William Bradford
William Bradford is one of the most common names we associate with the Pilgrims. His story starts in Austerfield, Yorkshire, England. He was born into a family of prosperous farmers. However, early on he experienced a difficult life. Not yet 12 years of age, he lost his mother, father, sister, and the grandfather who was raising him. He became the custody of two uncles and soon after moving in with them, he became very ill. He was unable to work in the fields. By himself, but a bright young man, he took to the books. Bradford himself, in retrospect, recognized this turn of events as one that spared him from youth's vanities and prepared him for his future. (I can't help but draw a parallel to James Madison who in his youth suffered serious illness, and likewise immersed himself in great literature preparing him for the writing of The Constitution.) The Bible, specifically the the Geneva Bible, is where he found his consolation and direction. He was only 12 when he be