Edward Bradford
Encyclopedia
Colonel Sir Edward Ridley Colborne Bradford, 1st Baronet, GCB
, GCVO
, KCSI
, ADC
(27 July 1836 – 13 May 1911) was a British Indian Army
officer who later served as Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis
, head of the London
Metropolitan Police
, from 1890 to 1903.
, the son of W. M. K. Bradford, the rector
of West Meon
, Hampshire
, and was educated from 1846 at Marlborough College
. He was commissioned into the East India Company
's 2nd Madras Light Infantry (based at Jalna
) in 1853, transferring to the 6th Madras Cavalry (based at Mhow) on his promotion to Lieutenant
in 1855. He saw active service in Persia
(1856–1857), attached to the 14th The King's Light Dragoons
, and in the latter stages of the Indian Mutiny, where he served as adjutant
of the left wing of his regiment
. In 1858, he transferred to Mayne's Irregular Cavalry (later the 1st Regiment of Central India Horse), of which he became Second-in-Command
on 25 October 1858. He distinguished himself in a number of actions, especially against Tantya Tope at Cawnpore. In September 1860, with his health suffering from extended campaigning, he was ordered home to England
to recuperate.
In 1862, he returned to India
and was made Political Assistant in West Malwa. On 10 May 1863, he was mauled by a tigress
during a hunt near Guna
and lost his left arm. He continued to ride in pigsticking
, holding the rein
s between his teeth, but his active military career was over.
, Baghelkhand, Bharatpur
and Mewar
. He was promoted Captain
in 1865 and Major
in 1873. In 1866, he married Elizabeth Adela Knight. In 1874, he was made General Superintendent of the Thuggee and Dacoit Department, which effectively acted as the Viceroy's secret police
. In March 1878, he was appointed Governor-General's Agent for Rajputana
and Chief Commissioner
of Ajmer
, in charge of relations with the Rajput
princes, by whom he was respected and admired, not least because he had survived an encounter with a tiger. In private, however, he had no time for them, regarding them as lazy, vain, stupid and underhand. He was promoted Lieutenant-Colonel in 1879 and Colonel
in 1884. In June 1885, he was knighted as a Knight Commander of the Star of India
(KCSI) for his services.
In 1887, he returned to London as Secretary of the Political and Secret Department of the India Office
, but the following year returned to India to conduct Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence
on a tour of the country, returning to England in 1889. He was made an Aide-de-Camp
to Queen Victoria
(holding the post until 1893), and was offered the governorship of Cape Colony
, but refused it.
as Commissioner of Police. His immediate concern was to restore stability after the Black Monday and Bloody Sunday
riots and the resignation of three Commissioners in the past two years. He was an ideal choice. His military background gave him authority and experience of command (although his personality was generally easy-going), while his experiences in India gave him knowledge of administration, criminal investigation and the workings of the civil service
. His years in control of the Met were generally peaceful and stable, with the police's standing in public opinion rising steadily. In 1899, crime in London fell to its lowest point in recorded history.
Bradford successfully settled the police strike of 1890, days after he took up office, and resisted the efforts of the new London County Council
to take over his force from the Home Office
. He visited every one of his police station
s and talked and listened to his men, becoming the first Commissioner to do so. He varied the beat
s to ease the tedium of patrol duty and attempted to improve the educational standard of new recruits. He built more police stations and improved the quality of the section houses, ensured that all stations were linked by telegraph (although he disapproved of some other new technologies, such as telephone
s and typewriter
s, and would not introduce them), extended the use of bicycle
s, encouraged sporting activities among his men, and introduced a lighter summer uniform.
Bradford received many honours during his time as Commissioner. He was appointed Knight Commander of the Bath
(KCB) in 1890, Knight Grand Cross of the Bath (GCB) in 1897, and Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order
(GCVO) in 1902, and became the first Commissioner to be created a Baronet
, on 24 July 1902. He retired on 4 March 1903.
, an activity in which he indulged several days every week. He also chaired a committee to enquire into the wages of General Post Office employees. He served as an extra equerry
to both Edward VII
and George V
.
Bradford died suddenly at his home in Westminster
and was buried in the churchyard at Chawton
, Hampshire
, next to his first wife, who had died in 1896. He was survived by his second wife, Edith Mary Nicholson, whom he had married in 1898. By his first marriage, he had a daughter and three sons. His eldest son, Montagu Edward Bradford (1867–1890), died in India. His second son, Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Evelyn Ridley Bradford (1869–1914) of the Seaforth Highlanders
, succeeded to the baronetcy and was killed in action in France
on 14 September 1914.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, GCVO
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
, KCSI
Order of the Star of India
The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1861. The Order includes members of three classes:# Knight Grand Commander # Knight Commander # Companion...
, ADC
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
(27 July 1836 – 13 May 1911) was a British Indian Army
British Indian Army
The British Indian Army, officially simply the Indian Army, was the principal army of the British Raj in India before the partition of India in 1947...
officer who later served as Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis
Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis
The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis is the head of London's Metropolitan Police Service, classing the holder as a chief police officer...
, head of the London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
Metropolitan Police
Metropolitan Police Service
The Metropolitan Police Service is the territorial police force responsible for Greater London, excluding the "square mile" of the City of London which is the responsibility of the City of London Police...
, from 1890 to 1903.
Military career
Bradford was born in BuckinghamshireBuckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
, the son of W. M. K. Bradford, the rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of West Meon
West Meon
West Meon is a small village in Hampshire, England, with a population of 690.It is situated near to Petersfield and East Meon, on the headwaters of the River Meon....
, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, and was educated from 1846 at Marlborough College
Marlborough College
Marlborough College is a British co-educational independent school for day and boarding pupils, located in Marlborough, Wiltshire.Founded in 1843 for the education of the sons of Church of England clergy, the school now accepts both boys and girls of all beliefs. Currently there are just over 800...
. He was commissioned into the East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
's 2nd Madras Light Infantry (based at Jalna
Jalna (city)
Jalna is a city and a municipal council in Jalna district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Jalna was formerly a part of Nizam State as a tahsil of Aurangabad district....
) in 1853, transferring to the 6th Madras Cavalry (based at Mhow) on his promotion to Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in 1855. He saw active service in Persia
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
(1856–1857), attached to the 14th The King's Light Dragoons
14th King's Hussars
The 14th King's Hussars was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1715. It saw service for two centuries, before being amalgamated into the 14th/20th Hussars in 1922....
, and in the latter stages of the Indian Mutiny, where he served as adjutant
Adjutant
Adjutant is a military rank or appointment. In some armies, including most English-speaking ones, it is an officer who assists a more senior officer, while in other armies, especially Francophone ones, it is an NCO , normally corresponding roughly to a Staff Sergeant or Warrant Officer.An Adjutant...
of the left wing of his regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
. In 1858, he transferred to Mayne's Irregular Cavalry (later the 1st Regiment of Central India Horse), of which he became Second-in-Command
Second-in-command
The Second-in-Command is the deputy commander of any British Army or Royal Marines unit, from battalion or regiment downwards. He or she is thus the equivalent of an Executive Officer in the United States Army...
on 25 October 1858. He distinguished himself in a number of actions, especially against Tantya Tope at Cawnpore. In September 1860, with his health suffering from extended campaigning, he was ordered home to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to recuperate.
In 1862, he returned to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and was made Political Assistant in West Malwa. On 10 May 1863, he was mauled by a tigress
Tiger
The tiger is the largest cat species, reaching a total body length of up to and weighing up to . Their most recognizable feature is a pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with lighter underparts...
during a hunt near Guna
Guna, India
Guna is a city and a municipality in Guna district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of Guna District and is located on the banks of Parbati river.- History :...
and lost his left arm. He continued to ride in pigsticking
Boar hunting
Boar hunting is generally the practice of hunting wild boars, but can also extend to feral pigs and peccaries. A full-sized boar is a large animal armed with sharp tusks which it uses to defend itself. Boar hunting has often been a test of bravery....
, holding the rein
Rein
Reins are items of horse tack, used to direct a horse or other animal used for riding or driving. Reins can be made of leather, nylon, metal, or other materials, and attach to a bridle via either its bit or its noseband.-Use for riding:...
s between his teeth, but his active military career was over.
Indian Civil Service
He remained in the Indian Army, but served as Political Agent at successively JaipurJaipur
Jaipur , also popularly known as the Pink City, is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan. Founded on 18 November 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the ruler of Amber, the city today has a population of more than 3.1 million....
, Baghelkhand, Bharatpur
Bharatpur, India
Bharatpur is a city in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It was founded by Maharaja Suraj Mal in 1733. Located in the Brij region, Bharatpur was once an impregnable, well-planned and well-fortified city, and the capital of Jat kingdom ruled by Sinsinwar Maharajas.The trio of Bharatpur, Deeg and...
and Mewar
Mewar
Mewar is a region of south-central Rajasthan state in western India. It includes the present-day districts of Pratapgarh, Bhilwara, Chittorgarh, Rajsamand, Udaipur, Dungarpur, Banswara and some of the part of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. The region was for centuries a Rajput kingdom that later...
. He was promoted Captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
in 1865 and Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
in 1873. In 1866, he married Elizabeth Adela Knight. In 1874, he was made General Superintendent of the Thuggee and Dacoit Department, which effectively acted as the Viceroy's secret police
Secret police
Secret police are a police agency which operates in secrecy and beyond the law to protect the political power of an individual dictator or an authoritarian political regime....
. In March 1878, he was appointed Governor-General's Agent for Rajputana
Rajputana
Rājputāna was the pre-1949 name of the present-day Indian state of Rājasthān, the largest state of the Republic of India in terms of area. George Thomas was the first in 1800 A.D., to term this region as Rajputana...
and Chief Commissioner
Chief Commissioner
A Chief Commissioner is a commissioner of a high rank, usually in chief of several Commissioners or similarly styled officers.-Colonial:In British India the gubernatorial style was Chief Commissioner in various provinces , the style being applied especially where an elected assembly did not exist,...
of Ajmer
Ajmer
Ajmer , formerly written as Ajmere, is a city in Ajmer District in Rajasthan state in India. Ajmer has a population of around 800,000 , and is located west of the Rajasthan state capital Jaipur, 200 km from Jodhpur, 274 km from Udaipur, 439 km from Jaisalmer, and 391 km from...
, in charge of relations with the Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
princes, by whom he was respected and admired, not least because he had survived an encounter with a tiger. In private, however, he had no time for them, regarding them as lazy, vain, stupid and underhand. He was promoted Lieutenant-Colonel in 1879 and Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
in 1884. In June 1885, he was knighted as a Knight Commander of the Star of India
Order of the Star of India
The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1861. The Order includes members of three classes:# Knight Grand Commander # Knight Commander # Companion...
(KCSI) for his services.
In 1887, he returned to London as Secretary of the Political and Secret Department of the India Office
India Office
The India Office was a British government department created in 1858 to oversee the colonial administration of India, i.e. the modern-day nations of Bangladesh, Burma, India, and Pakistan, as well as territories in South-east and Central Asia, the Middle East, and parts of the east coast of Africa...
, but the following year returned to India to conduct Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence
Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence
Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale was a member of the British Royal Family. He was the eldest son of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales and Alexandra, Princess of Wales , and the grandson of the reigning monarch, Queen Victoria...
on a tour of the country, returning to England in 1889. He was made an Aide-de-Camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
(holding the post until 1893), and was offered the governorship of Cape Colony
Cape Colony
The Cape Colony, part of modern South Africa, was established by the Dutch East India Company in 1652, with the founding of Cape Town. It was subsequently occupied by the British in 1795 when the Netherlands were occupied by revolutionary France, so that the French revolutionaries could not take...
, but refused it.
Commissioner of Police
In June 1890, Bradford was appointed to succeed James MonroJames Monro
James Monro CB was a lawyer who became the first Assistant Commissioner of the London Metropolitan Police and also served as Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis from 1888 to 1890.-Early career:...
as Commissioner of Police. His immediate concern was to restore stability after the Black Monday and Bloody Sunday
Bloody Sunday (1887)
Bloody Sunday, London, 13 November 1887, was the name given to a demonstration against coercion in Ireland and to demand the release from prison of MP William O'Brien, who was imprisoned for incitement as a result of an incident in the Irish Land War. The demonstration was organized by the Social...
riots and the resignation of three Commissioners in the past two years. He was an ideal choice. His military background gave him authority and experience of command (although his personality was generally easy-going), while his experiences in India gave him knowledge of administration, criminal investigation and the workings of the civil service
Civil service
The term civil service has two distinct meanings:* A branch of governmental service in which individuals are employed on the basis of professional merit as proven by competitive examinations....
. His years in control of the Met were generally peaceful and stable, with the police's standing in public opinion rising steadily. In 1899, crime in London fell to its lowest point in recorded history.
Bradford successfully settled the police strike of 1890, days after he took up office, and resisted the efforts of the new London County Council
London County Council
London County Council was the principal local government body for the County of London, throughout its 1889–1965 existence, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today known as Inner London and was replaced by the Greater London Council...
to take over his force from the Home Office
Home Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
. He visited every one of his police station
Police station
A police station or station house is a building which serves to accommodate police officers and other members of staff. These buildings often contain offices and accommodation for personnel and vehicles, along with locker rooms, temporary holding cells and interview/interrogation rooms.- Facilities...
s and talked and listened to his men, becoming the first Commissioner to do so. He varied the beat
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
s to ease the tedium of patrol duty and attempted to improve the educational standard of new recruits. He built more police stations and improved the quality of the section houses, ensured that all stations were linked by telegraph (although he disapproved of some other new technologies, such as telephone
Telephone
The telephone , colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that transmits and receives sounds, usually the human voice. Telephones are a point-to-point communication system whose most basic function is to allow two people separated by large distances to talk to each other...
s and typewriter
Typewriter
A typewriter is a mechanical or electromechanical device with keys that, when pressed, cause characters to be printed on a medium, usually paper. Typically one character is printed per keypress, and the machine prints the characters by making ink impressions of type elements similar to the pieces...
s, and would not introduce them), extended the use of bicycle
Bicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
s, encouraged sporting activities among his men, and introduced a lighter summer uniform.
Bradford received many honours during his time as Commissioner. He was appointed Knight Commander of the Bath
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(KCB) in 1890, Knight Grand Cross of the Bath (GCB) in 1897, and Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
(GCVO) in 1902, and became the first Commissioner to be created a Baronet
Baronet
A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...
, on 24 July 1902. He retired on 4 March 1903.
Later years
After his retirement, Bradford devoted much of his time to fox huntingFox hunting
Fox hunting is an activity involving the tracking, chase, and sometimes killing of a fox, traditionally a red fox, by trained foxhounds or other scent hounds, and a group of followers led by a master of foxhounds, who follow the hounds on foot or on horseback.Fox hunting originated in its current...
, an activity in which he indulged several days every week. He also chaired a committee to enquire into the wages of General Post Office employees. He served as an extra equerry
Equerry
An equerry , and related to the French word "écuyer" ) is an officer of honour. Historically, it was a senior attendant with responsibilities for the horses of a person of rank. In contemporary use, it is a personal attendant, usually upon a Sovereign, a member of a Royal Family, or a national...
to both Edward VII
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
and George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
.
Bradford died suddenly at his home in Westminster
Westminster
Westminster is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, southwest of the City of London and southwest of Charing Cross...
and was buried in the churchyard at Chawton
Chawton
Chawton is a village and civil parish in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It is 1.6 miles southwest of Alton, just south of the A31 which runs between Farnham and Winchester. The village is famous as the home of Jane Austen for the last eight years of her life...
, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, next to his first wife, who had died in 1896. He was survived by his second wife, Edith Mary Nicholson, whom he had married in 1898. By his first marriage, he had a daughter and three sons. His eldest son, Montagu Edward Bradford (1867–1890), died in India. His second son, Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Evelyn Ridley Bradford (1869–1914) of the Seaforth Highlanders
Seaforth Highlanders
The Seaforth Highlanders was a historic regiment of the British Army associated with large areas of the northern Highlands of Scotland. The Seaforth Highlanders have varied in size from two battalions to seventeen battalions during the Great War...
, succeeded to the baronetcy and was killed in action in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
on 14 September 1914.
Styles
- 1836–1853: Edward Ridley Colborne Bradford
- 1853–1855: Second Lieutenant Edward Ridley Colborne Bradford
- 1855–1865: Lieutenant Edward Ridley Colborne Bradford
- 1865–1873: Captain Edward Ridley Colborne Bradford
- 1873–1879: Major Edward Ridley Colborne Bradford
- 1879–1884: Lieutenant-Colonel Edward Ridley Colborne Bradford
- 1884–1885: Colonel Edward Ridley Colborne Bradford
- 1885–1889: Colonel Sir Edward Ridley Colborne Bradford, KCSI
- 1889–1890: Colonel Sir Edward Ridley Colborne Bradford, KCSI, ADC
- 1890–1893: Colonel Sir Edward Ridley Colborne Bradford, KCB, KCSI, ADC
- 1893–1897: Colonel Sir Edward Ridley Colborne Bradford, KCB, KCSI
- 1897–1902: Colonel Sir Edward Ridley Colborne Bradford, GCB, KCSI
- 1902–1911: Colonel Sir Edward Ridley Colborne Bradford, Bt., GCB, GCVO, KCSI