Bradley & Goostree Family

Contributed by Carol Ivan Hutchins
© 2001

Elizabeth Betsy GOOSTREE (Absolum4, George3, Richard2, William1) was born Abt. 1799 in North Carolina, and died Unknown. She married John BRADLEY January 17, 1816 in Sumner County, Tennessee, son of John Bradley and Mary Simpson. He was born Abt. 1784 in North Carolina, and died Bef. 1850 in Prob. Greene County, Illinois, (was not in 1850 census).

Elizabeth Betsy Goostree along with her dau. Martha, (19) was listed in the Greene County Census (of 1850) in the house of her son-in-law Peter Lovell and her dau. Mary Ann with their two sons. Elizabeth (Goostree) Bradley was 51 years of age. John Bradley, her husband was not listed. John Bradley may have died by the 1850 census as he was not listed.

For more information on Elizabeth Goostree's family see the contribution Goostree Family of TN & IL.

For more information on John Bradley's family see the contribution Bradley Family.

Children of Elizabeth Goostree and John Bradley are:

  1. Absalom Bradley, born November 10, 1816 in Sumner County, Tennessee; died September 20, 1896 in Carrollton, Greene County, Illinois.
  2. Reuben Carroll "R.C." Bradley, born 1818.
  3. Mary Ann Bradley, born 1827 in Sumner County, Tennessee; died July 1858 in Greene County, Illinois.
  4. Martha Bradley, born September 30, 1832 in Sumner County, Tennessee; died September 26, 1890 in Bluffdale, Greene County, Illinois.


Absalom Bradley (son of Elizabeth Betsy Goostree and John Bradley) was born November 10, 1816 in Sumner County, Tennessee, and died September 20, 1896 in Carrollton, Greene County, Illinois. He married (1) Mary "Polly" Mayberry Abt. 1837, daughter of James Mayberry. She was born Abt. 1820 in Tennessee, and died Abt. 1845 in Greene County, Illinois. He married (2) Marilda Mayberry/Maberry October 19, 1846 in ?Pike County, Missouri or Illinois, daughter of Sander Mayberry/Maberry and Margaret Barnett. She was born December 16, 1830, and died October 20, 1916.

After the death of his sister and bro-in-law, Mary Ann Bradley (Lovell) and Peter Lovell, he and his 2nd wife, Miralda, took Mary Ann and Peter Lovell's 2 children to raise, ( Alford, and James Walter Lovell). He applied for guardianship of and recieved a pension benefit for their care of these 2 minor children . John evidently had already left home as a young man. It is believed by the family that he married and had settled in Ohio, and that he had no children. (?)

(More notes) Transcribed by: Carol (Pryor) Hutchins
page 510 GREENE COUNTY (__elig__)
BRADLEY, ABSALOM. farmer and stock raiser, Sec. 9. P.O. Carrollton. Although not among the early settlers of Greene County is worthy of more than a passing ( elig ) in this volume; he was born in Sumner Co. Tennessee, on the 10th of November, 1816; the eldest son of John Bradley and Elizabeth Bradley, whose maiden name was Goostree. Remaining a resident of Tennessee until attaining the age of majority, he then embarked on a prairie schooner for the fertile prairies of Illinois He was then married, having united his fortunes to Miss Mary Mayberry, a daughter of James Mayberry, a native of North Carolina. Without entering into particulars do to the trip over a boundless waste of prairie, we note the arrival of the family in Greene County in1837, locating two miles west of Carrollton, on the farm now owned by Mrs. David Black. In order to show the daring nature of the pioneer, on the arrivalin Greene County he had but seventy-five cents in money wherewith to commence the battle of life: he first worked for ten dollars a month and subsequently split rails, thereby emulating the example of Honest Old Abe. In 1849 he made his first purchase of land in Greene County, ____ tling of 40 acres which he subsequently sold and purchased 100; since this time Mr. Bradley has added largely to his property now owning 340 acres of land unequaled in this township. For a period of forty-one years Mr. Bradley has been a resident of this county and during this time has witnessed many stirring events ________ to a western life. In 1845 Mrs. Bradley, who had shared the dangers of a ____ trip, passed to that world of spirits __ ___ __ __ _____, leaving to the care of her husband three children Reuben, Johnathan, and Mary. October 19, 1846, Mr. Bradley united his fortunes to Miss Miralda Mabery, a daughter of ? B______er Maybery, of Tennessee, by whom he had ten children, seven of whom are living, Zachariah Taylor, Laura Ann, Allen C., Dora E., Eliza F., Maggie E., and Robert E.

Children of Absalom Bradley and Mary Mayberry/Maberry are:

  1. Reuben Bradley, born 1838.
  2. Jonathan Bradley, born 1841.
  3. Mary Bradley.

Children of Absalom Bradley and Marilda Mayberry/Maberry are:

  1. Zachariah Taylor Bradley, born November 23, 1848 in Carrollton, Greene County, Illinois.
  2. Laura Ann Bradley, born 1852 in Greene County, Illinois. She married Granderson Roberts April 08, 1875 in Greene Co, Illinois.
  3. Alice C. Bradley, born 1857. Greene County, Illinois She married Paul W. Wood, October 10, 1875 in Greene County, Illinois
  4. Dora E. Bradley, born October 1861. In Greene County, Illinois; m. Charles E. Black, December 27, 1881 in Greene County, Illinois
  5. Eliza Frances Bradley, born September 17, 1865 in Greene County, Illinois; died February 06, 1940. She married Joseph Abraham Bradley January 09, 1887 in Portland, Sumner County, Tennessee; born February 01, 1860 in Portland, Sumner County, Tennessee; died April 01, 1937 in Greene County, Illinois.
  6. Margaret "Maggie" E. Bradley, born 1867 in Greene County, Illinois.
  7. Robert E. Bradley, born 1871 in Greene County, Illinois.


    Mary Ann Bradley (daughter of Elizabeth Betsy Goostree and John Bradley) was born 1827 in Sumner County, Tennessee, and died July 1858 in Greene County, Illinois. She married Peter Lovell November 20, 1846 in Greene County, Illinois. He was born 1822 in Portland, Sumner County, Tennessee, and died February 03, 1864 in Battle of Chicamaugua at Chattanooga, Hamilton County, Tennessee.

    To see more information on this line see the Lovell & Bradley Family


    Martha Bradley (daughter of Elizabeth Betsy Goostree and John Bradley) was born September 30, 1832 in Sumner County, Tennessee, and died September 26, 1890 in Bluffdale, Greene County, Illinois. She married William Raines April 18, 1852 in Greene County, Illinois. He was born 1832 in Ohio, and died in Greene County, Illinois.

    Children of Martha Bradley and William Raines are:

    1. Randall J. Raines, born Abt. 1853; died Unknown. Married Marjorie Alice Mays on November 30, 1877 in Greene Co. IL. The daughter of Elias Bibb Mays and Elsie Ann Humphrey. Majorie was born April 27, 1847 in IL and died on December 9, 1917 in IL.
    2. Mary Raines, born Abt. 1855; died Unknown.
    3. George Raines, born Abt. 1857; died Unknown.
    4. Miralda Raines, born Abt. 1859.
    5. Jane Raines, born Abt. 1861; died Unknown.
    6. Sarah Raines, born Abt. 1866; died Unknown.
    7. Henry Raines, born Abt. 1868 in Greene County, Illinois; died Unknown. He married Sophia Early April 26, 1889 in Greene County, Illinois; born Abt. 1870.



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