Henry Brayford, who for many years was one of the prominent
mining men and large land-owners of Madison and Macoupin counties, Illinois,
died on his large farm of 711 acres, located in sections 21, 22 and 23, Polk
township, Macoupin County, December 22, 1901. He was born in 1817 in
Staffordshire, England, and came to America in 1848.
By trade Mr.
Brayford was a miner, one who had made the business a study for years. He
located in Madison County, Illinois, the same year he came to this country,
and bought a farm of 80 acres, in the vicinity of More, on which he had
reason to believe he would find a coal bed. Being a practical miner, he was
engaged by Ritter & Brother, of Edwardsville, Illinois, to look over the
ground in that locality, and it resulted in his putting down the first coal
shaft in that later noted coal locality. He remained in the employ of this
firm for some years, his family in the meantime remaining on the farm. When
released from his contract with Ritter, & Brother, he returned to Moro, and
soon put down coal shafts on his property, which he successfully worked for
11 years. During this time he had purchased land in Polk township, Macoupin
County, which later aggregated 711 acres, built on it a handsome home and
established his family. Mr. Brayford was a man of fine business ability as
well as practical knowledge, and he purposed to develop the coal beds which
he knew to be underlying his property in Polk township. In 1899 he began
operations and at a depth of 144 feet found the coal as he expected, — a
fine vein of six feet. His death prevented the opening of the mine, but its
presence so proved has vastly enhanced the value of the property.
On
October 13, 1853, Mr. Brayford married Mary Ann Cartlidge who is a daughter
of Richard and Ann (Broughton) Cartlidge, of Staffordshire, England, where
Mrs. Brayford was born. Her family landed at New Orleans and remained in
that city six months, removing then to Madison County, Illinois, and
locating at Paddock's Grove, on the Springfield and Bunker Hill road. Mr.
Cartlidge died in 1891 at his home near Bethalto, at the age of 67 years,
and his wife died in 1876. They brought two children with them from England
and four were born in Madison County, but the only survivors are: Mrs.
Brayford and her sister, Martha, who is the wife of Henry Lubbin, a farmer
of Macoupin County. Mr. Brayford is survived by his widow and four children,
namely: Virginia, who is the wife of John Ruttman, a stone mason; Mary Ann,
who married Henry Bergmann, a farmer who died March 5, 1904— she has three
children, Herbert, Grace and Belle; Theresa M., who married John Lawrence, a
mechanic, and lives in St. Louis, Missouri— they have seven children, Daisy,
Albert, Arthur, Adele, Dosia, Ada and Doris; and Sarah, who married Frank
Rhoades of Polk township, this county.
The large estate of Mr.
Brayford is in the possession of the family and it includes, besides the
farm mentioned, another tract of 80 acres north of Carlinville, through
which an electric road is planned from that city to St. Louis, and 80 acres
in Madison County, Illinois, near Moro. Included in the 711-acre estate in
Polk township is a lovely sheet of water known as Beaver Dam Lake, which is
91 acres in area, being situated between hills and surrounded by 200 acres
of beautiful hunting and pleasure grounds. The lake has been stocked for the
past 24 years with all kinds of game fish, and lies a half mile west of
Macoupin Station on the Chicago & Alton Railway.
In politics, since
the administration of President Buchanan, Mr. Brayford was a Democrat.
Fraternally he was a Mason. Religiously he was a consistent member of the
Advent Christian Church at Carlinville. He was a man of a great deal of
strength of character and was looked up to by those around him, and his
sound advice was not only often asked for but was taken. He was a man of the
highest integrity in business, honest himself and expecting honesty of
others. In his home he was both respected and obeyed and sincerely beloved.
Extracted 2018 May 08 by Norma Hass from Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens of Macoupin County, Illinois, published in 1904, pages 405-407.
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