Thomas Bradford

Lieutenant-general Sir Thomas Bradford GCB GCH (1 December 1777 – 28 November 1853) was a British Army officer.

This article is about the British military officer. For the American spiritualist suicide, see Thomas Lynn Bradford. For the American cartographer, see Thomas Gamaliel Bradford. For the mayor of Dallas, Texas, see Tom Bradford.

Sir Thomas Bradford
Sir Thomas Bradford
Born	1 December 1777
Died	28 November 1853 (1853-11-29) (aged 75)
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Rank	Lieutenant-General
Commands held	Scotland Bombay Army
Awards	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Guelphic Order

Military career

Bradford was commissioned as an ensign in the 4th (The King's Own) Regiment of Foot in October 1793 without purchase[1][2] He took part in the suppression of the Irish Rebellion of 1798, the Buenos Aires Expedition of 1806 as well as the battle of Vimeiro in 1808, battle of Corunna in 1809 and battle of Salamanca in 1812 during the Peninsular War.[1] He commanded a Portuguese division at the Battle of Vitoria, the Battle of San Sebastian and the Battle of the Nive, all in 1813.[1] For his service in the Peninsular he was awarded the Gold Medal with one clasp.[2]

He became General Officer Commanding the 7th Division of the Army of Occupation in France in 1815, Commander-in-Chief, Scotland in 1819 and Commander-in-Chief of the Bombay Army from 1825 to 1829.[1]

He was then Colonel of the 94th Regiment of Foot (1823–29) and, after returning to England, Colonel of the 30th Regiment of Foot (1829–46).[3]

He exchanged the Colonelcy of the 38th Foot for that of the 4th (The King's Own) Regiment of Foot in 1846, a position he held until his death in 1853.[4]

Family

He married Mary, the daughter of James Atkinson of Newcastle. His eldest son, James Henry Hollis Bradford, later changed his surname to Atkinson in compliance with the will of one Ralph Atkinson.[5] His brother, Lieutenant-colonel Sir Henry Hollis Bradford, was also a distinguished soldier wounded at Waterloo.[6]

References

1. National Army Museuem
2. "West Riding Militia". Doncaster Gazette. 29 April 1870. Retrieved 29 October 2015 – via British Newspaper Archive.
3. Gilbert Shepperd, The Connaught Rangers, p. 23
4. "General Sir Thomas Bradford GCB GCH". King's Own Royal Regiment Museum. Retrieved 2 July 2016.
5. The Gentleman's Magazine. W. Pickering. 1840. p. 425.
6. Dalton 1904, p. 35 & 97.

Sources

• Dalton, Charles (1904). The Waterloo roll call. With biographical notes and anecdotes. London: Eyre and Spottiswoode.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)

Military offices
Preceded by Sir Charles Colville	C-in-C, Bombay Army 1826–1829	Succeeded by Sir Thomas Beckwith
Preceded by Sir John Hope	Commander-in-Chief, Scotland 1819–1825	Succeeded by Sir Robert O'Callaghan
Preceded by John Hodgson	Colonel of the 4th (The King's Own) Regiment of Foot 1846–1853	Succeeded by John Bell
Preceded by James Montgomerie	Colonel of the 30th (Cambridgeshire) Regiment of Foot 1829–1846	Succeeded by George Hay, 8th Marquess of Tweeddale
Preceded by New regiment	Colonel of the 94th Regiment of Foot 1823–1829	Succeeded by Sir John Keane, 1st Baron Keane