holdings were shared by his wife
Hester (Pitt) and six of his seven children. The eldest son was excluded
from his inheritance as Colonel Bridger, evidently a martinet with his
family as well as in his official capacity, added in the codicil a
directive cutting him off with 2000 pounds of tobacco because Joseph Jr.
had been disobedient to him and had gone out in "diverse ways." In
friendly suits with his brothers, after his father's death, the
disinherited son gained possession of a large portion of his rightful
heritage.

The family lived on the 850 acre plantation which Colonel Bridger had
purchased from Captain Upton. There was on the place a brick house when
the Bridger inventory was taken. There were four rooms on the first
floor, including the children's chamber and the dining room, with two
rooms in an upper story. Also a "new house" is listed in which there
were the hall, the parlor and the lower chamber on the first floor, and
on the upper floor three rooms and a "gallery" (hall). All rooms and
the halls in both houses were fully furnished. In the cellar beneath the
new house the family supply of drink was kept. The kitchen with two
additional chambers was probably separate from the house.

The mercantile business was carried on from a store, with an outer room,
a supply room in the rear and a storeroom above. Also, there was a brick
store, probably a warehouse, with storage space above. Merchandise
brought from England was unloaded at the landing, where an unusual item
of 800 "painting tiles" is listed. These imported tiles became popular,
in the latter part of the century, for facing fireplaces and other uses.

A sloop, with a capacity of twenty-eight hogsheads, equipped with
"furniture, sails, rigging and ground tackle" is accounted for in the
inventory. Tobacco was picked up at the planters' wharfs, as goods
shipped from England, through the Bridger agents, Micajah Perry and
Thomas Lane, were delivered on the sloop.

Livestock was kept at pasture at the home plantation, at John Cahan's
and at "Curowoak," the latter an 8000 acre grant. There were fifty-four
head of cattle, and seven calves, these probably for butchering,
thirteen cows and five yearlings for dairy supplies; eight oxen were
used for heavy hauling, and besides there were nine steers and four
bulls. Of old hogs, young hogs, sows, shoats and pigs there were
fifty-four and, in addition, seven sheep and fourteen horses.

Colonel Bridger owned