William Bradford, Attorney General for George Washington. 1788 document signed. Indictment for Second Degree Assault, Bedford County

1788 part-printed document signed by William Bradford (1755 - 1795). Appointed Attorney General of the United States by George Washington in 1794. Colonel in the Continental Army, also held rank as Deputy Quartermaster General.

Bradford’s signature as Attorney General of Pennsylvania, on an indictment of Catherine Page (?) for 2^nd Degree Assault in Bedford County.

7.5” by 13”. Toned, heavily at folds, a few small holes along the folds. Small holes at the intersection of the folds. Bradford’s signature is clear and strong.

Authenticity guaranteed for lifetime. Full refund of purchase price of proven not to be authentic. Member UACC.

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William Bradford
Second Attorney General of the United States, 1794-1795

William Bradford was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on September 14,1755. He received the degrees of A.B. and A.M. from Princeton University, and studied law under Edward Shippen. He volunteered as a private in 1776 and subsequently attained the ranks of lieutenant colonel, deputy quartermaster general, deputy muster-master general and colonel in the Continental Army.

Bradford was admitted to the bar of the Supreme Court in September 1779. In 1780 he was appointed Attorney General of Pennsylvania, serving for the next eleven years. He served as Justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania from 1791 to 1794, when President Washington appointed him United States Attorney General. He died in office on August 23, 1795.

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William Bradford (1755-1795)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

William Bradford (September 14, 1755 – August 23, 1795) was a lawyer and judge from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and the second United States Attorney General in 1794-1795.

He was the son of the printer William Bradford and was born in Philadelphia. He attended Princeton University where he formed a life-long friendship with a younger student James Madison before graduating in 1772. When he returned to Philadelphia he read law with Edward Shippen. His progress was delayed by the American Revolutionary War.

In 1776 when the Pennsylvania militia was called out, William volunteered as a private. Later that year the militia was organized into a flying camp with Daniel Roberdeau as the first Brigadier General in the states forces. General Roberdeau chose the young man as an aide, and later promoted him to brigade Major on his headquarter staff.

When his militia term expired he joined the Continental Army as a Captain and company commander in the 11th Pennsylvania commanded by Richard Hampton. By the end of the year, he saw action in the Battle of Trenton. While at Morristown, New Jersey he was named a deputy to the to the muster master-general on April 10, 1777, and he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. He resigned after two years due to ill health and returned home in early 1779.

Bradford joined the bar before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in September 1779. He was named as the state's Attorney General in 1780, and served until 1791. In 1784 he married Susan Boudinot, the daughter of Elias Boudinot. On August 22, 1791 he was appointed to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, and served for three years.

In 1793, Governor Thomas Mifflin asked his help to reduce the use of the death penalty. His report to legislature was in the form of an essay, "An Inquiry how far the Punishment of Death is Necessary in Pennsylvania". In the next reorganization of Pennsylvania's penal code, the use of capital punishment was substantially reduced. Other states followed the Pennsylvania example.

On January 8, 1794 George Washington named him Attorney General for the United States to replace Edmund Randolph. He died while in office in 1795, and is buried with his wife's family in the churchyard of St. Mary's Episcopal Church, Burlington, New Jersey.

Bradford County, Pennsylvania was named in his honor

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From University of Pennsylvania Archives….

William Bradford (1755-1795)

·       A.M. (hon.) 1781

·       Trustee 1780-1791

·  Lieutenant-Colonel in the Continental Army

·  Attorney-General of Pennsylvania

·  Justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court

·  Attorney General of the United States

William Bradford, a Philadelphia native, was the son of printer William Bradford (1722-1791), Benjamin Franklin's rival and publisher of The Weekly Advertiser. The younger Bradford may have been the William Bradford who attended the Philadelphia Academy from 1762 to 1765, but he graduated from Princeton College in 1775. His only Penn degree was an honorary A.M. granted in 1781. Bradford was elected a member of the American Philosophical Society in 1785.

Bradford studied law under Edward Shippen, later Chief Justice of Pennsylvania.

During the Revolutionary War, Bradford volunteered as a private, but soon became a major, captain and then a colonel in the Continental Army. His war service included Valley Forge, White Plains, Fredericksborough, and Raritan.

His Pennsylvania state government service included the offices of Register of the High Court of Appeals in 1780, Attorney-General from 1780 to 1791, and Justice of the Supreme Court from 1791 to 1794. At the national level he served as United States Attorney-General from 1794 until his death in 1795.

As the Attorney-General of Pennsylvania, Bradford served as an ex officio member of the University of the State of Pennsylvania's Board of Trustees from 1780 to 1791.

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