Elijah was born March 28, 1784. He married February 1, 1810, Sallie Gleason Howard, daughter of Joseph and Rebecca Howard of Brownfield, and sister of the late Judge Joseph Howard of Portland. She was born in Billerica, Mass., September 8, 1779 and died December 11, 1849. For second wife he married Ann Pray Hunt, who died June 26, 1885. He died in Buxton, February 7, 1869.
One day as he was with his team in his wood-lot some fourth of a mile from his house, he noticed a hole under the roots of a decayed tree which curiosity prompted him to examine. Appearances indicated that it might be the lair of some wild beast. After knocking about the entrance for some time, and neither being invited in nor ordered off, he introduced the brad-end of his goad stick, which coming in contact with the hide of some animal, caused it to utter a deep and angry growl, and to spring out of the hole with evident hostile intent. Mr. Bradbury sprang one side and the bear, for such it proved to be, immediately returned to the back part of the den. It soon became evident that bruin was not the sole occupant of these snug quarters, but that her family, consisting of two half-grown cubs, shared the place with her. Waiting at the entrance until all became quite, Mr. Bradbury went and picked up his ax and returned to the house. After spending nearly four hours in fruitless efforts to obtain help, he returned to the woods and again introduced his goad-stick for the purpose of stirring the animals up, which he had no sooner done than all three rushed out upon him. He gave the foremost one, which was one of the cubs, a blow with the ax which put him out of the contest. The second cub he stunned with a blow upon the head, and the next blow broke the jaw of the dam. She then retired into the den, and after dispatching the one he had stunned, he attempted to force the dam from her retreat, but without avail. He then stopped the entrance to the den by means of blocks of wood, and then proceeded with his ax his axe to make a new opening just over her. As soon as this opening was made the enraged beast sprang out, when she received the blade of the axe upon her head which broke through the skull and entered the brain. This was twice repeated before she succumbed and fell to the ground. Mr. Bradbury loaded his three bears upon his sled and returned home, well pleased with his achievement.