Elizabeth was a daughter of Thomas Bradley (died 1711/12) of Maghull and his wife Margery (died 1706).

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1 BRADLEY of MAGHULL On 28 January 1705/6 Samuel Ledson of Melling township in the south-west Lancashire parish of Halsall married after banns Elizabeth Bradley (born 1678/9) of the adjacent township of Maghull. Elizabeth was a daughter of Thomas Bradley (died 1711/12) of Maghull and his wife Margery (died 1706). The Bradley family of Maghull (Halsall) descends directly from Thomas Bradley s father William, a Maghull farmer of Maghull (died 1677), although Bradleys occur there 400 years earlier. The name Bradley means the broad ley/meadow, but has many locative origins, particularly West Yorkshire. 1 Origins Philip of Bradeley and William his brother occur in a land grant at Maghull as early as In 1421 William, son and heir of Philip of Bradley had an interest in the Tailhourfeld and parcels in Dwerfeld and the holding of Robert of Bradley. 3 One Thomas Bradley owed 4s to Thomas Lea of Maghull, whose will was drawn up in There were no Bradleys presented as recusants at Maghull in William Bradley and Elizabeth William Bradley and his wife Elizabeth were married by c and had at least five children: Thomas; Edmund; James; George; and Margery. No Maghull parish registers have survived before 1720 and so we have no trace of the baptism of William s children. 6 All Maghull burials took place at Melling until quite modern times: Alis, daughter of William Bradley was buried there on 7 April William Bradley appears in the Maghull hearth tax returns for 1663 and 1664 (with Elizabeth Bradley and Richard) and 1666 (with Elizabeth): all had one hearth each. 7 In 1668, and 1671 Elizabeth Bradley was a Maghull recusant. 8 On 30 December 1667 William and Richard Bradley, yeomen appraised the inventory of Edmund Goore of Maghull. At the 1669 visitation there were various Reports of Conventicles to be neare or within this towne [Maghull], although nothing was presented at Melling. 9 William Bradley made his will on 13 February 1676/7, disposing of his holdings under Lord Molyneux and Mr Maghull (Hunt s House), making provision for his widow and his four sons Thomas, Edmund, James and George and one daughter Margery, wife of Anthony Lawrenson. The executors were to be his wife Elizabeth and son George: the witnesses were Jane Barton and Thomas Molyneux. William died in 1677 and was buried at Melling on 4 September. An inventory was appraised on 11 September by James Hunter, Robert Sephton, Richard Bradley and Thomas Molyneux. The will was proved on 4 May In 1678 Elizabeth Bradley, widow was a Maghull recusant 10 and among the poor and indigent recusants there in Elizabeth Bradley, widow was marked mort on the 1682 recusant roll. 12 Elizabeth Bradley, Ma was buried at Melling on 20 April 1685 (and Elizabeth, wife of William Bradley on 14 June 1692). Thomas Bradley and Margery Thomas Bradley, eldest son of William and Elizabeth, was born by c He was married by 1669 to Margery. Margery, wife of Thomas Bradley was a Maghull recusant in the period

2 On 22 January 1670 Eales (Alice) ( ), daughter of Thomas Bradley, husbandman of Maghull and his wife Margery was baptised at Maghull. Further children Elizabeth (12 January 1678/9); James (1680/1); and Margaret (19 April /41) were also baptised at Maghull. George, son of Thomas was baptised at Melling on 10 February 1683/4. Thomas Bradley received a moiety of his father s estate in May The family then seems to have moved to Melling, where George, son of Thomas Bradley was baptised on 10 February 1683/4. Thomas Bradley was chapelwarden at Maghull in 1693, 1696 (for Clent House), 1715 and 1716 (Thomas Bradley of Clent for Weatherby House). Gorge Bradley served in 1686, William in 1669, Richard in 1691, Edmund in 1701 and Edmund for Fox House in William was chapel clerk in The oath rolls of 1696 show William, Edmund, George, Thomas and James Bradley at Lydiate, Maghull and Melling. William signed, while the others marked. 15 Between 1698 and 1706 there was a lease from the Molyneux estate of a messuage (by 1717 in the tenancy of Ralph Browne) to Thomas Bradley for the lives of Margery Bradley, John Dowse and Charles Pining at 5s and a consideration of 7 10s. 16 Of Thomas and Margery s children Alice married Lawrence Barlow. Lawrence was a Maghull innkeeper when Alice died in 1739: she was buried on 18 April. Lawrence Barlow, yeoman and innkeeper of Maghull made his will on 4 February 1746/7 (witnessed by Richard Bradley): he died on 30 March 1747 and was buried at Melling, leaving a son Edward, a late son Thomas, daughters Margery and Alice (under 14) and a widow Mary. 17 Elizabeth married Samuel Ledson after banns on 28 January 1705/6 and their eldest child Thomas Ledson was baptised at Melling on 29 [September] December James died in 1681 and was buried on 28 February. He (or James, the son of his brother William, who fl. 1677) may have been the James Bradley of Maghull, whose will was proved in 1685 by Henry Bradley and James daughter Mary Hesketh. 19 Margaret married Edmund Tyrer of Cunscough in He made his will on 14 January 1729, making his wife Margaret and son John executors. Edmund died at Cunscough in 1730/1 and was buried on 24 February: the will was proved on 15 March. 20 Margaret Tyrer, widow was buried on 28 January 1739 and 19 October George Bradley was a Melling yeoman, who died in Deaths of Margery and Thomas Bradley Margery w. Thomas Bradley husb, Me was buried on 28 December Thomas Bradley of Maghull, husbandman made his will on 2 January 1711/12, disposing of his leasehold in Maghull (held by the life of his brother Edmund) to his grandson Thomas Bradley of Aughton, bachelor and his beds and tables to his daughter Elizabeth Ledsome. He named a son George, grandson Thomas, brother 22 of Maghull and other daughters Margaret Tyrer and Alice Barlow. On 14 November 1707 Ralph Hill, yeoman of Thornton made his will, mentioning Thomas Bradley (executor), his wife Margery and their grandson Robert Lytherland, son of Edward. When Ralph Reeves, curate of Sefton died in 1701, he owed debts of 11 15s to and 3 15s to Thomas Bradley. An inventory, appraised by Thomas (as one of the creditors) was compiled by, maltster (principal creditor) and George of Maghull, yeoman. A further appraisal on 7 April 1702 was in the names of Edmund of Maghull, maltster, George of Melling, yeoman and Thomas of Sefton, yeoman. The graves of Edmund and Jane Bradley and of George and Han Bradley are still to be found at Melling. Thomas Bradley, Ma was buried on 5 February 1711/12. His will (with short inventory) was proved on 14 February. 2

3 There is much potential for confusion between Thomas Bradley of Maghull and Thomas Bradley of Sefton. The latter was executor for Richard Wignall of Thornton, weaver in Nicholas Blundell describes attending the funeral of Thomas Bradley [at Sefton?] on 19 March William Bradley s other sons and daughter Thomas Bradley s brother Edmund married Elizabeth Crosse at Melling on 8 July 1672 and had children James, Richard and Jane baptised at Maghull on 7 March 1674/5, 18 February 1676/7 and 2 June Richard died in 1677, Jane in 1693 and another son William in Edmund Bradley, maltster drew up his will in 1727 (proved 1729), disposing of his tenement in Maghull, held under William Maghull of Maghull, to his brother George Bradley of Melling and George s son William. William Bradley s son James fl and may have been the James Bradley of Maghull whose will was proved in 1685 (see above). Elizabeth, daughter of James and Elnar Bradley was baptised at Melling on 2 March 1673/4. William s son George nowhere appears in the Maghull registers. His children Elizabeth and William were baptised at Melling on 16 November 1689 and 27 October Elizabeth was buried on 1 July Ellen, wife of George Bradley, yeoman, Me was buried on 4 May 1724 and George himself on 14 December His administration, with an inventory was granted in that year. William s daughter Margery had married Anthony Lawrenson by 1669: among their children baptised at Maghull were Thomas (12 June 1669); Alice (10 February 1670/1?1691); Elizabeth (30 March 1673/4); Jane (24 October 1675); James (27 May ); and Margaret (23 February 1678). Margery may have died soon after 1678, for Jane, wife of Anthony Lawrenson was buried at Melling on 13 January 1691/2. Anthony Lawrenson, Netherton made his will on 4 May 1692 and was buried at Melling on 6 May. An inventory was taken that day and the will proved on 13 May. 24 In 1717 Lancashire papists estates included several premises in Maghull and surrounding townships owned by the Molyneux estate and let to the Bradley family. In Maghull a messuage and tenement was let to William Bradley for the lives of James, Margrett and Richard Bradley for 11s 8d, with a consideration of 5 10s and leading ½ load of charcoal; and another let to Richard Bradley for the lives of James and William Bradley at 1s 4d rent and a 4 10s consideration, in the tenure of William Bradley. Also in Maghull was the messuage let to Thomas Bradley for the lives of Margery Bradley and others at 5s rent and a consideration of 7. 10s. Richard Bradley s was a life in a messuage let to Francis Ireland and in the tenure of Peter Linford. Lionel Butchard held a cottage in Melling let for the lives of Margaret, wife of James Bradley and Katherine Bradley, at 7s 2d rent and a consideration of 5. Thomas Bradley held a messuage let to himself by his own life and those of his wife Elizabeth and Edward Bradley at 13s rent and leading a load of charcoal, with a 35 consideration. Thomas Bradley held lands in Maghull with a chief rent of 1½d, the Ox Hey in Sefton for 11 years at 17, Mill Meadow (also in Sefton) for 10 years at 13 and a close in Shewrick Hey at Altcar let to him from year to year at 3. A messuage in the tenure of Edmund Bradley was let to John Tatlock. William Bradley s was a life in the lease of a Melling messuage to Bryan Webster. A messuage and tenement in Sefton, Lunt, Altcar and Ince Blundell was let to Thomas Bradley by the lives of Robert and John Litherland and Margery Pinington at 1 13s 11d rent and a 50 consideration. George Bradley was tenant of a messuage in Altcar, let to Thomas Goore at 6s 9d rent. 25 3

4 The Molyneux of Mosborough estate owned George Bradley s messuage in Melling, let for the lives of George, his wife Ellen and son William at 27s 6d rent, plus 2 rent capons and 4 rent hens or 4s, and 34 consideration. In addition boons were to paid as follows: 2 days leading turf or 3s 4d, 2 days leading dung or marl or 3s 4d, making an acre of grass into hay or 5s, 3 days shearing corn or 1s, and keeping a beagle. Another cottage tenanted by George Bradley was let for the lives of Lawrence Barlow, his wife Alice and his son Thomas at 6s rent, with a 9 consideration. 26 The family held land under the Molyneux estate ( ) and under that of Maghull of Maghull (1727). William Bradley of Maghull held land at Lydiate in 1727 and Maghull in 1716/17, by the lives of himself, his wife Margaret and son Richard. The William Bradley, yeoman of Melling who died in 1744, was probably the son of George Bradley and thus a nephew of Thomas and Margery and a cousin of Elizabeth Ledson. His leasehold was Bradleys in Melling held under Molyneux. 27 He mentioned Thomas of Maghull, maltster; Thomas of Maghull, taylor (born 1696); 28 Richard, maltster (will 1752); Richard, clerk of Maghull chapel (died 1752). One of his bequests was one of 20 to [his cousin s son] Daniel Ledshome, servant at the Hall, Knowsley. A survey of Maghull in 1737 included the names of Thomas Bradley (53) and his son George (20). A 1745 survey recited a lease of 1743 to Richard and Anne Bradley: Richard was 52, but was now marked dead. The will of George Bradley, maltster of Liverpool was proved in 1767, with bequests to his son Edmund and daughters Margery, Susan and Alice. In 1769 Thomas Bradley's heirs leased to Edmund Barlow a cottage, garden and yard at Maghull. The will of Richard Bradley, yeoman of Maghull was proved in 1775: it mentioned a lease from the Molyneux estate of C...d s Fold in Maghull. One Richard Bradley paid 15s 10d in land tax at Maghull in In 1797 a survey of Maghull was to include the farm called Bradleys, held by the executors of Edmund Barlow. 30 T.M. Steel (last revised 17/05/10) 4

5 Copy Documents Papists Estates, I, R.S.L.C. (98), pp , , 142; II (108, pp ) 5

6 1 C.W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English & Welsh Surnames (London, 1901), p. 127; P.H. Reaney, A Dictionary of British Surnames (London, 1976), p Lancashire Record Office [hereafter L.R.O.], DDIn/31/1 (land grants, Maghull, Blundell estate) 3 L.R.O., DDIn/31/2-3 4 For S. Lancs wills, inventories & administrations (Chester consistory) to 1858: L.R.O., WCW/[name]/ [place]/[year]; for those from Maghull see also: Crosby Library, C MAG WIL [T. Williams, ed., Probate Records of Maghull, (Crosby, 1997)] 5 Manchester Record Office [hereafter M.R.O.], L1 [papers of Dr Wm Farrer]/50 [abstracts & transcripts of public records]/9 [Lancs refs,???/4 (list of recusants in W. Derby hundred) (copy at St Helens lib., M/J/14). One Richd Bradley appraised the inventories of Wm Lea of Maghull (1665), Henry Letherbarrow (1670), Jas Letherbarrow & Richd Gildus (1671), Wm Johnson of Maghull (1673) & Francis Cartwright (1677). Eliz. Bradley, daughter of Jas and Elnar was bap. Melling 2 Mar & Eliz., dau. of Geo. 16 Nov (d. 1695). For christenings, marriages & burials [hereafter cmbs] Melling before 1837: T. Williams (ed.), The Registers of Melling Chapel in the Parish of Halsall, , Lancashire Parish Register Society [hereafter L.P.R.S.], (108), Although there are bishop s transcripts for It is thought the chapel of the adjoining Halsall township of Melling was used by the people of Maghull for all purposes at least from The National Archives [hereafter T.N.A.], E 179/250/8 [1663], /11 [1664] & /9 [1666] 8 British Library [hereafter B.L.], Add. Ms ( A list of convicted recusants in the reign of Charles II ), see Miscellanea V, Catholic Record Society [hereafter C.R.S.], 6 (1909), p. 131 (1668 & 1671); Univ. of York, Borthwick Institute, V [Visitation] CB [Court Book] ( ) 9 Cheshire Record Office [hereafter C.R.O.], EDV/1/36 (transcript in The Cheshire Sheaf, iii s., 58, p. 11) 10 N. Gardner (ed.), Lancashire Quarter Sessions Records: Register of Recusants, 1678, North-West Catholic History Society (Wigan, 1998), p L.R.O., QSP/509/36 12 N. Gardner (ed.), Lancashire Quarter Sessions Records: Register of Recusants, 1682, North-West Catholic History Society (Wigan, 1999), pp. 99, Miscellanea V, C.R.S., 6, p F.N. Cheetham (ed.), Maghull Chapel, Transactions of the Historic Society of Lancashire & Cheshire, 74 (n.s. 38), 1923, p W. Gandy (ed.), Lancashire Association Oath Rolls (London, 1985), pp R. Sharpe France (ed.), The Registers of Estates of Lancashire Papists, 1717, I, Record Society of Lancashire & Cheshire [hereafter R.S.L.C.], 98 (1945), p Will proved 18 Jul See T.M. Steel, Ledson of Melling 19 L.R.O., WC/10 (act book, will missing) 20 He mentioned a dau. Eliz., s. Thos Tyrer of Wavertree, kinsmen Wm Bradley of Melling, husbandman & Thos Willcock of Maghull: wits Ralph Sherdley, Eliz. Willson & Jn Copple. Inv. app. 26 Feb Lawrance Barlow, Wm Fairclough 21 Inv. 17 Dec., app. Jn Stoakes: will to s. Wm proved 22 Dec. 22 Edmd Bradley, Maghull: will made 21 Feb 1721, proved 8 May 1729; inv. app. 9 Dec (sic) Thos Bradley, Laurence Barlow 23 F. Tyrer (ed.), The Great Diurnal of Nicholas Blundell of Little Crosby, III, , R.S.L.C., 14 (1972), p Wits Wm Abbey & Jn Molyneux; execs Wm Fleetwood & Lawrenson s cousin Raph Tyrer. Lawrenson marked 25 Sharpe France, Papists Estates, 1717, I, 98, pp , 138, 139* [ & ], 142*, 154 & Papists Estates, II, 108 (1960), pp. 103, 105 & A 1797 survey of the Molyneux Maghull estate included a farm called Bradleys held by Edmund Barlow s executors & Margaret Bradley, aged 57: L.R.O., DDM 28 A 1751 deed was to Thos Bradley, tailor of Maghull (55) & Anne: L.R.O., DDM 29 L.R.O., 30 L.R.O, DDM Other Material A Walk to Southport, Liverpool Kaleidoscope, 8 July [Thos Sutton of Formby bachelor was in 1654 s. of Eliz., w. of Thos Bradley, who occupied a cottage in Formby]. Maghull tithe: 18/201/1839