The Bradford Chair, Plymouth Colony
Alice Carpenter Southworth Bradford is the 7th great-grandmother of Belle Champlin (Alice Carpenter, Constant Southworth, Mary Southworth, Elizabeth Alden, Patience Seabury, Elizabeth Latham, John Champlin, Erastus Champlin, Henry Charles Champlin, Birdie Belle Champlin).
Alice Carpenter and her sisters (Agnes, Juliana, Mary and Priscilla) were part of the Leyden Separatist community. Alice married Edward Southworth; they had two sons, Constant and Thomas.
After Edward Southworth died, Alice Carpenter Southworth sailed to Plymouth on the Anne in 1623. Shortly after her arrival, she married Plymouth Governor William Bradford.
William Bradford died in 1657. Alice and William Bradford had three children : William, Mercy and Joseph.
The marriage of William Bradford and Alice Carpenter Southworth was noted in a letter written by Emmanuel Altham to his brother Sir Edward Altham in September, 1623 :
"Upon the occasion of the Governor's marriage, since I came, Massasoit was sent for to the wedding, where came with him his wife, the queen, although he hath five wives. With him came four other kings and about six score men with their bows and arrows - where, when they came to our town, we saluted them with the shooting off of many muskets and training our men. And so all the bows and arrows was brought into the Governor's house, and he brought the Governor three or four bucks and a turkey. And so we had very good pastime in seeing them dance, which is in such manner, with such a noise that you would wonder..."And now to say somewhat of the great cheer we had at the Governor's marriage. We had about twelve pasty venisons, besides others, pieces of roasted venison and other such good cheer in such quantity that I could wish you some of our share. For here we have the best grapes that ever you say - and the biggest, and divers sorts of plums and nuts which our business will not suffer us to look for."
-Sidney V. James, Jr., editor, Three Visitors to Early Plymouth
"On the 26th day of March, 1670, Mistris Allice Bradford, Seni'r, changed this life for the better, haueing attained to fourscore years of age, or therabouts. Shee was a godly matron, and much loved while shee lived, and lamented, tho aged, when shee died, and was honorabley enterred on the 29th day of the month aforsaid, att New Plymouth."
"The Last Will and Testament of mistris Allice Bradford senir of Plymouth Deceased ; exhibited to the Court held att Plymouth in new England the 7th Day of June Anno Dom 1670
-Records of Plymouth Colony
The Last Will and Testament of Alice (Carpenter) Southworth Bradford:
I Allis Bradford senir of the Towne of Plymouth in the Jurisdiction of New Plymouth widdow : being weake in body but of Disposing mind and prfect memory blessed be God; not knowing how soone the Lord may please to take mee out of this world unto himselfe : Doe make and ordaine this to be my last Will and Testament; in manor and forme as followeth; Impr I bequeath my soule to god that gave it and my body to the Dust in hope of a Joyfull resurrection unto glory; Desiring that my body may be Intered as neare unto my Deceased husband; mr Willam Bradford: as Conveniently may be; and as for my worldly estate I Dispose of it as followeth;
Imprs I give and bequeath unto my Deare sister Mary Carpenter; the bed I now lye on with the furniture: the run to belonging and a paire of sheets and a good Cow and a yearling heiffer and a younge mare. I give and bequeath unto my son mr Constant Southworth my Land att Paomett: viz all my Purchase land there: with all my rights privilidges and appurtenances therunto belonging; To him and his heires and assignes for ever; I give and bequeath unto my said son Constant Southworth and unto my son mr Joseph Bradford: the one halfe of my sheep; to be equally Devided betwixt them; and the other halfe to my son Captaine Willam Bradford. I give unto my said son Joseph Bradford my paire of working oxen and a white heiffer; I give unto my honored frend mr Thomas Prence one of the bookes that were my Deare husbands Library; which of them hee shall Choose; I give unto my Deare Grand child Elizabeth Howland; the Daughter of my Deare son Captaine Thomas Southworth Deceased; the sume of seaven pounds; for the use and benifitt of her son James howland. I give unto my servant maide Mary Smith a Cow Calfe to be Delivered her the next springe if I Decease this winter; and if I Doe not Decease this winter; my will is that shee have one Delivered to her out of my estate in som short time after my Decease; all the rest of my estate not Disposed of allreddy by this my last Will and Testament; as above said; I give and bequeath unto my sonnes mr Constant Southworth Captaine Willam Bradford and mr Joseph Bradford to be equally Devided amongst them in equall and alike proportions; In Witnes that this is my Last Will and Testament I the said Allice Bradford have heerunto sett my hand and seale; this twenty ninth day of December anno Dom one Thousand six hundred sixty nine.
Inventory of the goods of Alice Carpenter Southworth Bradford in pounds, shillings, pence:
8 Cowes 20 00 00
2 yearlings 01 10 00
2 yeare old steer 01 10 00
steer of 4 yeare old 02 10 00
2 yeare old heiffer 01 10 00
1 old horse and three mares 10 00 00
17 sheep and 2 lambes 07 00 00
In the New Parlour Chamber
1 bed a bolster and 2 pillowes 03 10 00
1 green rugg and 1 Coverlid & 2 blanketts 03 00 00
bedsteed & Curtaines and vallence 02 00 00
2 Chaires 00 15 00
3 wrought stooles 00 11 00
one Table and Carpett 01 05 00
a Carved Chest
In the outward Parlour Chamber
a bedsteed and Curtaine and vallence and settle 01 10 00
In the old parlour Chamber
a smale bed 2 blanketts 1 Coverlid & pillow 03 10 00
1 old green Cloth Goune 00 10 00
8 yards of hommade Cloth 01 04 00
2 Chestes 00 10 00
2 Iron beames 1 hogshead 1 barrell & lumber01 05 00
In the studdy in bookes
mr Perkins two of them 01 00 00
3 of Doctor WIlletts on genises exodus & Daniel 01 00 00
Guicksarraden 00 10 00
the history of the Church 00 08 00
Peter Martirs Comon places 00 15 00
Cartwright on remise Testament 00 10 00
the history of the Netherlands 00 15 00
Peter Martir on the Romans 00 05 00
Moors workes on the New Testament 01 00 00
Cottons Concordance 00 08 00
Speeds history of the world 01 00 00
Weams Christian Sinnagogue & the protracture of the Image of God 00 08 00
the Meathod of Phisicke 00 02 00
Calvins harmony and his Coment on the actes00 08 00
Downhams 2cond: prte of Christian warfare 00 03 00
mr Cottons answare to mr Williams 00 02 00
Taylers libertie of Prophesye 00 01 06
Gouges Domesticall Dutyes 00 02 06
the Institutions or reasons Discused & observations Divine and morall the synode of Dort and the Appologye 00 06 00
mr Ainsworth workes the Counterpoison & the tryall 00 02 00
mr Ainsworth on Genises exodus & livitticus 00 04 00
Calvin on Genises 00 02 06
Dike on the Deceightfulnes of mans hard 00 01 06
Gifford refuted 00 00 06
Dod on the comaundements and others of his00 03 00
53 smale bookes 01 06 06
Calvin on the epistles in Duch: and Divers other Duch bookes00 15 06
2 bibles 01 00 00
the actes of the Church 00 05 00
3 of mr Bridgg: his workes 01 00 00
the Lives of the fathers 00 03 00
a skin of buffe 00 15 00
In the old Parlour
1 feather bed 1 bolster 2 ruggs and a blankett03 00 00
a bedsted & settle Curtaine and vallence 01 10 00
a Court Cubbert 01 00 00
a Table and forme and 2 stooles 01 05 00
1 great lether Chaire 00 08 00
2 great wooden Chaires 00 06 00
1 great winscott Chist and a Cubbert 01 00 00
2 boxes and a Deske and a wrought stoole and an old Case of bottles00 12 00
2 guns and a paire of bandaleers 01 00 00
The plate
the great beer bowle 03 00 00
another beer bowle 02 00 00
a wine Cupp 01 00 00
a salt 02 15 00
a trencher salt & a Drame Cupp 00 15 00
silver spoones 02 09 00
a silver dish 01 15 00
2 blanketts 00 10 00
1 Diaper Table Cloth and a Dozen of Diaper Napkins 02 00 00
another Diaper Table Cloth and 7 Diaper Napkins 01 10 00
2 holland Table clothes 00 15 00
1 old Cubbert Cloth 00 03 00
4 pillow beers 00 08 00
5 towells 00 05 00
3 holland sheets 01 10 00
2 paire of Cotten and linnine sheets 01 15 00
19 Cotton and linnine Napkins 00 15 00
a paire of pillowbears 00 04 00
a nother paire of pillowbears 00 02 06
5 shets 01 10 00
in shiftes and other wearing linnine 03 00 00
a Dingcastor hatt 01 05 00
her wearing Clothes and a little peece of bayes12 00 00
a wicker baskett; galley potts & glasses & such smale thinges of Little vallue 00 05 00
In the great Parlour
2 great Carved Chaires 01 04 00
a Table and forme and Carpett 01 05 00
10 Cushens 01 00 00
a Causlett and hedpeece 01 10 00
4 great lether Chaires 01 04 00
in glasses and earthen ware 00 04 00
a Case and five knives 00 05 00
a rest & some other odde thinges 00 02 00
In the Kitchen
24 pewter platters and a brim bason 07 00 00
2 fflaggons: 2 quart potts & 3 pint potts 01 00 00
6 smale pewter Dishes and a smale bason 00 10 00
7 porrengers 00 06 00
6 pewter plates 00 09 00
2 pewter Candlestickes & a saltseller 00 06 00
3 Chamber potts and three smale sawcers and pewter funnell; 00 09 00
2 pyr plates 00 06 00
a tinning pan and 2 Coverings and a lanthorne00 02 00
1 great Jugg and 5 smallers ones 4 earthen pans and 2 earthen potts00 00 12
2 ffrench kettles 01 10 00
an old warming pan 00 03 00
1 little ffrench kettle 00 03 00
2 brasse kettles 00 15 00
a Duch pan 00 04 00
3 brasse skilletts 00 04 00
1 old brasse skimer and Ladle 00 01 00
3 brasse Candle stickes and a brasse pestle and Mortor00 09 00
a paire of Andjrons 00 10 00
a Chafeing Dish and a stew pan 00 10 00
1 Iron skillett and an Iron kettle 00 10 00
2 Iron potts 00 16 00
2 paire of pothangers and 2 paire of pott hookes 00 08 00
2 paire of tonggs and 2 fier shovells 00 05 00
2 spitts and a gridjron and an Iron Driping pan 00 10 00
a paire of Iron rakes 00 10 00
4 Dozen of trenchers 00 02 06
a box Iron 2 gallon glasse bottles and three pottle bottles 00 05 00
a spining wheele a bucking tubb 2 pailes 2 kinmnells two bowls 4 smale wooden Dishes 1 tray 2 Burchen trayes 00 16 00
Scales & waightes with an Iron beame 00 07 00
2 beer barrells 00 04 00
a prsell of sheepes woole 00 03 00
2 smale swine 00 10 00
in Mony 00 16 00
a silver bodkin 00 04 00
in provision 01 10 00
one halfe hogshed and a small prsell of salt 00 03 00
one paire of oxen in Mr Joseph Bradfords hand
sume totall 162 17 00
Captaine William Bradford and mr Joseph Bradford haveing the Cattle after named in theire Costody when the estate was prised; Did give in the number and kind of them upon theire oathes as followeth:
4 Cowes
2 Calves
one oxe 4 yeare old
one heiffer and hee was of two yeare old
14 sheep besides lambes;
sworne to these were in Captaine Bradford Costody June 1670
2 oxen
4 Cowes
2 yearlinges
one two yeare old steer
1 horse
2 mares
2 young Calves:
were in Mr Joseph Bradfords Custody and hee was sworne to this June 1670.
“Mistris Alice”
Heer lyes the shadow of a blessed mother
In Israel, well knowne to one and other
Of good decent, of holy predecessors;
Her father equall was to the confessors
And holy matires, suffered for Christ’s sake,
Altho hee suffered not at fiery stake,
And shee with him and other in her youth
Left there owne native country for the truth,
And in successe of time she marryed was
To one whose grace and vertue did surpasse,
I mean good Edward Southworth, who not long
Continued in this world the Saints amonge.
With him she lived seven years a wife
Till death did put a period to his life.
