JANE BRADBERRY
Jane Bradberry was born in Tenn. She married Madison Hunt 27 Feb. 1847 in Blunt Co., Tenn. . (The burial place for Jane's father-in-law, Thomas Hunt 1787 to 1858, is in Hunt Cemetery, Henderson, Rusk Co., Texas.) Their children, Maryann, James and Sarah were born in Blunt Co., Tenn.. The next three, William , Luvisa and Thomas were born in or near Henderson, Rusk Co., Tx.. Madison was a surveyor and had several land grants in Texas. His place of death is probably Texas, but it is unknown where. They had moved to Texas with Madison's parents and siblings. Madison died by 1858 according to probate records of his father, Thomas Hunt Sr. .Jane's daughter, Maryan Hunt, was born 7 Jan. 1848, in Blount Co. Tenn. She married Rouze Kuykendall on 22, July, 1865 in Van Zandt Co., Texas. Maryann died in childbirth on 20, Feb. 1876. Jane raised Maryan's two sons. Their names are Tom & John Kuykendall.
The 1860 census for Denton Co. Tx., dated July 10, 1860 lists a Henry N. Brazile, age 20, born Mo., Louisa Brazile, age 18, born Mo., and Malinda age 12, born Tenn. These children were living with Henry W. Brazile and wife Jane Bradberry Hunt Brazile. These are Henry W. Brazile's children by wife, Cynthia Ann McKamey. The first of Jane and Henry's children was not born until 1861. (There are 5 or 6 different spellings of the Brazeale name in the census and my family records for this family.)
Will of Henry was probated in Cooke Co., Tx. Box 1.
Jane filed a petition in the Cooke County court in March 1868, stating she was his legal wife and entitled by community property to his estate.In April 1868, Jane filed for guardianship of the 4 youngest Hunt children in Cooke county. She represented that they had no legal guardian and she should be named as such as executor of the estate from their grandfather Thomas Hunt.
A story told to me by my mother, Lydia Caroline Wade Pickens, which was told her by her mother Lydia Caroline Brazile Wade, about the travels of Jane goes like this: Jane, a widow at the time, was making her way across Texas in a covered wagon with her children. Right after they started on their journey, an old Indian started following them. At meal time he would come on up to the camp and eat with them. He never bothered them and he never rode along with them, just followed, as if to help protect them. I remember this story being told me as a child. My 95 year old mother just retold me the story in Aug. of 2000. Another story told by my mother: One day when Jane was staying home with Lydia Caroline's children and fixing lunch for them, Melissa, the 11 year old daughter of William & Caroline got hungry before lunch was ready, and before the adults had gotten back home to eat. Melissa pinched the bread and got scolded by Jane. My 94 year old mother, Lydia, told me this story in 1999. Jane was Lydia's Grandmother but she never knew her. The story was told her by her sister Melissa many years ago.
Four of Jane's daughters married three of George Boxley Wade's sons. William Tinsley Wade, on 12 Mar 1870, in Van Zandt Co., Tx., married Luvisa Hunt, who only lived 11 mo. after their marriage. Seven years later he married Luvisa's half sister Caroline Brazile who was only 16 years old. Both were daughters of Jane.
Van Zandt Co., Texas 1870 Census lists as head of household : Jane Brazul age 41 born Tenn., children: Sarah age 18 born Tx., William C. 16 born Tx., Thomas M. age 13 born Tx., Liddy C. age 9 born Tx., Elizabeth age 8 born Tx., Malissa age 4 born Tx. (Elizabeth was not mentioned in Jane's Bible unless she was called Eliza. There is a 2 year age difference between Elizabeth (in the census) and Eliza (In Jane's Bible).
In Jane's Bible she had also listed as one of her children, Adaline Bruzele born 24 Jan 1863. There was no death date given. No further information found on Adaline.
Van Zandt Co., Tx. Federal Census of 1880 lists: G. B. Wade age 73 farmer born Va. and both his parents born in Va., Jane age 50 born in Tenn. and not knowing the place of birth of parents, Malissa Brazile age 14 born in Tx. and both her parents born in Tenn., (Malissa died 2 years later at the age of 16. She is buried in Gilbert Cem. beside her mother.) John Kuykendall age 5 Born in Tx. and both his parents born in Tenn. (Jane was raising him. His mother was a daughter of Jane and Madison Hunt, Maryan, who had died in childbirth. Jane also raised John's brother Tom.) In the household was also listed Ed Carl age 18 laborer born in La.
On 5 July 1872 in Van Zandt county, Jane married George Boxley Wade, who was already the Father-in Law to 2 of Jane's daughters, Louvisa, who had died and Eliza who had married John Daniel Wade. Later 2 more of his sons, William Tinsley Wade and David Allen Wade, and her daughters, Caroline Brazile and Sarah Hunt would marry.
Jane died during the time that her son, William C. Hunt, was being tried as an accessory to the murder of Chesley Parker, the husband of Jane's sister, Mary (Bradberry) Parker. I have the transcript of the trial and it was clear from the testimony given by the sons and a nephew of Chesley, that Chesley started the quarrel and was beating William with a large stick. William never fired a shot. A man named Ladd who was with William shot Chesley in the side. Chesley continued to fight William after Lad shot him. Parker died about 5 hours later of the gunshot wound. William was found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to two years of hard labor in the Texas State Prison and died there in 1889.
Jane had suffered many loses. Besides the loss of her sister, Mary Bradberry Parker, by a stroke in 1874, she had lost three husbands, and 6 of her children who were: Maryan Hunt Kuykendall, James K. Hunt, Sarah Elizabeth Hunt Wade, Luvisa Hunt Wade, Adaline Brazeal, and Molissy Brazeal. She only had four children left who were; Thomas Madison Hunt, William C. Hunt, Lydia Caroline Brazeal, and Eliza Jane Brazeal Wade, and now William was being tried for accessory to the murder of the husband of Jane's sister. Jane's Heart was broken by all she had endured. She died at the age of 59 on the 6th of Oct. 1877, about the time the trial started.
A story told to me about the death of Jane's little son, James K. Hunt, a half brother of my grandmother, Lydia Caroline Brazile Wade, by my mother, Lydia Caroline Wade Pickens: The men of the family were cutting trees in the woods. Little 3 year old James was nearby and when his little dog ran toward the place where the men were working, James ran after it. It was too late! Just as the tree was falling, James was right there. The tree fell on him, crushing him to death.
Jane Bradberry is buried in the Gilbert cemetery, a pretty place, nicely kept, (privately owned) which is located about 4 or 5 miles north of Edgewood, Van Zandt Co., Texas. Buried beside her are her daughters, Louvisa Hunt Wade and Malissa Bruzele and a grandson, son of W. T. & Caroline, George Willis Wade. Buried there is also a sister-in-law, Lucy Wade.
In the 1920's Tom or John Kuykendall had a very nice gravestone erected for his grandmother Jane Wade who raised him. This says to me that she was good to him and he loved her very much. Jane had a hard life but when she died, she left a lot of people who loved her. I wish I had known her.........research by her great granddaughter, Betty Pickens Phillips
Betty Pickens Phillips