Ernest Bradley was born in Bradford, Yorkshire, on the 24th July 1884. His parents were Charles Bradley and Lucy Bradley (nee Holroyd).
In 1891, the Census identifies Ernest (6), living with his parents Charles (42), and Lucy (35), and his siblings Harry (13), Sam (11), John (8), and Arthur (4), in the Horton area of Bradford.
Ernest Bradley married Mary Cockroft on the 6th September 1910 at the Little Horton Congregational Church, Bradford.
The 1911 Census shows Ernest Bradley (26,) Born Bradford, Occupation Pavior & Stone Dresser, and his wife Mary (25), living at 68, Quaker Lane, Horton, Bradford.
Service Records for Ernest Bradley show:
Enlisted 1/1/1917 18, Deneside Terrace, Bradford Age 32 years 38 months,
Occupation Street Mason,
Married Previously served South ? Constabulary?
Married Mary Cockroft, Little Horton Congregational Chapel, Bfd.
Enlisted Road Construction Coy. R.E.
Relatives: Widow…Mary Bradley 18 Deneside Terrace, Smiddles Lane, Bradford No children
Father…Charles Bradley - 3, Nurser Place, Bradford Brother Arthur Bradley - Age 33 - 3, Nurser Place Bradford Brother John Bradley - Age 37 years, Navy Brother Harry Bradley -Age 41 – 3, Nurser Place Bradford
Dec 8/1919 - Widow Change of address – 91, Marine Parade, Sandylands, Morecambe, Lancs.
Ernest Bradley died of Pneumonia (Military Hospital, Canterbury). His death was announced in the Bradford Daily Telegraph (6th February 1917)
‘Bradley – Ernest, Sapper, Royal Engineers, on Friday 2nd 1917, at Canterbury Military Hospital, from pneumonia, age 32. Internment Bowling Cemetery Wednesday, February 7th, from 18, Deneside Terrace, Smiddles Lane. Service at 1.30 p.m. Little Horton Congregational Church. (Only intimidation.)’
Pioneer Ernest Bradley, 228142, Royal Engineers, 306th Road Construction Coy. who died on the 2nd February 1917 is buried in Bowling Cemetery, Bradford (Grave Reference T. 148). The inscription on his headstone reads:
‘IN LOVING MEMORY OF SAPPER ERNEST BRADLEY RE WHO DIED FEB 2ND 1917 AT THE MILITARY HOSPITAL CANTERBURY AGED 32 YEARS ALSO MARY WIFE OF THE ABOVE WHO DIED JAN 17TH 1952 AGED 66 YEARS “UNTIL THE DAY BREAKS” ’
An additional memorial placed on his grave reads ’A TRIBUTE FROM HIS CAMPMATES AT STONAR CAMP KENT AND THE CORPORATION BFD’.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Road Construction Companies were specialist units within the Royal Engineers responsible for building, repairing and maintaining the vast network of roads needed to move troops, artillery, supplies, and ambulances around the Western Front.
Stonar Camp was a WW1 Military Camp located near Sandwich, Kent, forming part of the vast Richborough Military Port complex. This port was one of the most important logistical hubs for the British war efforts on the Western Front.
As the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s ‘Eyes On Hands On’ volunteer with responsibility for Bradford (Bowling) Cemetery I was always interested in the ‘stories’ of the WW1 soldiers whose headstones I looked after. Having been born and brought up in the nearby area, many of the names I came across seemed familiar to my childhood and I was interested to know more about who they were. The C.W.G.C. ‘For Evermore’ online archive gives me the opportunity to share my research into their lives.
We Will Remember Them...
• Ancestry U.K.
• The British Newspaper Archives
• C.W.G.C.
• David Whithorn
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