Stephen Braddy & Sarah Williams

!NOTES:Marty Grant's 6th Great Grand Parent.;

Stephen Braddy was born before 1758. I base this on him being a landowner by 1779, and since he was probably 21 or older by then, , he had to have been born ca 1758 or earlier. His entry on the 1786 census shows him 21 and up (born before 1765). If he is the father of Fairlise Braddy (1770/75), then that would put his birth at ca 1750 or thereabouts, give or take a few years.

I don’t know where Stephen Braddy was born, but I would guess Duplin County, North Carolina, as that is where he was found later on. He apparently lived in what is still Duplin County right around present day Albertson on Matthews Creek (or Branch).

I have not done an exhaustive search of Duplin County records to see what can be found on the Braddys, but I have found some data.

I do not have the name of Stephen Braddy’s first wife, though if she were the mother of Fairlise and Thomas Braddy, then they had to have married before ca 1775.

Stephen Braddy was already a land owner by 1 Jul 1779 for he was named as an adjoining land owner in a State Grant to William Sutherland in Duplin County. The Grant was described as being on the East Side of the N E (North East Cape Fear River) and on both sides of Matthews Branch joining Juniper Branch, Bishops old Corner and Stephen Braddy. (from "North Carolina Abstracts of State Land Grants, Vol I" by Margaret M. Hofman)

I searched the published Duplin County deeds for the period of 1750 through 1780's, and did not find when or how Stephen Braddy obtained the land he owned on Matthews Branch. He may have received it as a Land Grant, but I found no record of it in the published Grants.

18 Oct 1784, Stephen Braddy and Solomon Carter were witnesses to a deed from Richard Munds of Duplin to Edward Carter of Dobbs, for 300 acres North of Northeast Fork and West of Buck Marsh and Poley Bridge Branch on Jesse Pipkins Line. This is right in present Duplin County in the corner with Wayne and Lenoir County. (Duplin Co, NC Deed Book 1A page 133).

On 18 Jan 1785, Stephen Braddy and David Green were witnesses to a deed from William Southerland to Solomon Carter, for land on the East side of the North East (Cape Fear River) on Matthews Branch and Stephen Braddy’s line. This is just south of the 1784 deed near the present community of Albertson. (Duplin Co, NC Deed Book 1A page 213).

Stephen Brady is listed on the 1786 State Census in Duplin County, North Carolina.

1784-1787 NC census analysis (based on available evidence): (Explanation of this census)

1787 Duplin Co, NC pg 30 Stephen Brady 1-1-1-0-0
Analysis:
1 Male(s) 21 - 60 (1726-1765) Stephen BRADDY (bef 1763)
1 Male(s) -21 +60 (1765-1786) Thomas BRADDY (1780/82) son?
1 Female(s) all ages (bef 1786) Fairlise BRADDY (1770/75) daughter

On 18 Mar 1786, Stephen Braddy and Loftis Worley witnessed a deed from William Mercer to Frederick Smith for land on the East side of North East (Cape Fear) and North side of Limestone Creek and both sides of Cabbin Branch. This is close to present day Beulaville. (Duplin Co, NC Deed Book 1A page 254).

On 16 Oct 1786 a court record was filed: "Granted Stephen Brady’s petition to have his Mill as a Public Grist Mill & he be entitled to all priv & advant as are allowed to persons keeping a Publick Mill". (From "Duplin County Court of Pleas & Quarter Sessions Abstracts of Minutes 1784_1787 Part 1", by Leora H. McEachern, 1978)

On 15 Oct 1787 in Duplin Court, it was ordered that several men, including Stephen Brady be part of a jury to lay off a road. (From "Duplin County Court of Pleas & Quarter Sessions Abstracts of Minutes 1784_1787 Part 1", by Leora H. McEachern, 1978)

Sometime ca 1788 (no date given), Stephen Brady was on another road Jury ordered to lay off a road from New Road crossing Limestone (creek) above Samuel Whaley’s to Purgatory where Limestone Road joins the Onslow County line. (From "Duplin County Court of Pleas & Quarter Sessions Abstracts of Minutes 1788_1791 Part 2", by Leora H. McEachern, 1979)

Mrs. Braddy must have died before 1790, for on 19 Jan 1790, Stephen Braddy married Sarah Williams in Duplin County. Stephen Miller was bondsman.

Stephen Brady was listed on the 1790 census in Dobbs County. He was in Duplin County before and after then, so this may indicate a temporary move, or else just a poorly defined border. He did live in the area near the Duplin - Dobbs (now Lenoir) County line.

!CENSUS:1790 Dobbs Co, NC pg 137 Stephen BRADY age 16+ (bef 1774) "1-1-4-0-0";
Analysis:
1 Male(s) 16 and Up (before 1774) Stephen BRADDY (bef 1763)
1 Male(s) under 16 (1774/1790) Thomas BRADDY (1780/82) son?
4 Female(s) any age (before 1790) Sarah WILLIAMS Braddy, wife, m 1790
Fairlise BRADDY (1770/75) daughter?
Daughter? * Not in 1786
Daughter? * Not in 1786

On 18 Jul 1791, Stephen Braddy appeared in court to prove (as a witness) a deed from Anthony Jones to William Churchwall for 80 acres. (From "Duplin County Court of Pleas & Quarter Sessions Abstracts of Minutes 1791_1795 Part 3", by Leora H. McEachern, 1980)

On 21 Apr 1794, Stephen Brady appeared in court to prove a deed from Jesse Pumphrey to Solomon Carter of which he was a witness. (From "Duplin County Court of Pleas & Quarter Sessions Abstracts of Minutes 1791_1795 Part 3", by Leora H. McEachern, 1980)

In Court on 18 Apr 1796, it was ordered that Stephen Brady and others appear as jurors for the next court. (From "Duplin County Court of Pleas & Quarter Sessions Abstracts of Minutes 1795_1798 Part 4", by Leora H. McEachern, 1980)

Stephen Braddy was listed in Court records dated 18 Jul 1797 showing a list of the Insolvents for the year 1795. He was listed with 3 polls (which was probably for himself, and two sons). "Insolvents" were those who either couldn’t, or didn’t pay their taxes. (From "Duplin County Court of Pleas & Quarter Sessions Abstracts of Minutes 1795_1798 Part 4", by Leora H. McEachern, 1980)

The 1797 Court record is the last record I’ve found for Stephen Braddy. He may have died between then and 1800. The 1797 record only mentioned him as insolvent, it is entirely possible that he was already dead by then, or that he had moved away.

!CENSUS:1800;

!NOTE:ON tax lists for 1805 and 1806 a "Stephen Braddy" was listed in Montgomery Co, GA. Same person?;

Marty and Karla Grant

www.martygrant.com