Paid Passage:
the tale of Sarah Bradley

Sarah Bradley married an English sea captain when she was a mere 14 years of age. Her husband died while at sea, and the young widow was persuaded by the wife of another sea captain to join them on their journey to America. Her relatives allowed her to take only a few clothes fearing that she might never return if she took them all. When the ship harbored at Virginia, Jacob Sr. came to the ship to buy a servant by paying their passage to America. In this case, the ship's captain was prevailed upon to sell Sarah to Mr. Prillaman and she was brought to the Prillaman home where she remained until her marriage to his first born son, Jacob, Jr.

Jacob Prillaman Jr. was born in 1752 and was first married about 1775 to Barbara Snidow, daughter of John Snidow and Elizabeth Helm. Jacob served as a Revolutionary soldier soon after their marriage. It is not known exactly when Sarah arrived at the Prillaman home or when Jacob and Sarah married. It is known that Jacob and Sarah are listed in deed records as having sold several parcels of land in 1796 so it is assumed that Jacob's first wife died sometime before this date and that he then married Sarah. Sarah and Jacob left Virginia for Ohio in 1808