The Bradlee Genesis

Genealogy is a great way for people to connect with their past, inspire themselves through what their ancestors achieved, and motivate them to do their best in life. For those of us with Learning Differences, finding out about our ancestors and their accomplishments can help us believe that we too can make a difference. A 2013 New York Times article that helped me understand why I was so obsessed with my family history.

The piece, titled “The Stories That Bind Us,” by Bruce Fuller, was about how “the single most important thing you can do for your family may be the simplest of all: develop a strong family narrative.”  The most incredible thing about the story was what it said about children with learning disabilities. “The ones who know a lot about their families tend to do better when they face challenges,” psychologist Sara Duke said in the story.

My own hobby became my passion, and in March of 2021, I received my certification as a Genealogist from the International Association of Professions Career College. I have worked for many years to assemble the Bradlee Genesis because the gift of family is the greatest gift of all.

The Bradlee Genesis

Thanks to the wonderful technology of DNA, we now know that anybody with the surname Bradley in their family tree is a direct descendant of Niall Noigiallach or in English, Niall of the Nine Hostages, 126th High King of Ireland. His family line goes all the way back to Conn Ceadchatach mac Feideil, 110th High King of Ireland and the progenitor of O’Quinn, the clan that my mother is paternally descended from. Conn had a very unfortunate death as he was murdered  by 50 ruffians dressed as women who were ordered by the King of Ulster about the year 57 A.D. Niall was killed in about the year 405 in Boulogne by the Prince of Leinster. Conn’s paternal lineage continues all the way back to Mil Espania or “Soldier of Spain,” who married Princess Tmar of Judah whose father was Zedekia, the 22nd and last King of Judah whose great grandfather was Solomon ben David, 2nd King of Judah whose father himself was the little shepherd boy David, who became the first  King of Judah himself after defeating Goliath, the Giant. Mil’s Espania’s son was Ereamhon mac Miled anglicized as Hermon who became the second High King of Ireland. Hermon’s mother was Princess Scota of Egypt whose father was Necho II, Pharaoh of Egypt who was born about 660 BC and died about 595 BC. He is a direct descendant in the matrilian line of Ramses I, Pharaoh of Egypt I (c.1302 BC-1213 BC).

 The one thing people don’t realize about the ancient Irish is that they were really like what the Italian Mafia was back in the 30’s in New York; however the Italian gangs have always been called the mafia, and Irish gangs have always been called the mob. The clan warfare in Ireland almost shaped the landscape itself. Families were killing families, they were bringing them together by marriage and killing each other because of that very reason. All clans today in Ireland are descended from the ancient nobles, princes, kings and even the infamous Ard Ri or High King, which was just below the title of Emperor. The High Kings like the ancient King of Kings of ancient Persia, they were kings of all the kings without being emperors. The clans in Ireland were sometimes even more powerful than the kings themselves were and is a great saga that should be told. Kings, princes, nobles and clansmen were constantly killing each other for the control of Ireland. Once you were born into the land of Erin or Ireland it would almost call you to do whatever it would take to get to the crown, even to have your whole family killed.

The first ancestor in the paternal line of the Bradlee family of Boston is Duncan I, Thane of Dull whose son was also Duncan who was born about the year 920 A.D., who was also Thane of Dull and died in about 965 A.D. His son was Also Duncan but he held the title of Thane of Atholl who was born about 949 A.D and died about 1010 AD. His son was the famed Crinan of Dunkeld, Hereditary Abbott of Dunkeld who was born about 976 and died in 1045. In the year 1000 he married Princess Bethoc was the eldest daughter of Mael Coluim mac Cinaeda if Scotia also known as Malcolm II of Scotland (c.954 - 25 Nov 1034) who died in Glamis, Scotland and was from the House of Alpin. King Malcolm’s father was Coinneach mac Mhaoil Chalium anglicized to Kenneth II of Scotland who was born in the year 995 possibly in Fettercairn which is now in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Crinan and Princess Bethoc had two sons, the eldest was Donnchadh mac Crionain anglicized as Duncan I of Scotland (15 Aug 1001 - 14 Aug 1040) and then the second was Maldred, King of Cumbria (c.1007-c.1045).

The First Bradley recorded in history was Dolphin de Bradeley, Earl of Northumbria who was born about 1060 in Lothain, Scotland and died at the Battle of the Standard on 22 Aug 1138 in Cowton Moor, near Northallerton in Yorkshire, England. He  was the eldest of three sons of the famous Prince Gospatic, Earl of Dunbar who had been some time Earl of Northumbria, but then exiled to Scotland where he became the latter thanks to Malcolm III of Scotland. Dolphin owned many manors, some of which he had to forfeit, however he kept the manor of Bradelay, which is most likely where the name comes from. There is a Bradley Manor house located in Newton Abbott, Devon, England that was built in the medieval times; one of the owners was Richardand Joan Yarde who owned it from 1402. (Photo). This is most likely not the same manor house that Dolfin lived in in the 1000s. Dolphin was in England during the Norman Conquest in 1066, England’s most important date. His father Gospatrick had two sons and one daughter: Gospatrick II, Earl of Lothain being the eldest, then Waltheof and his daughter Ethelreda (?-?) became Queen of Alba, what was Scotland before Scotland by marrying Donnchad mac Mael Coluim aka Dunan II, King of Scotland (c.1060 - 12 Nov 1094). The lineage of the Bradleelian line goes back to Mil Espania will be shown at the very bottom. 

There were six Bradley who held the office of constable, which was rather a respectable occupation back then. The first was William de Brodelegh II who was born in 1240 in Halifax, West Riding, Yorkshire, England and Constable of Ovenden. William’s son Henry de Brodelegh who was born in 1280 in Halifax, West and died in Halifax, England. His son John de Bradeleay was born in 1320 also in Halifax and was Constable of Ovenden and died on 3 Jul 1356. His son was also Henry born in 1345 in Halifax, and died on 29 Sep 1402 in England and was Constable of Halifax. His son was Sir John de Brodelegh who was the only knight in my paternal lineage and born about 130 in Halifax and died on 3 Jul 1456 and the only Constable of Ipperholm and Ovenden. His son was William de Brodelegh who was both born and died in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England but born in 1420 and died on 17 Aug 1481 and Constable of Halifax. His son was Thomas Brodelegh was the last constable in the family and was born about 1450 in Halfax, England and died in Yorkshire, England and was Constable of Halifax. 

Our family spells the Bradley name Bradlee with two “ee’s” when they changed the spelling of the family name during the American Revolutionary War and I will get to that later. The first Bradley to come to America was John Bradley who was born on 28 Jul 1578 in Kildwick, Yorkshire, England to William Bradley (1545-1600) and a woman named  Agnes Margates (1573-1 Feb 1603, who was born in Reeden, Northamptonshire, England and died in Bradford, West Riding, Yorkshire, England. John married to Katherine Bexwicke who was born in 1574 in Manchester, Lancashire, England and died on 21 Sep 1643 in Louth, Lincolnshire, England so you can see that she did not immigrate to The New World with her husband who died on 1 Jun 1642 in Dorchester, Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts. John and Katherine had a son also named John who was born on 15 Jun 1614 in Aston-upon-Lyne, Lancashire, England and on 1 Jun 1642 in Dorchester, Massachusetts; the same year and place his father died. 

John and Katherine’s son John married two times; first on 14 Apr 1628 in Prestbury, Cheshire, England to Jane Fairfax who was born in 1578 in Ausby, Lincolnshire, England and died on 21 Sep 1643 in Louth, Lincolnshire, England. John’s second wife whom he married on 9 Feb 1629 in St. Michael, Macclesfield, Cheshire, England was Katherine Bostocke. She was born on 14 Nov 1610 in London, England to James Bostocke (born about 1553 in Manchester, Lancashire, England and died on 5 May 1586, buried at the Cathedral of Manchester in Lancashire, England; and Elizabeth Piercrofte who was born about 1557 in Manchester, Lancashire, England and died on 23 November 1587, buried at the same place) and died on 21 Apr 1663 in Dorchester, Massachusetts. John and Katherince Bosttock had two children: Nathan Bradley and Salathiel Bradley, the first born being Nathan. He was the first born Bradlee in America was in 1631 in Dorchester, Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Bay Colony and died on 26 Jul 1701 at 70 years old in Dorchester, Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Bay Colony. He is buried in Dorchester North Burying Ground in Dorchester, Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Bay Colony. He was owner of 2 acres of the Great Lotts. His occupation was to ring the bell of the meeting house and to clean the meeting house in Dorchester. In 1680 he was also the Town Sexton of Dorchester and carried water for baptism which he was paid 4 pounds annually. He married on 17 Jul 1666 in Dorchester, Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Bay Colony to Mary Evans. She was born on 19 Nov 1640 in Dorchester, Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Bay Colony to Richard Evans (1613-1662) and Mary Morgan (1610-c.1673) and died on 24 Aug 1711 in Dorchester, Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Bay Colony. She is buried in Dorchester North Burying Ground in Dorchester, Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USA.

Nathan’s sons was also Nathan who was born on 12 Mar 1674 in Dorchester, Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Bay Colony, died on 13 Dec 1750 in Dorchester, Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Bay Colony and is buried in Dorchester North Burying Ground, Dorchester, Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USA. Nathan never went to the sea that we know of, however he was a merchant of Boston and helped build a wharf on Wales Creek in Dorchester, Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Bay Colony. He was married firstly by Rev. Danforth on 2 Jan 1695 in Dorchester, Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Bay Colony to Ruth Hawes. She was born on 22 Sep 1670 in Dorchester, Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Bay Colony to Eleazer Clapp Haws (1645-1676) and Ruth Haynes (1646-1672) and died on 25 Mar 1701 in Dorchester, Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Bay Colony. He married secondly on 3 Mar 1701 in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Bay Colony to Lydia Harden. She was born on 22 Dec 1684 in Braintree, Norfolk County, Massachusetts Bay Colony and died on 28 Mar 1752 in Dorchester, Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Bay Colony.

The first person to hold office in this country of any type was Samuel Bradley who was the one who changed his last name to Bradlee with “ee’s.” Samuel was born on 5 Oct 1707 in Dorchester, Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Bay Colony and died on 7 Jul 1768 in Dorchester, Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Bay Colony. He is buried in Dorchester Burying Ground in Dorchester, Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USA. By trade he was a weaver, but he was also a fisherman and in 1753 he was elected Constable of Dorchester, Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Bay Colony. In 1754 he ran for the office of Constable which he won. However during the race his last name was confused with other Bradley’s in the Boston area so he changed it by dropping the “y” and adding another “e.” This was fine for a while, however when the American Revolution came, there was a royal warrant to shoot any Bradlee on sight. This is because the spelling with two “ee’s” is too American. However, the family of Boston never changed it back. Samuel married on 11 Feb 1730 in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Bay Colony to Mary Andrus. She was born in 1700 and died on 20 May 1796. They had twelve children all together, however only four of them made names for themselves. The first is Sarah.

Sarah Bradlee was born on 24 Dec 1740 in Dorchester, Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Bay Colony and died on 9 Nov 1835 in Medford, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. She died at 95 years old. She is buried in Medford, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. She is said to have often visit her brother Nathaniel’s house in Boston; and on the night of 16 Dec 1773 of the Boston Tea Party, her husband, and four of her brothers, David Bradlee (1742-1811), Thomas Bradlee (1744-1805), Nathaniel Bradlee (1746-1813), and Josiah Bradlee I (1754-1798) all met and Nathaniel’s house. Sarah painted her husband and her brothers up like Native American Mohawk Indians who boarded the British ships, in the Boston Harbor, to dump their tea over into the harbor. It has been said that it was Sarah’s idea to dress the men up like Native Americans; she painted their faces to hide their identities. The men came back later that night and she removed the paint. After this event she was dubbed, “The Mother of the Boston Tea Party,” by a Boston newspaper. She was also a leading member of the Daughters of Liberty. Two years later at the Battle of Bunker Hill on 17 Jun 1775 she rallied up women by herself to nurse the incoming wounded soldiers. She cared for the men at an open space of Wade’s Tavern between the bridge of South Street which she turned into a field hospital and was only armed with bandages, baskets, lint and other basic medical material of the time and acted as the surgeon. She attended to one poor American soldier who had a bullet in his cheek with her steady hands. Years later, she had almost forgotten about that incident until he came back to thank her personally. At the start of the American Revolutionary War, in Mar 1776, Maj. John Brooks, Mayor of Medford, Massachusetts, needed a message to urgently be delivered to Gen. George Washington. He could have chosen any single one of his men to do so, but instead he chose Sarah. She delivered the message all by herself through enemy lines of the Charlestown waterfront and was successful in doing so and also returned back to her home. Sometime later, Washington visited the home of Sarah and her husband to personally thank her. During the Siege of Boston, the British would sometimes row across the Charles river to seek fuel for their ships. Sarah new that a shipment of wood was coming in for the troops at Cambridge and sent her husband to go and buy the wood. Even though the Americans had a right to do this, the British troops confiscated the wood from Sarah’s husband, Mr. John Fulton. She saw this happening and went and went up herself to grab the oxen by the horn to turn it around. As she did this the British soldiers pointed their guns at her and she simply told them to “shoot away.” Completely stunned, the British surrendered the wood to Sarah without resistance. There has been a play in her honor called “Sarah Bradlee Fulton, Patriot: A Colonial Drama in Three Acts,” written by Grace Jewett Austin in 1919. Sarah’s marker in the Salem Street Cemetery reads: Sarah Bradlee Fulton 1740-1835, A Heroine of the Revolution, Erected by the Sarah Bradlee Fulton Chapter, D.A.R 1900.”

Four of Samuel’s sons board the British ships in the Boston Harbor during the Boston Tea Party. The first one was Capt. David Bradlee who was born on 24 Nov 1742 in Dorchester, Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Bay Colony and died on 10 Mar 1811. In 1810 he lived in Brattle Square, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. He is buried in Central Burying Ground in Dorchester, Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USA. He died at 69 years old. David, who started out in life as a simple tailor, took part in three events in Boston. The first one was when he was present at a riot that broke out on 22 Feb 1770 when a Customs officer named Ebenezer Richardson shot into a crowd of boys and young men, and ended up killing little Christopher Seider, who were mobbing Richard’s house, which ended in court. The second was the little known event of the taring of George Gailer that took place on 28 Oct 1769, which David Bradlee took part of and afterwards, Mr. Gailer, who was a sailor sued Bradlee, which also ended in court. Robert Treat Paine ended up taking notes on Bradlee testimony: Windows broke when I got there. I saw 3 or 4 Stones come out of the Window. I saw one or two Men in the Room with Guns in their hands. R put a Gun on edge of Window. I heard the Gun, and run to the back of the house. R pointed the gun at me.” However, David Bradlee had connections to have Mr. John Adams himself to represent him as his lawyer. The word clapt means that R, which is used to refer to Ebenezer Richardson, fired a black at David Bradlee to scare him away.  The third and last was probably the most well known event in American history, the Boston Massacre which happened on 5 Mar 1770. One of the people that were there and witnessed this unfortunate act was Benjamin Burdick, Jr. who was Constable of the town house watch. Because of Burdick’s testimony of the trail afterwards, we know what David Bradlee did. After the first round of fire, Mr. Burdick ran up the street to get help and the two men that came were “Dr. Jos. Gardiner, and David Bradley, came down with me to the corpses, and as we were stopping to take them up, the soldiers presented at us again. I then saw an officer passing busily behind them. We carried off the dead without regarding the soldiers.” This narrative is from Boston’s “Short Narrative of the Horrid Massacre,” which I found on the blog, “Boston, 1775; History, analysis, and unabashed gossip about the start of the American Revolution in Massachusetts.” The British soldiers killed the one black man that was there. As Dr. Gardiner and Mr. Bradlee were picking up the African American man, Crispus Attuck, to carry him away, the soldiers were about to fire again, but Capt. Thomas Preston came, pushed up their guns and said “Stop firing, do not fire.” It seems that David Bradlee was going to help the black man whether he was going to be shot at or not. David was a member of the Sons of Liberty with his brother Josiah Bradlee who both later served and fought in the American Revolution. David reached the rank of Captain and Josiah held the rank of Private. He married 22 Mar 1764 in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Bay Colony to Sarah Watts. She was born in 1745 to Judge Unknown Watts and died on 16 Feb 1806 in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USA.

Thomas was the second son who was born on 4 Dec 1744 in Dorchester, Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Bay Colony and died in Oct 1805 in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USA at 60 years of age. He is buried in Central Burying Ground in Tomb No. 85. in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USA. In 1810 he was living on Poplar Street in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USA. He was a freemason at St. Andrews Lodge and also a member of the Massachusetts Charitable Mechanics Association, both in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USA. He married on 28 Jan 1765  in Dorchester, Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Bay Colony to Margaret Smith. She was born in about 1745 and died on 12 Aug 1821 in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USA.

Nathan along with his brother Thomas was a member of the  Massachusetts Charitable Mechanics Association. Nathan was born on 16 Feb 1746 in Dorchester, Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Bay Colony and died on 8 May 1813 in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USA. He is buried in Central Burying Ground in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USA. In 1771 he built a house  on the corner of Tremont Street and Hollis Street in Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massachusetts Bay Colony. He was member of the Massachusetts Charitable Mechanic Association. He married on 28 Apr 1769 in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Bay Colony to Ann Dunlop. She was born on 12 Oct 1748 in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Bay Colony to George Dunlap (1728-1711) and Ann Carr (1728 - ) and died on 4 Aug 1821 in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USA. She was baptized by Rev. Unknown Moody. She is buried in Central Burying Ground in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USA.

Lastly but not least was my paternal ancestors Pvt. Josiah Bradlee I who was born on 24 Mar 1754 in Dorchester, Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Bay Colony and died on 2 Oct 1798 in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USA. He is buried in Central Burying Ground, Tom No. 85 in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USA. He was dressed up by his sister Sarah Bradlee (1740 - 1835) at their brother Nathan Bradlee’s house, like a Mohawk Native American Indian to board the British ships in the Boston Harbour during the Boston Tea Party.  He held the rank of Private in the American Revolution. While American Soldiers were preparing for the Battle of Bunker Hill, Hannah went to see her uncle Maj. Gen. Israel Putnam (1718 - 1790), Founder of the Sons of Liberty in Connecticut, and as she was ready to leave, the Major General called upon Pvt. Josiah Bradlee to escort her safely back to her home which he did. He enlisted on the American side 30 30 1777 in Capt. Davi Pixley’s Co. in Col. John Brown’s Regiment and served for 22 day in the Northern Department. He served in Capt. William Franci’s Co. in Col. John Ashley’s Regiment.

He enlisted again on 22 Jun 1777, served for 23 days in Cap. John Spors’s Co. in Col. John Brown’s Berkshires Regiment and was discharged on 13 Aug 1777. He enlisted again on 18 Jul 1780 for three months and 10 days and was discharged on 23 Oct 1780. His last company that he was with was to raise reinforcements for the United States Continental Army. He was married by Rev. Dr. Samuel Stillman on 7 Aug 1777 in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Bay Colony to Hannah Putnam. She was born in 1758 in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Bay Colony Joseph Putnam (1714 - 1793) of the Boston Brahmin Putnam family and Sarah Urann (1716 - bef.1765) and died on 4 May 1793 in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USA. He was married second also by Rev. Dr. Samuel Stillman on 1 Dec 1793 in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USA to Lydia Callender. She was born in 1750 in 1750 in Massachusetts Bay Colony. Josiah and Lydia’s son Joseph Putnam Bradlee became a successful merchant. 

He was born on 7 Mar 1778 in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Bay Colony and died 6 Jan 1860 in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USA. He is buried in Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. He was educated in the private schools of Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USA. He was a merchant in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USA and in 1850 his real estate value was $40,000. His first occupation was working for the company of Joseph Baker & Son which was a South American house on Central Wharf in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USA. He later became Treasurer of the Balardvale Woolen Mills, near Andover, Essex County, Massachusetts, USA. 

In 1829 he was an original member of the Horticultural Society in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USA. His probation was on 7 Feb 1838 in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USA. He was on a committee to “report a general plan of proceeding and to raise the requisite money to purchase land for this object.” He raised most of the money. He became the head of Josiah Bradlee & Company. At one point he lived at 12, Butler’s Row in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USA. He married on 7 Nov 1810 in Watertown, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA to Rebecca Boylstone Fowle. She was born on 27 Oct 1786 in Watertown, Middlesex County, Massachusetts Bay Colony to Lt. Edmund Fowle II (1747 - 1821) and Huddah Curtis ( - ) and died on 1 Dec 1871 in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USA. She is buried in Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. In 1842, 1850, 1860 and 1865 she was living in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USA.

Josiah and Lydia’s son Josiah, Jr, my direct ancestor, also became a  bit notable. He was born on 7 Mar 1778 in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USA and died on 6 Jan 1860 in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USA. He is buried in Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. He married first on 26 Nov 1802 in Medford, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA to Lucy Hall. She was born on 28 Nov 1782 in Medford, Middlesex County, Massachusetts Bay Colony and died on 3 Mar 1816 in Medford, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. He married secondly on 6 Jun 1817 in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USA to Joanna S. Frothingham. She was born in 1785 in Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA and died on 28 Sep 1869 in Charlestown, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. Josiah and his second wife Joannah adopted one of the first children in America with registration. My line continues through their son Frederick Hall Bradlee. 

Frederick was born on 18 Sep 1807 in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USA and died on 24 Aug 1886 in Medford, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. He was baptized by Rev. William Emerson. He was described as “the poor son of a humble Boston tinsmith.” He is buried in Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. In 1827 he was at Harvard College in Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. In 1850, 1855, 1860 and 1880 he lived in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USA. In 1851 he became a millionaire and listed among the fifteen hundred wealthiest people in Massachusetts. A person wrote of him, “In Spite of his great wealth and standing as a merchant prince… never attaining a place among the Proper Bostonians.” In 1857 he lived in Massachusetts, USA. He was a merchant in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USA. Though not as wealthy as his father, he still had a net worth of about $300,000. In 1860 he purchased a lot in the newly developed Back Bay area of Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USA and had a house built for him by the architect Nathaniel J. Bradlee. However he did not actually start building the house until later on in that decade.

The first home he built was at 13 Commonwealth and the second home was at 11 Commonwealth; he joined the two homes together. He kept the house at 13 Commonwealth for himself and his wife, but eventually sold the other one to his daughter Elizabeth Bradlee. He lived in his house for 20 years until his death. He was married by Rev. E. S. Gannett on 12 Apr 1831 in Medford, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA to Lucretia Wainwright. She was born in 1810 in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USA to Henry Wainwright (1771 - 1827) and Lucretia Greene (1771 - 1851) and died on 25 Aug 1886 in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USA. She is buried in Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. In 1850, 1855, 1860 and in 1880 she was living in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USA.