My Genealogy Hound

William M. Bradley is a son of Samuel and Nancy G. (Cardwell) Bradley, and was born in Gibson County, Tenn., in 1825. The father was born in Maryland, and the mother in North Carolina. They came to Tennessee when young, and settled in Smith County. Here Samuel Bradley followed farming the greater part of his life, although a wheelwright and blacksmith by trade. He served in the war of 1812, and was at New Orleans. He was pilot on a boat taking troops from Nashville to that city, and made the entire run without sleep. For services rendered during this time, he received a pension up to the time of his death. He served as justice of the peace about forty years, and supported a family of fifteen children. His first wife, who died in 1854, bore him thirteen children. His second wife, Martha E. (Charlton) Bradley, became the mother of two children. He died in Trousdale County, Tenn., April 5, 1886, being one hundred years, eight months and twenty days old at the time of his death. William M. Bradley remained at home until twenty-two years of age. December 2, 1846, he married Martha J., daughter of Andrew and Hannah (Walker) Barkley. She was born in Tennessee in 1828 and became the mother of nine children; four are yet living. Three years after his marriage William M. purchased land in Rutherford County, where he lived about seventeen years. He sold out and moved to Gibson County in the fall of 1866, and now owns 246 acres of land near Yorkville, on which he raises corn, small grain and cotton. He has a steam cotton-gin in Yorkville that is in excellent running order. He belongs to the I. O. O. F. and Masonic orders, and in politics is a stanch Democrat. He and wife are members of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church.