We extend a warm welcome to all our cousins!! 

So who was William Bradford?

William Bradford was one of the pilgrims who established Plymouth Colony and was its governor for more than 30 years. Bradford was born in March 1590 in Austerfield, Yorkshire, the son of a yeoman farmer. As a young man, he joined Puritan groups that met illegally in nearby Scrooby and was a member of that congregation when it separated from the Church of England in 1606. Bradford was among the 125 Scrooby separatists who sought religious sanctuary in Holland. When the congregation decided to seek refuge in America, Bradford took major responsibility for arranging the details of the emigration. The term Pilgrim is derived from his description of himself and his coreligionists as they left Holland July 22, 1620 for Southampton, where they joined another group of English separatists on the Mayflower. When John Carver, Plymouth Colony's first governor, died suddenly in April 1621, Bradford was unanimously elected to replace him. He was reelected 30 times. In 1640, Bradford and the group of original settlers known as the "old comers" turned over to the colony the proprietary rights to its lands, which had been granted to him by the Warwick Patent and then shared by him with the old comers. During the period of his governorship, and especially during the first few years, Bradford provided the strong, steady leadership that kept the tiny community alive. He strove to sustain the religious ideals of the founders and to keep the colony's settlements compact and separate from the larger neighboring colonies. Bradford died on May 9 or 19, 1657.

Who are we and what do we do?

The purpose of the Society of Governor William Bradford Descendants is to cherish and honor the memory of Governor Bradford, to foster fraternal relations among his descendents, and to maintain the ideals of American freedom. Any and all descendents and family members of Governor William Bradford are welcome to join and participate in this organization.

How can you join?

This is very easy, just fill out an application that you can get from their site (SGWBD.COM) and follow the instructions from with in that application.