- JAMES BRADSHAW, an old and highly respected citizen of Spring
Valley Township, residing
- on section 17, was born on the 22d day of July, 1804, and
dates his residence in this county from July 4, 1845. He was
born in Derbyshire, England, where his ancestry lived for several
generations back. Both his paternal and maternal grandparents
were natives of that county, and the families were noted for
longevity. The paternal grandfather had passed his one hundredth
birthday at the time of his death, and his wife was one hundred
and five years of age, while the maternal grandfather was eight-two
years of age, and his wife had attained her eighty-second year.
- For more than forty years Mr. BRADSHAW resided within one
mile of his birthplace, making his
- home in Limondly until his emigration to America. He was
married in Derbyshire, England, on the 30th day of May, 1823,
to Miss Bettie COOPER, who was his companion through life's journey
for more than a half a century. A family of six children were
born to that worthy couple, the birth of five occurring previous
to the removal of the family to this country; Martha, who married
Peter SMITH, a native of Scotland, then living in Spring Valley
Township, but now a resident of Washington, died in 1888, leaving
six of her seven children to mourn the loss of a mother; George
died in his eighteenth year; Joseph died in infancy; Jane also
departed this life in her eighteenth year; Betsy, who was born
Dec. 6, 1839, became the wife of Jacob VAN SKIKE, Sept. 24, 1871,
her husband, who was a soldier of Company I, 9th Indiana Cavalry,
having died Sept. 23, 1880, since which time she has been living
with her four children on the old homestead; Maria, born Sept.
29, 1847, is now the wife of James Sterling RICHARDS, and to
them have been born four children, one of whom is deceased.
- In 1845, accompanied by his family, Mr. BRADSHAW left his
native land and crossed the Atlantic
- to America. He arrived in Janesville, Wis., on the 4th day
of July, of that year, and soon afterward entered a claim on
section 17, Spring Valley Township, comprising 160 acres of land,
to which he has since added forty acres, making in all 200 acres
of fine arable land, which he has placed under a high state of
cultivation. His first house was a little log cabin, the usual
home of the pioneer, and it is still standing, being used as
a work and tool shop. Of an energetic and practical disposition,
Mr. BRADSHAW has made a success of farming. Nothing which he
undertakes proves a failure, for his industry and perseverance,
always at last, if not in the beginning, accomplishes the result
for which he is striving. He has always been in the habit of
laying his plans after retiring for the night, and on rising
in the morning was ready to proceed to the labors of the day.
He has never sold as much as 200 bushels of corn, believing it
more profitable to feed his produce to his stock than to send
it to market. He has raised all kinds of farm produce adapted
to the soil and climate of Wisconsin. Some years since he rented
his farm to his grandson, only retaining four acres for his own
use, which he planted in vegetables, selling the same in Brodhead.
Although Mr. BRADSHAW has nearly reached his eighty-fifth year,
he is still vigorous, arises at 6:30 in the morning, at 8 o'clock
starts to Brodhead, and on his return spends the morning in reading
until called to dinner. He is fond of a good joke, highly enjoys
repartee, is a great reader, and his mental faculties are unimpaired.
He can converse intelligently on any subject, is well informed
on all the general topics of the day, and by his genial, kindly
manner, has gained friends wherever he has been. In 1880 his
good wife was called to her final rest, and her remains were
interred in the cemetery near the Scotch school-house in Spring
Valley Township. She had been reared in the same family with
Mr. BRADSHAW, and their acquaintance dated from the age of seven
years. On attaining to years of maturity their friendship ripened
into a deeper regard, and for more than half a century they traveled
life's journey as man and wife, celebrating their golden wedding
in 1873.
-
- Taken from "The Portrait and Biographical Album of
Rock County, Wis." (c)1889, pp. 525-526.
-
- Courtesy of Carol
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