Judge John Bradshaw

Notes:

 

When Charles II was restored to the throne of England most Bradshaws fled, taking refuge in Ireland, Scotland, France and the colonies of North America. This was probably because of the following: One of the most famous Bradshaw families in England was the family of John Bradshaw who became a lawyer in 1627. By 1647 he was Chief Justice of Chester. In 1648 he was presiding over the High Court of Justice that tried and condemned King Charles I. It was Judge Bradshaw who, at the end of the trial, pronounced the King guilty of treason and sentenced him to death "by the severing of his head from his body". They carried out the sentence in the Palace of Whitehall on February 6, 1649. When he died in 1659 he was buried in Westminster Abbey.

After the Monarchy was restored in 1660, with the return of Charles II from exile in France, Judge Bradshaw's body along with the body of Cromwell, were disinterred, gibbeted and thrown into a pit with other notables. Judge Bradshaw had no children, but one of his brothers, Robert, was a General in Oliver Cromwell's army and following the restoration he and most of his family escaped to the colonies.

This was not a good time to have the Bradshaw surname.

John married Benjamin Bradshaw WFT Est 1691 1743. Benjamin (son of John Bradshaw and Rachel Broughton) was born Abt 1700, Henrico County, Virginia; died 17 Aug 1761, Goochland County, Virginia. [Group Sheet]

Arthur married Elizabeth Pleasants Aft 1711. Elizabeth (daughter of John William Pleasants, daughter of John Pleasants and Jane Larcome) was born 1668, Henrico, Virginia, United States; died 1721, Henrico, Virginia, United States. [Group Sheet]

Anna married Benjamin Bradshaw WFT Est 1691 1743. Benjamin (son of John Bradshaw and Elizabeth Pleasants) was born Abt 1700, Henrico, Virginia, United States; died 17 Aug 1761, Goochland, Goochland, Virginia, United States. [Group Sheet]