Martha Bradstreet papers
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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
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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.