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Simon Bradstreet was born in Horbling , Lincolnshire. His father was the rector of the parish church. It is unclear whether Bradstreet received degrees from Emanuel College at Cambridge, but Bradstreet certainly attended the college for the two years before his emigration. He must have become associated with Puritan elements at this time, as he was married to the future poet Anne Dudley while still in England. She was the daughter of Puritan leader Thomas Dudley. Dudley and others recognized Bradstreet's administrative abilities, and he was persuaded to leave for the fledgling Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630.

Bradstreet was chosen to fill several important positions in colonial affairs, and he served as an assistant in the upper house of the General Court for most of his life. During his first twenty years in the colony, he was heavily involved in business pursuits, as well as the founding of new towns. In 1661, he was chosen as an envoy to the court of Charles II, that monarch having recently been restored to power. In 1679 Bradstreet was chosen governor of the colony. He would turn out to be the last governor under the original charter. In 1686, the colony was denied its right to self-rule, and Sir Edmund Andros was installed as governor. Bradstreet served briefly as governor again after Andros was overthrown, but EnglandEngland is the largest, the most populous, and the most densely populated of the four " Home Nations" which make up the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK). Occupying the south-eastern portion of the island of Great Britain, England replaced him with Sir William Phips in 1692Events February 13 Massacre of Glencoe March 1 The Salem witch trials begin in Salem Village, Massachusetts Bay Colony with the charging of three women with witchcraft. June 10 Salem Witch Trials: three women hanged for witchcraft. August 19 Salem Witch T. Bradstreet continued to serve in government until his death in 1697, in Salem, MassachusettsSalem is a city located in Essex County, Massachusetts. Many people associate the city with the Salem witch trials of 1692, which the city utilizes as a tourist attraction. The city is also commonly confused with the Salem on the soap opera Days of Our Li.

Simon Bradstreet was married again after the death of his first wife, to Ann Gardner, the widow of Captain Joseph Gardner of Salem.