones and left Person County. Alexander married and moved to Mississippi [Not true, he moved to Charlotte, NC area. Name of descendants now changed to Bradshaw]. Richard married Mary Lea and their children and grandchildren reside in the county; John, a son, married Flora Stephens; Bettie, a daughter, married Ovediah [sic] Fulcher; their son Dow, is a successful farmer and business man, Martha, youngest daughter, married John Sally; a son, J. L. Sally is a successful contractor in Durham, NC. His young son, a recent graduate of Duke, while taking training for National Guard, met an untimely death in an airplane accident. JOHN BANKS BRADSHER, SALLIE BRADSHER John B. Bradsher [son of John and Sarah Moore Bradsher] was a student at the University of North Carolina. He was trained in medicine, but agricultural interests absorbed his attentions and finally drew him away from his profession. Sallie, youngest daughter of John and Sarah Moore Bradsher, married Robert Williams, a close connection of the Caswell County Williamsons. By this marriage two of the leading families of Person were united. Robert was the son of J. W. Williams who was a state senator from Person from 1836-1842. He was also a member of the constitutional convention of 1835. A guest at this marriage, the late Mrs. S. B. Winstead, remarked, on one occasion that Sallie Bradsher and Robert Williams were the handsomest couple she ever saw stand before a minister. There were four children, one son and three daughters. The son, John Walker, married Emma Smith of Milton, NC. Eudora, the oldest daughter, and Susan, the youngest, died unmarried. Sallie Bob, the middle daughter, married John Hall; two daughters and one son survive--one daughter, Anne [pronounced Annie] is a teacher and the other, Ruth is married [husband's name Cheney] and lives in Washington, DC; John Lewis holds a business position in Yanceyville, NC. RICHARD BRADSHER Richard Bradsher, fifth son of Moses Bradsher, was born in 1785. He married Phoebe Nelson. There were no children [Marriage bond dated 10/31/1817]. VINCENT BRADSHER Vincent, the sixth son of Moses Bradsher and Martha Banks Bradsher was born in 1795. He married Sallie Fuller in 1821 [marriage bond dated 2/3/1821]. During the first years of his married life he lived in Person County about one-half mile from Leasburg in Caswell County. Later he moved to Caswell and lived near Milton, NC. An outstanding member of the Vincent Bradsher family was a daughter who married W. T. Taylor. They were the parents of six children: Madie, Bettie, Annie, Nathaniel, Winnie and Martha. Madie married a Gatewood, Bettie a Raney, Winnie married J. Monroe Long, and Martha married Arch Thomas, a native of Person County; Annie died unmarried. NAOMI BRADSHER NELSON Naomi (Naimy) born in 1799 married Ambrose Nelson. After his death, Frances, born, 1801, married her brother-in-law. Children resulting from these marriages were John, who married his cousin Mary Wood; Nancy, who married a Jackson and became the mother of three children; Fannie, who lived many years in Danville, VA, greatly beloved for her sympathy in affliction and respected for her strong religious convictions. MARY (POLLY) BRADSHER, NANCY BRADSHER LEA, MARTHA (PATSY) BRADSHER, EUNICE BRADSHER MUTRY There is [sic] no data at present concerning the following daughters of Moses Bradsher and Martha Banks Bradsher. Their names as listed in their father's will were Polly (Mary) Peterson [marriage bond to John Peterson, Person Co., 4/6/1812], Nancy Lea born in 1786, Unicy (Eunice) Mutry [marriage bond, Person Co., to William Mutry, 4/11/1814], and Patsy (Martha) Bradsher born in 1799. JAMES OLIVER BRADSHER James Oliver, fourth son and sixth child of Moses Bradsher was born in 1788. He married Nancy Brooks in December 1810. He was the father of several sons. A son, James, married Missouri Grubbs; another son, Young, married Ellen Grubbs. In Hamilton's "History of Reconstruction in North Carolina," James is mentioned as being a member of the Ku Klux Klan. J. Tinnie Bradsher [John Tinsley Bradsher], a descendant of his is a successful plumber of Roxboro, NC. It is probable that Addison Bradsher who married Salina Newton in 1851 was also a son. ELIZABETH BRADSHER WALTON Elizabeth, first daughter and second child of Moses Bradsher, was born in 1786. She married Reuben Walton. One daughter, Mary, married Ezekiel Wood; another became the second wife of James Featherston. A third married Ransom Frederick. A fourth, Jo Anna, remained unmarried and reared first a niece, Mary, the daughter of her sister, Mary Wood; second, a nephew, son of James Featherston, Robert N. Mary Wood was the mother of two children, Mary, who married her second cousin, John Nelson, one of the really successful farmers of the 80s and 90s, and Charley Wood, who married Mrs. Byrd Wagstaff. Mrs. Wagstaff was Fannie Turbiville before her first marriage. To this couple was born one son, Charles Turbiville [Wood], who was destined to become the father of a brilliant son. He married Sallie Barnett, the daughter of Samuel C. Barnett. They became the father and mother of three children, Charles, Arch, and Frances. Since graduating from the University of North Carolina, Charles has proven himself a successful business man and in addition to the demands imposed by his duties along commercial lines, he has produced a novel of depth and unusual understanding of human emotions as the affect the life of the individual. It is called "First the Fields." The children of Nancy Walston and James Featherston were Mary, John, Reuben, Robert and Joseph. Mary and John died unmarried. Reuben married Nora, daughter of John Wagstaff who was a member of the widely known Wagstaff family of Person County. There were three children [Elma, Ruth, Ivey], Elma, the older daughter, married Dr. Alfred Kent; Ruth, the second daughter married R. W. Stephens. The children of this marriage are Alice Virginia, wife of John Bullock, and Bobbie who recently married Julia Walker. Ivey married his cousin, Ethel Crowder. A daughter, Frances, lives in Norfolk, VA. Robert H.[Featherston] married Lucy Pass, a member of a family intimately connected with the commercial and political affairs of Person County. There was one son, Robert, who is married. Joseph Featherston, youngest son of Nancy Walton and James Featherston, married Nellie Scott. There were several children, all of whom reside in Roxboro or in the county. The children of Martha Walton and Ransom Frederick were Cicero, L. P., Matilda, Lucy and Bettie. Bettie became the first wife of Haywood Foushee. A large family resulted from this union. Conspicuous among its members is Anna Foushee Clayton of Roxboro, whose husband was A. P. Clayton, former Register of Deeds of Person County and at the time of his death postmaster at Roxboro. They have several children now living in Roxboro. Of the remaining Foushee children, two have died. Edward had a family. Lessie, who married a Wrenn, is still living. Hugh married Augusta Trotter and died without issue. The other four are John, George, Susan and Bettie. All four are married and have families. L.P. Frederick married into the Dailey family, long noted for its devotion to the Methodist church. There was a large family of children, many of whom are contributing largely to the upbuilding of their county. Lucy [Frederick] married William Yallock. Cicero married Mrs. William Tapp. Matilda died unmarried. MOSES BRADSHER, JR. Moses, youngest son of Moses and Nancy Banks Bradsher was born in 1804. He married Elizabeth Wallace. Their marriage bond was dated 10/31/1825 [marriage bond dated 1/11/1825, Caswell County]. When their second child, Augustine, was one year old, Moses moved to Clifton Hill, MO, where five other children were born. The first child, Eunice, married John Bradley and became the mother of three children; Augustine married Margaret Haynes and became the father of three children. Susannah Elizabeth became the wife of O.P. Sears and the mother of five children; Martha Banks married W. B. McCrary and was the mother of 10 children. One of the ten children of Augustine Bradsher, Alver Jackson, studied medicine and another name was thus added to the long roster of physicians appearing in the Bradsher family. He married Ethel Coxe and there were five children from this union, all university graduates with two holding Master's degrees. A second son of Augustine is Dr. Earl Lockridge Bradsher who holds a professorship in English at the University of Louisiana. He is married and has three children. JAMES BRADSHER The youngest of the three Bradsher settlers was James, who married Sarah Garrett. They were the parents of four sons and two daughters, as follows: John, Abner, William Arch, George Monroe, Mary O'Neal, and Nancy. James owned both land and slaves. He gave his children considerable educational advantages. John married Mary Thomas Webb. From this union came many fine citizens who contributed much to the development of Person County. Aniva became the second wife of Jerry Dixon. Mollie Bet, their oldest daughter, married Walter Thomas whose mother belonged to the noted Lea family so long connected with Somerville Institute in Leasburg, NC. A daughter of hers, Wilhelmina, is Mrs. Frank Upchurch, whose husband is an employee of the West Durham Branch of the Fidelity Bank of Durham, NC. Henrietta, the second daughter, married Thomas D. Winstead, a descendant of Moses Bradsher, the oldest of the three Bradsher settlers. Their only child, Esther, is the wife of Dr. B. A. Thaxton of Roxboro. A third daughter, Jessie, married Robert Hester, a son of A. J. and Bettie Holoman Hester. Their children are contributing much to the progress of the county. One son, Jerry, is a leader among its educational forces. For several years he was principal of the Bushy Fork High School but was recently elected head of the Helena High School, the largest rural high school in Person. The youngest of Aniva Bradsher Dixon's children is Jerry who lives in Roxboro. He is married to Evelyn (Evie) Newman and their two sons are in the mercantile business there. Benjamin Bradsher married Rebecca Deaver. His children live in South Person and are contributing much to the development of this section. Zachariah married Laura Thompson, daughter of Sidney Thompson of Leasburg and niece of Jacob Thompson (Secretary of the Interior in Buchanan's cabinet). J. T. Bradsher [Brud], another son of John, by economy and close attention to his financial affairs, amassed considerable property. He married Jennie Thompson, daughter of Dr. Jacob Thompson, of Leasburg and a great-niece of Jacob Thompson, Secretary of the Interior during Buchanan's administration. By this marriage there were five children; Raymond, Gertrude, Irene, and twin sons, Arthur and Dewey. Gertrude married Robert Connor Merritt of Greenville, NC, son of J. S. Merritt, a prominent lawyer of Roxboro, grandson of S. B. Winstead, and great- grandson of Meldrum Winstead, Sheriff of Person County before the War of Succession. A year ago her husband died. There were two children, Mary Jaimeson and Robert Connor. Irene married Bryan Barnett, a member of the extensive Barnett family, who had much to do whit shaping the legislative proceedings of Person County in former days. Dewey, who married Annie Laura Joyner, is a dental surgeon located in Roxboro. Arthur recently came here from Wilmington. Another daughter of John Bradsher, Bettie, married Stephen Garrett, who was a man of large wealth for that day. There were no children from this union. After the death of her [first] husband, Bettie married the Reverend J. W. Jenkins, a Methodist minister. She aided him in attaining the moving desire of his later years by contributing liberally to the establishment of the Methodist Orphanage of Raleigh, which stands today a monument to his compassion and her generosity. Jessie Mary, the youngest of John Bradsher's children, married Charles J. Yarbrough of Caswell County, an unusually successful business man, who represented his county in the Legislature at a critical time in the history of the state. Three sons remained in Caswell: Webb C, J. T., and Clement. E. S., a graduate of Wake Forest, established himself in the cotton mill industry in Durham. Not finding this profitable, he entered the insurance field, and now ranks among the successful underwriters of the city. He married Nellie Eliot of Cumberland County. The late Henry Lendon of Raleigh and Pittsboro was his brother-in-law. They have three children, Cornelia, now Mrs. Richard K. Hines of New York City, Edwin S., Jr. engaged in business in Durham, and Mary, who is connected with Duke University. The only daughter, Mary Daisy, now Mrs. J. A. Goodwin, holds a position with a leading industry of Norfolk, VA. J. Connor and Walter B. took the advice of Horace Greeley and went West, the former to Chicago and the latter to Ajo, Arizona, at which places they are well established in business (Person County Times, Thursday, October 23, 1941). Mary O'Neal was the second daughter of James Bradsher and married Stephen Wilkerson. They were the parents of nine children who were brought up in the fear and admonition of the Lord, and did not depart therefrom. The oldest son, John, married Justina Thompson, daughter of Sidney Thompson and niece of Jacob Thompson, Secretary of the Interior. From this marriage there were no children. William L., a Confederate soldier, was killed at Malvern Hill. Frances married Dyah Howard who lived in Granville County. They reared a large family, all remaining in Granville except Jessie who married Charles Wilson, at that time having business connections with A. R. Foushee in Roxboro. The children of Jessie Howard and Charles Wilson are May, the wife of Dr. Jack Hughes, a dental surgeon, and Frank, who married Sallie Hatchet. They live in Roxboro and both have children. Recently a daughter of Fanny and Dyah Howard, Bessie Howard Cannady, came to Roxboro to live. Nancy married a Holman. There was one child, Mollie, who married William Allen. After becoming a widow, Nancy married William Woody. They had four children, one daughter, Anna, who married Thomas Gentry; M. Ruffin Woody, who married Laura Woody; Clifton who married Sue Rogers; and Frank, who died unmarried. j. J. Woody, of Roxboro, is the son of Ruffin and Laura Woody. Margaret married Brown Pleasant. The result of this union was the birth of three daughters. Ida, who married William Allen, the widower of her cousin, Mollie Holman; Freddie, who married W. L. Wright, a Baptist minister; and Emma, who married E. D. Cheek, and moved to Roxboro many years ago. Numerous members on the Allen family live in Roxboro and the county. Emma Pleasant Cheek is a "mother in Israel", admonishing and leading her children in the path of the good life. Inez, who is Mrs. D. W. Ledbetter, Rosa Cheek Bryan, of Charlotte, Mary Cheek Woody, Hattie Cheek Carver, and Dr. Manly Cheek, dentist of Asheville, are the children whose lives have been shaped by her gentle hand and wise counsel. Joseph Wilkerson married Sallie Rogers, daughter of George and Jane Rogers. A large family sprang from this marriage, most of whom remain in their native county. The oldest son, Roger, married Jessie Webb, daughter of W. E. and? Jourdan Webb, and lives in Roxboro. Wesley Wilkerson married Fannie Harrison of Caswell County and has no descendants living in Person County. Bettie Wilkerson married Alexander Rountree Foushee. The old- fashioned word, "helpmeet", describes her in every sense of the word. She was that and more, for she was the companion and inspiration of their three sons. The results of this influence upon her children were reflected in excellent school records and graduation from Wake Forest magna cum laude by the two older, Howard Alexander and William Linwood. Howard selected to study law, being the profession most congenial to his tastes and soon acquired a large practice in Durham. He was honored by being elected judge from his district, a position he filled with distinction. He married Annie Leak Wall of Rockingham County, NC. One of their daughters Annie Wall, is Mrs. Morton Bronson of Greenwich, CT. The other, Frances, married Dr. Hunter Sweaney, a talented surgeon of Durham. William Linwood, after graduation form Wake Forest, was principal of the Roxboro High School two years. He decided to take further collegiate training and entered Johns Hopkins University in Richmond, VA [sic]. (Johns Hopkins is in Baltimore), a few years and decided to enter the study of law and now practices his profession in Durham. He has served as a member of the Durham County School Board. During his incumbency the scope of the schools was greatly enlarged and new buildings erected, notably the Lakewood School, which is now a part of the city system. He was Durham's representative in the state senate in 1925. James Louis, the youngest child, during his early years was engaged in [the] mercantile business in Roxboro, and later entered upon the study of medicine. Before finishing his medical course he contracted a lung trouble from which he never recovered. JAMES OLIVER BRADSHER James O. Bradsher was the son of James, the progenitor of this branch of the family. In early manhood he taught school; among his pupils being a niece, Bettie Wilkerson, later Mrs. A. R. Foushee. The influence of the church was felt in the home and the practice of its precepts resulted in the rearing of a family noted for its consideration of others. The sons were Stephen Garrett, Edward, Charley, William Graham and Walter; the daughters were Eugenia, Sarah and Nannie. True to the tradition of the south, the sons turned to the cultivation of the soil for a living, using the freed slaves and their descendants as laborers. Unlike many sons of the Southern gentlemen they succeeded not only in wresting a living from the land but accumulated considerable property. One son, Charley, took a course in dentistry but finding the production of tobacco at that time more profitable, gave up his profession and returned to the family plantation. The first three sons mentioned died unmarried. William Graham married Minnie, daughter of Captain Thomas J. and Fannie Rogers Stephens. Being left a widow with several large farms to manage and two small children to rear, Minnie never faltered in her responsibility. Erma, the older child, was graduated from Greensboro College and later married Raymond Winstead. They have one daughter Sarah. The son James, having lost his wife, lives with his mother who is helping in rearing his only child, a lad of ten, William Graham, the second. Sarah married James Satterfield. Their two children are John, who is a citizen of Caswell County, married and the father of several children and Emma, who married Nathaniel Thompson, son of Dr. Jacob Thompson [of Leasburg], who served several years as sheriff of Person County. Louise, the only child, was graduated from Randolph-Macon Woman's College in Lynchburg [VA]. She married Bernard Crowell, practicing attorney at Hendersonville, NC. Another daughter, Eugenia, married Leroy Howard. There were several boys born to this couple. One son, Edward, is a prosperous farmer of Person County. Another, Tunis, was a well-known hotel man of Washington, DC. Charles Howard, a conspicuous figure in the tobacco world, married Hannah Pope of Durham. Sam Howard, a grandson, recently married Miss Tillett, a member of the brilliant Tillett family so favorably known in the state. Nannie, the beloved daughter, after the death of her mother, remained as mistress of the household, dispensing hospitality in true Southern style, caring for her deceased sister's child, Emma Satterfield. Later Nannie was married to Quenten Morton. There were no children. James O. Bradsher's youngest son, Walter, married Katy Hester, daughter of Lewis and Peggy Burton Hester. By this union there are four children, Linwood, Margaret, Mary and James. Linwood, the older son, when just a boy of fifteen, determined to enlist for service in the World War [WWI]. He was on his way to camp without the sanction of the local board when overtaken by a family message saying he must enter college instead, which he did, graduating from Trinity College in 1921. He is employed by the government in agricultural work. He married Mary Winstead, a daughter of C. E. Winstead and Minnie Lee Stephens Winstead. Margaret holds a position with Collins-Aikman. James is married and is engaged in farming. Mary married James Cates. WILLIAM ARCH BRADSHER The fourth son of James Bradsher was William Arch. He married Eugenia Torian, a sister of the first wife of Dr. Jacob Thompson of Leasburg. He made his home at Bushy Fork. As a prosperous merchant and large landholder with many slaves, he was influential in molding the policies of his community and county. During the trying days of reconstruction, in 1866, he represented Person County in the House of Commons [what does this mean? NC, as far as I know, never had any assembly called the House of Commons. Does she mean the state house of representatives?] He was one of the members who passed a liberal law guaranteeing Negroes the same protection as given the whites, with few exceptions, but the law was rejected by the Freedmen's Bureau. To this marriage two children were born, Corinna and D'Arcy William. He was married the second time to Kate Thompson, daughter of Sidney Thompson and niece of Jacob Thompson, Secretary of the Interior in Buchanan's cabinet. They had two children, James Sidney and [Arthur] Leath. Corinna married John Cannnady of Granville County, and they were the parents of ten children as follows: Eugenia, Rex, Arthur, Nancy, Algernon, Fornie, Erasmus W., Bessie, Blanche and George. D'Arcy was educated at Wake Forest and taught school for a few years after leaving college. His education and fitness for public life was recognized and he was elected Clerk of the Superior Court, a position [which] was held until his death which was nearly forty years. An ardent Democrat, he was a powerful influence in the councils of his party. He married Milly Satterfield , and they became the parents of six children. These were Eugenia, William Arch, Foy, Earl, Emma and Susan. Eugenia taught for several years previous to her marriage to N. C. Newbold, one of the constructive educational leaders in NC. They live in Raleigh. The four sons of this couple are William Bradsher, Nathan Carter, Arch Bradsher, and James. William Arch, the second, the older son of D. W. Bradsher and Milly Satterfield was graduated from Wake Forest College and taught a year or two, but decided that the practice of medicine held greater appeal. He graduated from the University of Maryland Medical College, and immediately began the practice of medicine. The Bradsher name holds magic for the physician bearing it in Roxboro and Person County. Previous to his day three others of the name had lived in Roxboro and Dr. Arch Bradsher but added luster to the annals of the doctors bearing the family name. He was a real personality. The only people who indulge in romantic notions about teaching are those who never taught. So seriously did Arch take his responsibility as a teacher, he confided to a friend that he prayed in his second year of teaching for a spell of typhoid fever to release him from the schoolroom. No less seriously did he take his responsibility as physician, going day and night without cessation, until he passed so suddenly his family and patients were left stunned and inconsolable. Dr. Bradsher married Anna Merritt, daughter of Dr. William Merritt, long a prominent physician of the Woodsdale community. Their children are Ellen Merritt, a graduate student at Yale University, Ann, who received her Master's degree from Columbia in June, 1941; Emily, a graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania, who is doing work toward a doctorate in English; and Donald, a student at Wake Forest, who will begin the study of medicine upon his graduation. Ann is now Mrs. James Alfred Martin, Jr. Her husband is a son of Dr. J. ?. Martin of Lumberton, and is a student in Philosophy at Columbia University taking work leading to a doctorate in this science. He is an instructor at Wake Forest on leave for further study. Foy, the second daughter of D. W. Bradsher [D'Arcy William] married Frank J. Hester, son of Louis Hester and Peggy Burton Hester. In the selection of a husband, Foy couldn't have chosen better. By scrupulous honesty and strict adherence to business principles he soon acquired a considerable amount of property. During the depression of 1929 he was called upon to replace losses occasioned by the bad judgment of others. He immediately set out to repair the inroads made upon his holdings. No harsh words of criticism of others fell from his lips and with the help of his wife, Foy, and a clear understanding of the situation by her, he has restored a large part of his losses. In spite of the necessity for economy the two did not falter in their determination to give their children the advantages of a higher education. The oldest daughter, Mary, graduated from Randolph-Macon Women's College at Lynchburg, afterwards obtaining an A. M. from the University of Virginia. She is now a teacher of history at Bethel Women's College in Hopkinsville, KY; Susan and Margaret were graduated from Meredith College and both are teachers. Frank, Jr., the youngest child, and only son, attended Wake Forest College. Susan married William Gibson, who is located in Thomasville where both hold teaching positions. Earl, second son of D'Arcy Bradsher, graduated from high school and went directly into business. He married Annie Long, daughter of W. E. Long and Rachel Reade, whose mother was the daughter of Washington Reade of Mt. Tirzah and niece of Justice Edwin G. Reade, at one time a member of the Supreme Court of North Carolina. Lt. Governor Reginald Harris is his brother- in-law, both having married daughters of W. H. Long. Earl and Annie Long Bradsher have six children. They are Rachel, who married Ben Brown of South Carolina; Earl, Jr.; Annie Long who married George Writs; D'Arcy; Nancy, who graduated from Meredith College in June, and is now married to Tucker Burros of Raleigh, and Marion, who is a student at Mars Hill College. It is much to the credit of Roxboro that it offers professional and industrial opportunities sufficient to retain in its midst a family group so capable. Emma, third daughter, married John D. E. Richmond whose father was an influential citizen of Person County. Their only son, Daniel, was recently released by the Reynolds Tobacco Company to take training for national defense. The daughters, Mildred and Sue Merritt, are both married and reside in Washington, DC. After the death of his [first] wife, John married Mrs. Bessie Backfired Gwynn, a sister of Mrs. J. A. Long. Susan, the sixth child of D'Arcy and Milly Satterfield Bradsher, was educated at Meredith College. She had her training for public life in her father's office, and since his death has been twice elected Clerk of the Superior Court of Person County. Her efficiency and charming personality render her a most acceptable public officer. After the death of his first wife, D. W. Bradsher married Sue Merritt, the oldest daughter of Dr. William Merrritt of Woodsdale. There were seven children born to the marriage. One died in infancy and another, Mildred, in early womanhood. The other children are Mamie, Edna, Merritt, Landon and Guthrie. Mamie married Erroll Morton, son of William Morton and Fannie Wagstaff. They have an attractive home near Roxboro. Erroll is experimenting with the possibilities of diversifying farm products profitably. Mamie's influence as a religious leader is felt in her community. The spiritual development of Lambeth Memorial Church has become a large factor in her life. This couple has three children; Frances, a graduate of Duke University, who is now Mrs. Joel Baldwin, of Roanoke, VA, and Jean, a graduate of Meredith College. Erroll, a graduate of the Roxboro High School, is a tobacco buyer for Liggett-Myers Tobacco Company. Edna, the second daughter, displayed talent for art while a student at Meredith, which has carried over in the attractive arrangement of her home. She married Richard Bullock, brother of William Bullock, both whom were born in Granville County. He is Assistant Clerk of the Superior Court. They have one child, Merritt Panthea. Merritt is the oldest son of the second marriage. He is employed by the Kane Construction Company with headquarters in Durham, NC. He married Effie Perkins of Roxboro. They have one child, Shanks Merritt, Jr. Landon served in the World War [I] under Major L. P. McLendon. He is a cotton buyer for the Roxboro Cotton Mills. His wife is the former Mildred Younger of Roxboro. Guthrie, the youngest of D. W. Bradsher's sons, is employed in an official capacity by the Roxboro Branch of Collins-Aikman. He married Willie Johnson, daughter of Julius Johnson of Yanceyville. They have one son, William. D. W. Bradsher was married the third time to Mrs. Sallie Willie Perry who was a Graves before she married the first time. James Sidney is the older son of W. A. Bradsher and Kate Thompson Bradsher. For many years he was cashier of the Peoples Bank of Roxboro, training several of the banking forces of this bank and the bank that was established later. He now resides in Oxford. He married Sallie Vale Thompson of Pittsboro whose mother was a Stedman. They have six children, all residents of other counties. Dr. James S. Bradsher is a graduate of the Roxboro High School and received his A. B. from Duke University. After graduating from the University of Virginia Medical School, he located at Stovall, NC. He turned a deaf ear to the lure of a city practice and like the wise physician he is, prefers the close communion that always exists between his patient and the capable, sympathetic country doctor. He is married and has one son. Jake lives in Milton; Catherine teaches in Oxford; Francis resides in Western North Carolina; Annie Thompson is the wife of Roller Borum of Mebane. They have one daughter, Sallie Vale. Bobbie Bradsher is married and lives in Oxford. [Does not mention Preston Bradsher] Leath Bradsher, the second son of W. A. Bradsher and Kate Thompson Bradsher lives in Durham. ABNER BRADSHER Abner Bradsher, son of James Bradsher and Sarah Garrett, married Elizabeth Winstead, daughter of Samuel and Betsy Sergeant Winstead. There were three daughters, Elmira, Rowan and Mary. Elmira married William Henry of Orange County. To them were born three daughters, Mollie, Corinna and Kate. Mollie married Thomas Wilkerson and became the mother of six children. The oldest son, W. R. Wilkerson, has long been a factor in the progress of his county. Not only has he been a success in the agricultural development of Person County, but a leader also in educational matters, having been a member of the county board of education for many years. He married Arey Brooks and they have a large family of children all residing in Person County except a daughter who is now the wife of Clarence Boyd of Durham. One son, Earl, is a World War []] veteran. The only daughter, Ina Wilkerson, married Henry Coleman and moved to Granville Count. After the death of her husband she went to Durham, NC. Her children are all married except two. Margaret, the youngest, is employed at Duke University. A son, Reverend Rupert Coleman, is pastor of a Baptist Church in Richmond, VA. A daughter, Annie Royal, is Mrs. Charles Teed of Tranquillity, CA. Ina Belle Coleman is teaching English at the Baptist University in Shanghai, China. Charles lives in Knoxville, TN and Gordon in VA. Charles Wilkerson, the third son of Thomas and Mollie Henry Wilkerson was educated in the school of self-denial, graduating by his own unaided efforts from Trinity College and the University of North Carolina in medicine. He located in Raleigh and was recently elected President of the Wake County Medical Society. He married Annie Royal Farthing of Durham and they have five children. Dr. Annie Louise Wilkerson is a gynecologist and obstetrical surgeon practicing in Raleigh, NC. She also holds a chair in Peace College. Josephine, the oldest daughter, is Superintendent of Public Welfare in Wake County. Margaret Melba is employed by the U. C. C. where she is senior operator of IBM machines. Charles, Jr., a recent graduate of the University of North Carolina is now studying medicine. Louis Reams is a junior in high school. Josephine is Mrs. Sidney Kirk; Margaret Melba is Mrs. C. M. Flint. The youngest son, Dr. Thaddeus Wilkerson, served as surgeon in the [first] World War. After his return to America he was associated with Dr. Hubert Royster of Raleigh in the practice of surgery. A brilliant career was cut short by death. He married Jessie Taylor of Johnson City, TN. Corinna, the second daughter of Elmira Bradsher and William Henry married Charles R. Vernon who at that time was connected with the mercantile interests of Colonel Charles S. Winstead. After the death of John Henry the Vernon family moved to the Henry home in the Bushy Fork neighborhood. Especially in promoting the various activities was the influence of this family felt. Believers in education, this couple gave to their children the best educational advantages the state affords. Four sons were graduated from Wake Forest with honor, John, James, Charles and Boyce. John became a lawyer locating in Burlington; James studied medicine and has charge of a private sanatorium in Morganton; Charles, also a physician, is practicing his profession in Brooklyn, NY; Boyce, the fourth son is teaching in the West. The two daughters are Carrie Sue and Esther. Carrie Sue, a graduate of Meredith, married J. S. Walker of Roxboro. Esther, who has developed a pleasing independence of character, including keen business insight, was educated at Meredith College and now lives in Burlington. Kate, the youngest daughter, married James Blalock. There were two sons. Rowan, second daughter of Abner Bradsher, married Silas Hopkins of Orange County. Their one child, Bettie, became the wife of John Terrell. There was a large family of children, none of whom live in Person County. Mary Bradsher, youngest daughter of Abner Bradsher and Elizabeth Winstead Bradsher, married her third cousin William G. Bradsher. She was reared in the home of her maternal grandmother, Elizabeth Sergeant Winstead, her mother dying when Mary was one year old. At an early age her education began as she sat upon the knee of her uncle, Charles S. Winstead and was taught her letters. Her first teacher was the late Captain James Sergeant. She attended school in Roxboro, afterwards going to Greensboro Female College. Her educational advantages were later utilized in teaching her two sons and a daughter, Jesse, William Thompson, and Eugenia. Nancy Horton, older daughter of James and Sarah Garrett Bradsher married Samuel Horton. There was one daughter, Jane, who married a Rimmer. George Monroe Bradsher, youngest son of James and Sarah, married Frances Loftis. Their children were J. T., Estelle, Alice, and Laura. Alice married John Hicks. Their children were Ernest, Eugene, Maude and Alice. Ernest died early in life. It is interesting to note the widespread prevalence of the use of old Hebrew names among the earlier generations of the Bradsher family. This is typical of Anglo-Saxon Protestant stock, and dates back to the days of the Reformation when early Calvinists forbade the use of names canonized by the Roman Church. --------------------------------------------------------- In the preparation of this paper, I wish to acknowledge my indebtedness to Miss Grace Whitefield of Roanoke, VA, and to Mr. J. Alfred Martin, Jr. of Roxboro for aid in searching records in Yanceyville, Roxboro and Raleigh; to Dr. A. J. Bradsher of Clifton Hill, Missouri for records sent from there; and to W. L. Foushee of Durham for his sympathetic interest in the undertaking. *A note from the transcriber: I have copied this document faithfully from the copies of the original newspaper articles that were in possession of my father Jacob T. Bradsher. I have indicated by brackets or parentheses any additions I have made. These are based on independent proof of the facts in Miss Eugenia's history, such as marriage bonds or deeds or other documentary evidence. The most outstanding error in this document is the premise that the three brothers immigrated to Person County. The will of John Bradsher, written in 1802 and probated in 1808, names all the sons and daughters and leaves land to one of them already in the possession of John. There is also abundant evidence of the land grants John Bradsher received from 1760 onward. Martha Bradsher Spencer 3/21/2001