Sedgwick County KSGenWeb

Portrait And Biographical Album of Sedgwick County, Kan.

Chapman Brothers 1888

Pages 717 - 718

 JAMES F. BRADSHAW. This gentleman, who spent his early manhood in active business, and mainly in agricultural pursuits, is now living retired on a fine farm on section 2, Gypsum township. His property embraced 320 acres of land, which is valued at $390 per acre. His favorite employment has been that of a stock-raiser, and Kentucky Short-horns his favorite breed of cattle. During his palmy days he took pride in exhibiting some of the best animals to be found in the southern part of the county. A man of great energy and more than ordinary business capacity, his success in life has been largely due to his own efforts and the sound judgment by which he has been enabled to make wise investments and take good advantage of his resources.

             The subject of our sketch, a native of the Blue Grass State, was born in Bath County, July 13, 1821, and is the son of James and Mary (Spratt) Bradshaw, also natives of Kentucky, and the mother born in Montgomery County, near Mt. Sterling. On the maternal side of the house Mr. B. is of English descent, while his father traced his ancestry to Ireland. The latter, a native of Virginia, removed from the Old Dominion at an early day, and settled in Bath County, Ky., where he was married and where the most of his children were born. James Bradshaw, a good man in every sense of the word, never identified himself with any religious denomination, but his wife, Mary, was a Methodist in religious belief and by membership.

             James F. Bradshaw is essentially a self-made man, his early advantages having been exceedingly limited. He continued under the parental, roof until reaching his majority, and about that time his father passed away, leaving James in charge of the large family. He remained with his widowed mother until her death, which took place two years after the decease of her husband, and by which bereavement eleven children were left orphans. These were named respectively: Julia A., Andrew, Minerva, Polly W., James F., of our sketch, Harrison, Sarah, Jane, Lavina, Joseph and Drusilla. Of these, five are now living.

             Young Bradshaw continued in his native State until nearly twenty-six years of age, and on the 11th of March, 1847, was united in marriage with Miss Margaret Ralls, a maiden of his own county, whose birth took place in 1828, on the anniversary of the birth of the Father of our country, viz: February 22. The wedding took place at the residence of G. W. Ralls, Rev. Gilbert Gordon officiating. Mrs. Bradshaw is the daughter of George W. and Mattie (Thompson) Ralls, and is full cousin to the deceased Vice President, Thomas A. Hendricks, of Indiana, her mother and the mother of Mr. Hendricks having been own sisters. The Ralls family were from Virginia, and of Welsh and English ancestry. The mother of Mrs. Bradshaw was a member of the old Calvanistic Church, and the parental household included fifteen children, namely: Caleb, Elizabeth, Susan, Lydia B., Daniel, Valentine S., Nancy A., Margaret, Mary J., George W., Nathaniel P., William K., David. D., Martha E. and Richard F. 

            To Mr. and Mrs. Bradshaw there were born eight children, of whom the record is as follows: James T., the eldest, died in infancy; Mary E. became the wife of Jacob A. Trumbo, and died in Clay County, Mo., in 1883; David E. married Miss L. O. Limpkin, and is a resident of Sedgwick County; Nathaniel married Miss Molly Fowl, and died May 6, 1879, in Sedgwick County; George A., of Wichita, married Miss Adeline Gibbon, and Mattie R. is the wife of Grant Hatfield, also of Wichita. 

            Mr. and Mrs. Bradshaw came to this State in November, 1875, and located on their present farm. This includes some of the finest bottom land in Gypsum Township. This Mr. Bradshaw built up from a comparatively uncultivated tract, renovated the old buildings and put up new ones, and has distinguished himself in all respects as one of the first-class agriculturists of Southern Kansas. He is a stanch Democrat, dyed in the wool, and the family are all members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

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