This site is a record of the research of several descendants of the James Banks Bradley family. It serves as a clearinghouse for the information we’ve collected about our ancestors, their stories, and the records they’ve left behind. As time goes on, we hope the site will become increasingly more inclusive of the other families that make up our collective past. So, for example, you can find other families documented on this site as well, such as the Burlesons and the Boykins (eventually).
The Project aims at several goals. First, we hope to have on this web site a complete listing of all deceased descendants of James Banks. Second, we hope to push farther back into our family past. Right now we know James Banks’ parents were Thomas and Sarah Bradley, but we know very little other than this. Our research will include trying to find out more about Thomas and Sarah and getting further back. Finally, we hope to document the information that is on this site in order to “prove” the relationships we have recorded. Any relatives finding this site should find all the documentary evidence they need in order to “certify” their family tree.
Currently it is our policy not to list living relatives. We are keeping track of living relatives as best we can, but are concerned only with documenting the lives of those relatives that have died. This also protects the privacy of those still living, since this website is open to anyone with internet access.
If you are interested in this research and have ideas to improve this site, want to help with the research in some way, or have questions about any of the information on this site, please feel free to contact me at sempereformata [at] yahoo.com.
One final note. If you have done much genealogy research at all, you know that sometimes you make a best guess at things. This is often necessary to help you bridge a difficult gap in information (the first Thomas Bradley is a good example of this). As such, we’ll try to be clear when we’re guessing at something on this site. However, our information is subject to change as we get more data. Thanks for being flexible as this occurs.
Enjoy!
The Bradley Project 
This is a great start but I am disapointed. I was hoping to get a lead on my ggrandmother Mary Elizabeth Bradley b. Ga 1861 d. 1930 Frankston, Anderson Co, Tx., m. William Thomas House b. Ark 1853, d. 1912 Frankston, Anderson Co., Tx(no marriage date).I got this from my grandmothers birth cert.. Everything I find says she came from Ga but some records say he came from Ark,Ms,Al,Tn.. They share the same headstone at ‘Old Bethel Cemetery, Frankston, Anderson Co., Tx’, with the names Tom & Elizabeth on the stone along with the names of their children. I have found a census for Mary Elizabeth Bradley age 12 (the age is right)in the area but it don’t list her parents, also I’m not sure if it’s the same parson since I don’t know if she came to Tx before or after she got married. If you can shed any light on this it would be greatly appreaciated..
Ken,
I’ll keep a sharp eye out for your line of Bradleys. But as of now, I don’t think our lines cross very closely. I don’t recognize your ggrandmother’s name, or her husband’s name. And Anderson Co, TX doesn’t figure prominently in our line (although East Texas is our family stomping grounds).
If I may point out, Mary shouldn’t be 12 on any federal census. She should have been around 9 on her first, then around 19 on the next, assuming the birth year you list above is correct. I know the census are often inaccurate due to neighbors answering the questions, etc. But if the parents aren’t listed as well, it may be that you have the wrong Mary on that census.
Sorry I couldn’t be more help!
I have some photos of Reynolds Banks Bradley and family. how can I send them to you for the Bradley project?
Mike,
This answer has been far too long coming, but in the event you ever come back to the site, you can email the photos to me at: sempereformata [at] yahoo.com
Hi my name is Deborah Strauch and I’m working on this line in my Ancestry.com tree. I saw in Thomas & Sarah Bradley in the Antiock Baptist Church record the name Catherine Mosley. I looked her up on Find-A-Grave and she was there b.unknown-d.29 Jan 1893 and buried in Antiock Baptist Cemertey in Antiock, Kershaw County, South Carolina. Same Church as Thomas & Sarah. Also there was a Jane Bradley mentioned could these 2 girls be one of the Free White Females in the 1920 & 1930 Cencus’?
Hi Deborah. It could certainly be possible. The problem with those old census records is that it’s very difficult to figure out who all the other people are int he household.
Hi,
My Name is Cynthia Bradley-Graziadei, My 2nd G-Grandfather was James Bradley (1822-1880) B: Escambia County, Fl. b:Sarasota, Fl. I James Listed as the son of Thomas Bradley (1785-1849) b: Crenshaw, S.C. d: Clarke County, Al.
My question is: Is the Thomas Bradley & Sarah, the same as my Thomas. There is a great deal of confusion on the internet regarding Thomas Bradley and his first wife. I have found myself chasing my tail on this issue and wondering if anyone can help me figure out if there is two different Thomas Bradley’s in Al. and a listed Father of Thomas, John Bradley (1756-1850) b: possible Sumter S.C or Virgina?; d: Lauderdale, Miss. 1850.
The names, dates and family ties information I have just do not add up. I’ve hit a brick wall. Family oral history from my father and grandfather say my line of Bradley’s head south from Al to Fl. prior to the civil War from the Clarke County, Al. area on an Ox Cart with other families: i.e Walker’s, Thigpen’s, and Dubose (Duboise).
Any suggestions from anyone would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Cindi
Hi Cynthia! I’m actually familiar with you from ancestry.com. I’m aware of the confusion you’re struggling with. I’ve come to the conviction that the Thomas Bradley that went to Florida is a different Thomas Bradley from my ancestor. Here’s what I have found: My ancestor, James Banks Bradley, is buried in Alabama. I have visited his tombstone several times. I can establish with the kind of certainty that satisfies the DAR that this is my direct ancestor. His tombstone says that he was born in 1816 in Kershaw County to Thomas and Sarah Bradley. The 1820 census only shows one Thomas Bradley as far as I can tell, and he has a male under the age of 10 in his household, which fits the tombstone narrative. This Thomas disappears from Kershaw Co in 1840 (he does appear on the 1830). A James B Bradley then appears on the 1840 census in Alabama and his neighbor is a Thomas Bradley. James Banks’ family was rather large and one of his sons later enlisted for the civil war in the same part of Alabama, so I believe this is our James Banks living next door to his father, Thomas. The ages of all in the household of James B are also perfectly consistent with what we know of the family at that time. Now, if I recall correctly, the Thomas Bradley that went to Florida appears there (FL) on the census in 1840. He is also said to come from Kershaw Co. This may be true, but I have no way to sort it out since the 1820 and 1830 census records only give the name of the head of household. All of that to say, I believe there are two Thomas Bradleys, one went to Alabama and the other went to Florida. Both appear on different census records at the same time. I think they’re different people. I wish it weren’t so, because the one who went to Florida is rather well documented. I think our Thomas is a mystery. The confusion of these two men is largely the result of folks indiscriminately merging their trees on ancestry as far as I am concerned. The Thomas in Florida may have been married to a Sarah, but he did not have a son named James Banks. James Banks belongs to the other Thomas. I hope that helps!
Thomas Bradley from Clarke County Alabama was born in SC and died in Alabama. He spent a number of years in Escambia County FL before settling in Clarke County. He is my GGGrandfather through his son Charles Hearn Bradley.
Hi Bradley! The Thomas Bradley you are referring to is not the same as our Thomas Bradley. There were two Thomas Bradleys in SC, both went to Alabama. However, our Thomas never went to Florida. Among the Bradleys descended from our Thomas, your Thomas is rather well known. The two are often confused. The two Thomases may have been related, but no one is sure how they would’ve been. Thanks for dropping by and leaving your comment!