Martha Bradstreet papers
Call Number
Date
Creator
Extent
Language of Materials
Abstract
The Martha Bradstreet Papers describe Martha Bradstreet's fight for land she believed rightfully hers located in Utica, N.Y. as part of Cosby Manor.
The collection is digitized and available in the Shelby White and Leon Levy Digital Library.
Chronology
Arrangement
This collection is organized in five series:
Series I. Martha Bradstreet Codd Correspondence, 1812-1858
Series II. John Bradstreet Correspondence,1814-1818
Series III. Miscellaneous Correspondence, 1811-1817
Series IV. Materials regarding lawsuits, 1774-1856
Series V. Miscellaneous materials, 1815-1868
The materials are arranged alphabetically or chronologically within each series unless otherwise noted.
Scope and Contents
The Martha Bradstreet Papers, comprised mostly of correspondence and legal documentation, encompasses many of the legal suits Martha Bradstreet brought against various owners and tenants of the land that comprise a portion of Cosby Manor located in Utica, NY. Document types come in the form of letters, telegrams, wills, deeds, court attestations, affidavits and indentures.
The collection spans from 1774 to 1868 with the bulk of the correspondence from the years 1814 and 1815. The manuscripts in this collection span two continents, representing a portion of Martha Bradstreet's life in New York as well as her extended stay in England and Ireland. The bulk of the letters are addressed to either Martha Bradstreet or to her cousin John Bradstreet whom she connected with in Europe and later brought back to the United States upon her return towards the end of 1816.
Although a portion of the letters are more business-like in tone, many are personal in nature, including invitations for visits, discussions of health and the weather, and general wishes of luck with respect to Martha's endeavors in court. Martha received letters from close and distant relatives, including many of the Bradstreet clan, Charles Aldridge and H. Stratton. Many of the letters her cousin John Bradstreet received pertain to Martha's situation and case. He did, however, seem to have his own concerns and personal battles to face, mainly financial in nature, and this too is reflected in the letters both to and from John.
Both John Bradstreet and Edmond Bradstreet (they are brothers) address Martha as "Patty" in their letters to her and correspondence with others in the family. In an early letter addressed to John, dated 1814, Martha signs her name "Martha Codd." Unfortunately, there is only one example of a letter from Martha to John, this one marking the beginning of their acquaintance. It is therefore not representational of their relationship. We do not have anything sent from Martha to Edmond, and, in fact, there are very few letters in this collection personally written by Martha Bradstreet.
There is a lack of correspondence between Martha and the Gould's. Neither Charles Gould, nor Edward Gould, the executor of Martha Bradstreet's (d. 1782) will and his attorney, respectively, ever write to Martha. Martha's claim to the land was based on the fact that land that should have been passed down to her was in fact sold without her consent by an unauthorized person. This person would be Edward Gould, acting on behalf of Charles Gould. There are only two letters (dated 1815) written by John Wilkes, a partner in the firm Gould, Wilkes and Harrison, Esq., both to John Bradstreet, Martha's cousin. They merely attempt to coordinate schedules so that Mr. Wilkes could meet with Mrs. Codd (Martha).
Conversely, Martha had many copies made of letters and legal documents for use in Court. It would seem that she spent a few years in England and Ireland compiling useful legal documentation, specifically copies of wills, for her cases in New York.
There are a number of wills, deeds and court indentures which all shed light on Martha's case. The original wills date to the latter part of the 18th century, however, Martha had copies of wills made beginning in the 1810's and continuing on into the 1850s. In addition to wills there are attestations of wills, "exemplified" and "certified" copies of deeds, transfers of land as well as an 1831 New York Supreme Court decision (not in Martha's favor) with a corresponding letter.
For clarification, some items in this collection are addressed to Martha Codd while others, dated after 1817, are addressed to Martha Bradstreet. To simplify matters, the correspondence to and from both of these names are all grouped together.
Subjects
Families
Genres
People
Places
Access Restrictions
Materials in this collection may be stored offsite. For more information on making arrangements to consult them, please visit www.nyhistory.org/library/visit.
Use Restrictions
Taking images of documents from the library collections for reference purposes by using hand-held cameras and in accordance with the library's photography guidelines is encouraged. As an alternative, patrons may request up to 20 images per day from staff.
Application to use images from this collection for publication should be made in writing to: Department of Rights and Reproductions, The New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024-5194, rightsandrepro@nyhistory.org. Phone: (212) 873-3400 ext. 282.
Copyrights and other proprietary rights may subsist in individuals and entities other than the New-York Historical Society, in which case the patron is responsible for securing permission from those parties. For fuller information about rights and reproductions from N-YHS visit: https://www.nyhistory.org/about/rights-reproductions
Preferred Citation
This collection should be cited as the Martha Bradstreet Papers, MS 72, The New-York Historical Society.
Location of Materials
Existence and Location of Copies
Digital copies are available in the Shelby White and Leon Levy Digital Library.
About this Guide
Repository
Series I: Martha Bradstreet Codd Correspondence, 1812-1858 (bulk, 1815), inclusive
Scope and Contents note
This series is composed of correspondence, divided into two subseries of incoming and outgoing letters.
Subseries I.A. Letters received, 1812-1858, inclusive
Scope and Contents note
Arranged by Sender. This is the largest group of manuscripts in the collection. The letters range in subject matter from support of Martha's court endeavors to more general wishes of good health or observations about the weather. There are more letters from men than women, some of these letters are personal in manner while others are quite impersonal. While many of the letters in this series are written to express support in Martha's court cases, and even some congratulatory remarks on testimony, others were written to set up visits or request her company. There are also letters with inquiries into health and discussions and thoughts on the weather. In addition, several letters offer advice and counsel regarding the court cases and one specifically serves as a letter of introduction to Robert Bradstreet, not a cousin, but one believed to be of potential service. Lastly, there is even an invitation to view the botanical gardens in London.
One noteworthy item in this series is a letter written by Martha's distant cousin, H. Stratton, to Martha. In this letter Mr. Stratton expresses his suspicions with regard to the motives behind the kindness and assistance devoted to Martha by the Bradstreets of Dublin (the same sentiments are echoed in his letter to Edward Bell which we will see below in Series III). H. Stratton writes of Irish deceit and "the necessity of great reserve & caution in every transaction" and it is clear he is speaking specifically of John.
There are a great deal of letters written by cousin John Bradstreet to Martha documenting over a decade of their relationship, beginning as early as 1812 and dating as late as 1824. The majority of John's letters focus on Martha's case, and it is clear that he helps her obtain relevant documentation and support in both Dublin and London. He also writes to her of his own economic situation, the loan by which he is bound to his brother Simon as well as income he is expecting. At one point, in a letter dated 1817, John denies her accusation that he is seeking to support his family on her Delaware property, although it is clear that he does wish to bring his family across to America and perhaps rent some of Martha's land. He is saddened by her mistrust of him and writes several letters in May of 1817 ensuring her of his devotion to her cause and his noble intentions vis a vis his family. Although we do not have her letters that prompted such replies, it may seem that H. Stratton's letter of 1815 mentioned above may have influenced Martha's opinion or at least opened the realm of possibility for mistrust to blossom. It is clear from John's letters that Martha had children; they were mentioned several times during the course of his correspondence, although no names were mentioned.
The letter dated 1858, the latest in this series, was written by Thomas Bradstreet, in all likelihood "Tommy" Bradstreet, the son of cousin John and his wife Peggy Bradstreet. He wrote that based on his reading of her latest letter he believes she "still retain[s] the vigor of younger days." One can infer from this that Martha is continuing her cause as the letter further addresses an interview with a judge and conversations with a couple of lawyers.
The material does not provide much evidence of what was happening with Martha between 1830 and 1858.
Letters received from Harriet Adams, 1815
Letters received from Charles Aldridge, 1815
Letters received from D. A. Beaufort, 1815
Letters received from Ann Bell, 1815
Letters received from Edward Bell, 1815
Letters received from Jane Bell, 1815
Letters received from C. M. Bradstreet, Undated
Letters received from Edmond Bradstreet, 1815-1818
Letters received from John Bradstreet, 1812-1817
Letters received from John Bradstreet, 1818-1824
Letters received from John Bradstreet, Undated
Letters received from John P. Bradstreet, 1830
Letters received from M. C. Bradstreet, 1846
Letters received from Robert Bradstreet, 1815
Letters received from Simon Bradstreet, 1814
Letters received from Thomas Bradstreet, 1858
Letters received from Mrs. Edgeworth, 1815
Letters received from Robert Fellowes, 1815
Letters received from E. Hopkinson, 1815
Letters received from An Madon, 1815
Letters received from John May, 1815
Letters received from Robert Murphy, 1815-1820
Letters received from John Pelletreau, 1827-1829
Letters received from Mr. Peters, 1831
Letters received from Henry Platel
Letters received from H. Stratton, 1815
Letters received from H. Sylvester, 1815
Letters received from James Trebeck, 1815
Letters received from C. Wynne, 1815, Undated
Subseries I.B. Letters sent by Martha Bradstreet Codd, 1814-1857, inclusive
Scope and Contents note
Arranged by recipient. Included here are letters concerning C. Bedford and Edward Bell, both of whom Martha believed had insulted her by claiming that she had been abusive in insulting them. There seems to have been some dispute over money owed to each of these men for their services to her in her quest in regaining the property in the United States. Bedford and Bell were Martha's legal council in London, deciphering the wills of her relatives and in the sale of some of her husband Mr. Codd's property. In addition, there is correspondence between these two men amongst themselves as well as with John Bradstreet, discussing Martha's personal character and state of affairs. Martha's letter to John Bradstreet, however, does not mention this, instead, she writes that although she knows Peggy (Mrs. John Bradstreet) feels that in exchange for all they have done for her, Martha should take care of them financially, Martha wrote that it was not feasible, she had her own debts and needed to support her own children. The last letter, dated much later to Martin V. B. Wilconson, refers to the next Judge to be faced on the Herkimer Circuit. It seems that Martha's legal battles extend to the later 1850s.
Letters sent to Mr. Bedford, 1815
Letters sent to Edward Bell, 1815
Letters sent to John Bradstreet, 1814
Telegram sent to Martin V. B. Wilcoxson, 1857
Series II: John Bradstreet Correspondence, 1814-1818, undated (bulk, 1815), inclusive
Scope and Contents note
This series contains correspondence, divided into two subseries of letters received and sent.
Subseries II.A. Letters received, 1814-1817, undated, inclusive
Scope and Contents note
Arranged by Sender. Many letters in this series include instructions for Mrs. Codd, sent through Mr. Bradstreet. As indicated above, we see Mr. Bell complaining about Mrs. Codd in several letters dated 1815. Edmond Bradstreet also referred to Mrs. Codd and it seems he too would have liked a share of her profit, if she were to win her case. Interestingly, only one of the two letters addressed to John Bradstreet from his brother Edmond was sent. Robert Bradstreet, although sharing the name, was not a relative, but offered Mrs. Codd his assistance. Joseph Hopkinson, Henry Platel, and Mr. Trebeck also offered help. C. Wynne was married to the sister of John, Edmond and Simon Bradstreet and wrote to relay information concerning Martha's case. Through this series it becomes apparent that John Bradstreet owed his brother Simon a good deal of money and there are many letters from Robert Murphy relating to this strained relationship. The majority of the letters were written and sent in 1815.
Letters received from C. Bedford, 1815
Letters received from Edward Bell, 1815
Letters received from Edmond Bradstreet, Undated
Letters received from Robert Bradstreet, 1815
Letters received from Joseph Hopkinson, 1815
Letters received from John Murphy, 1815
Letters received from Robert Murphy, 1815-1817
Letters received from Henry Platel, 1815
Letters received from Mr. Trebeck, Undated
Letters received from John Wilkes, 1815
Letters received from C. Wynne, 1814-1815
Subseries II.B. Letters sent, 1814-1818, undated, inclusive
Scope and Contents note
Arranged by Recipient. Letters include information on John's dire financial situation in addition to his solicitation of help on behalf of Martha. We can see that John helped her obtain the original will of Martha Bradstreet (d. 1782) through the assistance of Charles Morgan. In addition, a thank you letter was sent by Robert Murphy to John for his assistance with Martha who, while in Dublin, paid Mr. Murphy the balance on an annuity.
Letters sent to Simon Bradstreet, 1818
Letters sent to Thomas A. Emmet, Undated
Letters sent to Mrs. John May, 1814
Letters sent to Charles Morgan, 1814-1815
Letters sent to Robert Murphy, 1815
Series III: Miscellaneous Correspondence, 1811-1817, undated, inclusive
Scope and Contents note
Arranged by Sender. The majority of these letters make reference to Martha: either her case, or her presence in Dublin, etc. There are also a couple of letters addressed to Lady Bradstreet regarding Martha. Another interesting letter from H. Stratton as mentioned in Series I surfaces, this time the recipient is Mr. Edward Bell dated March 1815, outlining his suspicion of the Irish branch of the Bradstreet clan (including John) and his belief that they are after her property in America. He insists that there is a conspiracy taking place which warrants further investigation.
Letters sent from Edward Ash to Henry Platel, 1815
Letters sent from D. A. Beaufort to Lady Bradstreet, 1815
Letters sent from C Bedford to Joseph Hopkinson, 1815
Letters sent from Edward Bell to Charles Morgan, 1811
Letters sent from Edmond Bradstreet to Mrs. Mise, 1816-1817
Letters sent from Simon Bradstreet to C. Wynne, 1814
Letters sent from Joseph Hopkinson to Mr. Shepard, 1815
Letters sent from S. Mory to Edward Bell, 1815
Letters sent from Robert Murphy to Lady Bradstreet, Undated
Letters sent from H. Stratton to Edward Bell, 1815
Letters sent from C. Wynne to Henry Bradstreet and Simon Bradstreet, 1815
Series IV: Legal Documentation. Materials regarding lawsuits, 1774-1856, undated, inclusive
Scope and Contents note
This series contains legals documents, divided into four subseries.
Subseries IV.A. Wills, 1774-1856, inclusive
Scope and Contents note
Arranged chronologically. This series includes wills and legal copies illustrating the divisions of land and various bequeaths. It begins with General John Bradstreet's will dated 1774, and includes questions raised based on the will, the case and a subsequent opinion given by Charles F. Meager. The will of Agatha Evans dated 1794 proved and recorded 1795 includes additional copies subsequently dated 1827-1856. Agatha's daughter Frances, who was married to Edward Bainbridge, died in 1803 as noted by an attestation of Agatha's will dated 1827. Included in this attestation, we find that Frances' will requested the men appointed as executors of her will to dispose of her property in order to raise money for the education of her children. Although we do not have a copy of her actual will, this attestation includes the relevant information. In addition to these wills, there is an 1818 Canterbury Extract from the Registry regarding Martha Bradstreet's will (d. 1782). Finally, the will of Elizabeth Livius dated 1794 makes up the final part of this collection. This will provides that Mrs. Livius leave all of her property and estate to her [niece] Martha Bradstreet, but it is under the understanding that Martha must marry with the consent of Sir Charles Morgan, the executor of this will. We do know that although Martha did not initially have his consent, Mr. Morgan later approved of her marriage. There is related correspondence located in Series III between Henry Platel and Edward Bell.
General John Bradstreet, 1774-1805
Elizabeth Livius, 1794
Martha Bradstreet (d. 1782) (Court Extraction from registry in Canterbury), 1818
Agatha Evans (a copy of her 1794 will proved and recorded in 1795 with attestation; explanation of her daughter Frances' will), 1827-1856
Subseries IV.B. Deeds and leases, 1772-1794, inclusive
Scope and Contents note
Arranged chronologically. These are deeds to the tracts of land pursued by Martha Bradstreet. The deeds and documentation here outline various borders, lots numbers, and involve leases illustrating the order of inhabitants. Highlights of this part of the collection include an exemplified copy of a deed dating back to 1772 of land issued by Henry Ten Eyck to General Philip Schuyler as well as a certified copy of a deed between Henry, Duke of Grafton (same as above) to Philip Schuyler in 1793. In 1794, land transferred from Elizabeth Livius (through Charles and subsequently Edward Gould) to Agatha Evans, Samuel Bradstreet and his children Martha and Samuel Bradstreet. There is also a "Certificate of Charges" in Philip Schuyler's grandfather's ledger dated 1844 (orig. ledger 1786-88) with respect to a map of the Cosby Manor lots.
Deeds to Philip Schuyler, 1772-1793
Attorneys for Agatha Evans Deeds to various parties, 1794-1795
Conveyance of Elizabeth Livius's share of lots to Attorney Edward Gould, 1794
Certificate of Charges in Philip Schuyler's Ledger of 1786 (Cert. Copy), 1844
Subseries IV.C. Court Documents, 1819-1835, undated, inclusive
Scope and Contents note
Arranged chronologically. This subseries represents the actual legal documentation produced in the courts as direct results of the lawsuits Martha Bradstreet filed over the course of many years. There are various court documents including the names of many of the men whom Martha sued such as Alexander Johnson, John Stiles, Marcus Hitchcock, Malcolm McKenyon and finally Henry Huntington, the latter of which made it to the Supreme Court in 1831, as judged by Justice Johnson. In addition, there is an 1831 Albany District Court "statement of facts in relation to the dismissal of Mrs. Martha Bradstreet's Suits."
Martha tries to get Judge Conkling removed from the case, which we see in several Memorials dated 1824-1840. For more information on this particular aspect of Martha's court endeavors please see "The Memorial of Martha Bradstreet: Praying for the impeachment of Alfred Conkling, United States Judge of the Northern District of New-York." NY: 1829. (The New-York Historical Society, General Library Collection).
Interestingly, there is a Bill of Complaint that is not attributed to Martha, but a Sarah Mary Anne Bradstreet versus Philip Schuyler et al. It is not dated but clearly comes after Martha's time, mentioning the history of the family and Martha's attempts to reclaim the land. This Bradstreet appears to specifically concern herself with a tract of land, originally part of Lot 53, entitled, Waggoner's Patent. In addition to her quest for land, this Bill of Complaint mentions some earlier documentation, although missing from this collection, that pertain to Martha's divorce from Matthew Codd in 1816. In 1816 Martha issued her own Bill of Complaint to the High and Honourable Court of Chancery provides that her rights and property were to be restored. Secondly, in 1817 Matthew Codd had to turn over to Martha all deeds, patents, agreements, leases and counterparts of leases, papers and evidences of little which do or may related to Martha at the time of their marriage.
Worthy of note would be the fact that not only did Martha lose her various cases, she actually owed money on several occasions. This is evidenced by an 1825 indenture which states that Martha owed money to Josiah Meiss and to John S. Tillinghast. Later, in 1824 she owed money to Henry McKinstry, Additson Porter and Samuel L Penfield as described in the Bill of Complaint above. An undated document from the land office pertains to an offer to give Martha land if she drops suits for 1000 acres. This was unsigned and the wording appears to have been terminated before completion.
Circuit Court - MB and James Jackson vs. John Stiles and Malcom McKenyon (tenants), 1819-1824
Assignment of Judgment between Josiah Meiss and John L. Tillinghast, 1825
MB's Memorials. Attempts to Remove Judge Conkling from Case, 1825-1840
Affidavit submitted by MB to have court records authenticated., 1830
District Court's Dismissal of Suits, 1831
Supreme Court opinion of MB vs Henry Huntington, 1831
Bill of Exceptions. MB vs Alexander Johnson, 1835
Bill of Complaint: Sarah Mary Anne Bradstreet vs Philip Jeremiah Schuyler and others, Undated
Land office offer to give MB land if she drops suits for 1000 acres, Undated
Subseries IV.D. Attorney POA, Bills, 1791-1856, inclusive
Scope and Contents note
Arranged chronologically. This subseries includes a couple of grants of Power of Attorney in addition to billing statements for services rendered. The Granting of Power of Attorney from John Jackson and his wife to Edward Bradstreet is dated 1856, late in the collection. The earliest item in this subseries would be a Schedule B copy of the Power of Attorney granted by the Duke of Grafton to John Watts in 1791. In this subseries, one would also find legal court fees, most likely for the copies of wills Martha had made when she was over in London. Lastly, there is a bill for legal services E. G. Smith performed for Martha Codd.
Power of Attorney from Duke of Grafton to John Watts, 1791
Edward Bell's Bill re: E. G. Smith's account against Mrs. Codd, 1815
Court of Canterbury: Consulting and Legal Fees for Elizabeth Livius and Martha Bradstreet (d. 1782), 1818
Power of Attorney from John Jackson to Edward Bradstreet, 1853
Series V: Miscellaneous: Hotel, Calling Cards, Religious Documents, 1815-1868, undated, inclusive
Scope and Contents note
Arranged chronologically. Included in this series are various "calling cards" from friends and acquaintances, an invitation for a visit, a hotel bill from the Talbot Inn in London, where Martha spent much time in 1815 and a note from the Liverpool Post office. There are also two religious lectures including "An Early Marriage Dower" by Richard Scott of Providence from 1868 as well as a lecture given by Benjamin Scott in London dated 1866. These two documents are the latest items in the entire collection.