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Life Of John T. Bradley
John T. Bradley of Middletown, Pa. is by birth an Englishman and although he has now been for many years a worthy citizen of the United States he still remains a devoted son of Albion, rightly judging as many of our naturalized citizen fail to do so, that loyalty to the land of his nativity and the country of his adoption are by no means incompatible. George Bradley, father of John T. Bradley, was a millwright, and a skilled Mechanic, Supt., of one of the departments of Wednesbury Bridge Tube Works, Wednesday, South Staffordshire, England. His first wife was Sabina May, who bore him two children, Theophilus, died in infancy and John T. Ten years after the death of his first wife, George Bradley again married and became the father of two children; George now deceased, late of Middletown, Pa., and Julia, deceased. Mr. and Mrs. George Bradley are both deceased. John T. Bradley, son of George and Sabina May Bradley, was born August 18 th, 1834, in Bath , Somershire, England, and was educated in the school of the Church of England. In 1848, when but 14 years of age, he was taken by his father into the tubeworks of Felix Webb and Edward Cudd, at Wednesbury Bridge, where under general instructions, he began to learn the various branches of the business, remaining there about three years, At the end of that time he resigned his position in order to take a similar one at the plant of John Russell & Company, Walsall, South Staffordshire, where he was subsequently made engineer and placed in charge of the mill, under his father.This position he retained until 1870, when he emigrated to the United States,settling in Pittsburgh where he was at once engaged as a millwright in the tube works of Evans,Clow, Dalzell and Company, remaining three years. In 1873 he went to Mckeesport, Pa., where he became general manage of the butt weld department in the works of John Flagler, of New York, later assuming the entire manaagement of the butt weld plant.He remain until 1880, when he came to Middletown with the late George Matheson, who purchase the old tube mill then owned by the late Col. James Young, and then being used as a tobaco shed.Later another furnace was built and the mill remodled, and at the end of a year the lap- weld mill for making large pipe was laid out.Each year thereafter furnaces were built and this tube mill became one of the largest plants in the country, and was later operated by the National Tube Company. During all these years Mr. Bradley was Superintendent of the butt-weld department of the plant and contributed largely toward the sucess of the enterprise.Among the many labor-saving devices and improvements introduced by Mr.Bradley in the making of pipe, the bell used in making butt-weld pipe was one of the most important. This he introduced into the McKeesport mill having brought it from England. January 6, 1906 Mr. Bradley gave up his position and lived a retired life in his beautiful residence on West Main street which he built on a lot purchased from Col. Young in 1889. He was a member of the Presbytarian church and served as an elder for a great many years. He organized the Berean Bible class of the presbyterian church, January 1, 1910, and was its teacher for a number of years, and of late Prof. H. B. Garver has filled hisplace as a substitute teacher.Before the bible class was formed Mr. Bradley taught a sunday school class in the church for twenty years. Mr. Bradley was a wel known and respected citizen of the town, and his interest in them spiritual welfare of the men under him was very great lending him to place Bibles in the mill while he was superintendent, for their perusal in leisure moments and to address to these words of counsel and admonition.He was a member of the Presbytarian church and served as an elder for a great many years. He organized the Berean Bible class of the Presbyterian church, January 1, 1910, and was its teacher for a number of years, and of late Prof. H. B. Garver has filled his place as a substitute teacher.Before the bible class was formed Mr. Bradley taught a sunday school class in the church for twenty years. John T. Bradley was married in 1856 at Wallsall, England to Leah, daughter of Joseph and Leah (Parsons) Rigby, the former a manufacturer of coach axles. The following children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Bradley. First, Julia, wife of John G. Hendrerson, machinist of Lorain, Ohio; has two children, Wm. J. and Sara C., Second; Nora, wife of Peter Webb of McKeesport, Pa. has four children, Nellie, Grace, Bertha and William. Third; George, machinist, married Josephine Hollis, has two sons,George and James resides in Middletown, Pa. Fourth;John J., foreman in Butt-Weld Department, National Tube Works, Lorain, Ohio. the largest millof its kind in the world., married Ida Watts, has one son, Howard.; Fifth; Matilda, wife of William Bark, Supt. of Lorain Tube Works, Lorain, Ohio has three children, Walter, Karl, and Roena, Sixth; Samuel, Welder in the Tube Mills at Lorain, Ohio, married Lillie Martin, has two children, Leroy and John. Seventh; Kate, deceased, Eighth; Hannah, wife of Frank Miller, Well Driller of Beallsville, Pa.. has a child Gladys; Ninth, Sara, Mrs.Frank Ernest, Steeltown, Pa.; Tenth; Amelia, wife of Urban Hartman, Marchant of Sunbury, Pa. The mother of these ten children died November 25, 1903. and on December 14, 1904, Mr. Bradley married Mary Ellis Murr, Middletown, Pa.His residence at the corner of wood and Main Street, which he built in 1889, is one of the best in the town and was erected on a lot purchase from Col. James Young.
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