b.abt.1543 of Stratford on Avon, Warwickshire, England
m.(1?)Oct. 23, 1598 Joan Smith
m.(2?)Nov. 26, 1599 _____ Perkins
CHILDREN included:
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b.1597/8 Stratford-upon-Avon, England
d.1678 York, ME
m.(1)Sept. 1613 Boston, MA Sarah Masterson (Killed by Indians)
m.(2)1638/9 at York, ME Mary ______ d.York, ME
CHILDREN of Arthur and 1st wife:
NOTES: Arthur was a butcher.
Sons Thomas and Arthur were both killed by Indians while loading a boat at at Cape Neddick.
From: The Pioneers of Maine and New Hampshire 1623-1660 by POPE page 23-24: BRAGDON, Arthur, planter, York, constable in 1640; took oath of allegiance to Mass. gov't. 22 Nov. 1652, and was appointed lieutenant of the militia. Town officer. His wife Mary witnessed a deed with him in 1661. Sold land 1 Nov 1668, ae. about 67 years; deposed again 6 July, 1671, aged about 74 years, as to what he heard Mr. Tho. Rogers say before he went to England, which was in 1643.[York De. vol 1, Part II, folo 14.] Made deed of gift to son Thomas 25 May 1678, conditioned on life maintenance for himself and wife.[York Deeds V.]
He died during the year. Inventory of his estate was filed 2 Oct 1678.
page 137 MAXWELL, MAXELL Alexander...Bought 70 acres of land up the river of York adjoining a parcel of Arthur Bragdons, and 10 acres of meadow on the northwest branch, of Thomas Moulton, 23 Jan. 1657...
History of York by Banks: Page 106-107: The story of this pioneer included the interesting fact that he was undoubtedly a native of Stratford-upon-Avon, County Warwick. The men of this family were butchers by occupation, the same as followed by John Shakespeare, and Arthur Bragdon must have known the Bard of Avon, for he was nineteen years old when Shakespeare died. This statement is made on circumstantial evidence arising on the existence of a Bragdon family living in Shakespeare's parish, whose sons carried the names of Arthur and Thomas as did the York family and the only Bragdon family found in England which bore these Christian names. It is stated that another resident of Stratford was an early emigrant to Maine, settling in the adjoining town of Kittery. At this period business communication was common between towns in Warwickshire by means of navigation of the Severn, and Bristol was probably the port from which he emigrated. Arthur Bradgon is first of record here in 1636; as witness to the sale of property (Deed i, 119; viii, 210) and on June 11, 1637 he had a grant of one hundred acres of land from Samuel Maverick and William Jeffery, two of the patentees of Agamenticus (Deeds xxvi, 83). This land was situated on Bass Cove. This grant was contested by Godfrey as to the extent of its bounds, and arbitrators Richard Vines and Henry Josselyn awarded the case in favor of Bragdon which was confirmed by Godfrey January 21, 1643, making the limits of his land on the northeast to the path leading from the Plantation to Christian Point (Deeds x, 173). He was constable of Agamenticus in 1640, and alderman in 1641 under the first charter. In his later years he resided with his son Thomas who lived just north of Bass Creek in Scotland, and on May 20, 1678 he transferred all his property to Thomas on condition this his son "provide for mee & my wife all necessary things that either of us shall stand in need of so long as wee do live" (Deed v, 26). He died in six months. An administration of his estate was granted to his son Thomas October 2, 1678. Inventory of the property was returned at a valuation of L64-06-0. In a deposition Arthur Bragdon stated his age which places his birth in 1597 and he was therefore eighty-one years old when he died. His wife's name was Mary, but there is nothing to suggest her family name of connection. The homestead at Bass Cove apparently remained in possession of his youngest son Samuel and his branch, and the usual family litigation regarding the title based upon the blanket deed of 1678 came into court in 1727, nearly fifty years later. A new administration on the estate was granted that year and a new appraisal valued the property at L504-16-0. The case resulted in favor of the occupants. Arthur Bragdon left issue three sons. No daughters are known.
Page 230: Sarah [Masterson d/o Nathaniel Masterson] b,____; m.Arthur Bragdon; she was granted administration of her father's estate March 8, 1691-2. She was killed by the Indians in 1703.
Page 289-291: Sunday, January 24, 1691-2 was the Feast of the Purification of the Virgin Mary or, in the English notation, known as Candlemas, and on that day the pastor of the church of York, Maine, preached to his little flock, unaware that by nightfall of that Sabbath a horde of savages would reach the outskirts of the town, in the silence of the night, bent upon murder. At the foot of Mount Agamenticus, about five miles from the harbor's mouth, Madockawando and his warriors had hastily raised their rude wigwams the night before, and early on the morrow they sent out scouts to ascertain the lay or the land and the conditions of defense. It happended that young Arthur Bragdon had gone out into the woods back of the settlement in the direction of Agamenticus to set his traps, and in making the rounds he came upon a pile of Indian snowshoes stacked against a large rock. While pondering upon the significance of this discovery, an Indian dog, tightly muzzled to prevent his barking and thereby precipitating an alarm from the houses nearest the encampment, fell on his trail and immediately disappeared into the woods whence he had emerged. This was the first point of contact on that memorable day between this unsuspecting lad and the large band of Indians who were making ready to execute their murderous design. The Indian scouts, evidently guided by the dog, suddenly surprised young Bragdon busily engaged in fixing his traps; they seized him and a little later came across two other inhabitants who were probably going into the forest to cut wood as they were carring axes...It is believed that this Arthur was bound and escaped...while "hundreds" of others were massacred.
page 302: Bragdon, Mrs. Sarah. Wife of Capt. Arthur Bradgon and daughter of Nathaniel and Elizabeth (Cogswell) Masterson. She was assigned to the custody of an Indian minister (Prince Waxaway). She was a captive in 1699 but returned not long after.
Bragdon, Abial. She was the daughter of the above-named, and it is presumed was taken with her mother and returned at the same time.
Page 315:...On Oct. 13, following, about sunset the Indians suddenly stole upon the house of Arthur Bragdon in Scotland, killed his wife (Sarah Masterson) and two of his children and carried his eldest daughter, Abiel, into captivity (Pike's Journal). She is still a captive in 1711 and her fate is unknown...
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b.1645 York, ME
d.bef. Nov. 1725 York, ME
m.Mary Moulton
b.Jan. 25, 1651/2 d/o Thomas and Martha Moulton
CHILDREN included:
From, Folk of the Majorbagaduce, " Ruth was carried off by Indians, married an Indian Chief, and ultimately returned to husband Eliakim Wardwell. 'For refusing to attend the established church, she and other members of her family were repeatedly fined, until rendered destitute of the actual necessities of life. It is related that on a Sabbath Day while so reduced, Mrs. Wardwell entered the church service in a nearly nude state, and, after telling the people gathered there her sorrowful condition was the result of unfair fines imposed upon her, she solemnly invoked the curse of God upon the entire gathering.' For this she was publicly whipped to the extent of 35 lashes upon her bare back. She is said to have had a daughter, Meribah, with the Indian Chief, and to have brought the daughter with her as she escaped and returned to Eliakim."
Will of Samuel Bragdon: In the Name of God Amen I Samuel Bragdon Senr of Yorke in the Province of Main, being Aged and Crazy of body but Sound understanding, do make this my last will and Testament as followeth, First and above all, I commit my Soul into the hands of god, and my body to the Earth to be decently buried in hopes of a glorious Resurection. And as for my outward Estate, which a good god has freely bestowed on me, I dispose of it in manner following
Imprs After my Just debts and funeral Charges are paid, I give and bequeath unto my Son Samuell (besides what he hath already) Ten pounds in or as money, as money shall generally pass, from man to man in this Country, when this sum comes to be dve, to be paid by my son Joseph, within two years after he shall come to enter upon the possession of the Living hereafter bequeathed wt him. Item I give and bequeath unto each of my four daughters, vizt Magdalin Patience, Sarah & Ruth, five and twenty shillings (five pounds in the whole) to be paid by my son Joseph the next year after the ten pounds above said is to be paid to Samuel.
Item I give and bequeath unto my Wife, the use and Improvment of all my lands, housing, Stock, household goods and moneys even the whole of what I shall leave, for her own maintainance, and the bringing up of my youngest son till he comes to be of age.
Item I give unto my son Joseph the whole living that now I possess and Impove, whither land, dwelling houses Barns, and orchards, with all the privilidges and rights that do or may any ways appertain or belong thereunto. I also give unto my son Joseph the One halfe of my stock and the one halfe of my household stuff, and goods of all sorts belonging to house keeping.
Item My Will is that when my son Joseph shall come to be of age according to law to enter upon the living aforesaid, his mother if shee desires it shall have Choice of all the Room in the dwelling house, the use of halfe the lands, halfe the stock, and halfe the household stuff or goods, during her Widowhood.
Item My Will is that after my wifes decease, all that is left of Estate in Cattle, Household goods, moneys or whatever Elce not deposed of in the above Said Articles shall be Equally divided betwene my Son Samuel and my four Daughters above said. Finally I do appoint my dear Cousin, Decon Bragdon the sole Executor of this my last will & Testament, desiring him, and Intreating him to see the Will of the dead punctually fulfill'd, I do also appoint Mr Moody our Pastor, and Richard Milbery to be overseers of this my last will and Testament.
In Witness to all and singular the Premisses, I have hereunto set my hand and seal this tenth day of May One Thousand seven Hundred and nine
[Samuel Moody, Samuel Bragdon (seal), Wittnesses: Hannah Moody, Christian Passons]
Sworn to and recorded 6 Jan. 1712-13. Inventory returned 6 Jan. 1712-13 at oe296:8:0 by Samuell Donnell Samuel Webber and Richard Milbery, appraisers
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