Bradley, John

Gender: Male

John Bradley sang the Dilly Song to Cecil Sharp at Coates on 31 March 1912 at the age of 40.

There was no John Bradley living in Coates in the 1911 Census however there was a John Bradley living in nearby Cirencester so the following details relate to this John Bradley.

John Bradley’s grandfather was also called John Bradley and he was born in Newcastle upon Tyne. By the time of the census in 1841 he was married and he and his wife, Sarah, were living in Caswell Ward, Cirencester with three children all born in Cirencester: Charles born about 1826, Mary born about 1830 and Richard, John Bradley’s father, born about 1834. John Bradley was working as a labourer. Also living with them was another labourer, George Sharp, aged 70. By 1851 the family were living in Castle Ward, Cirencester where John was working as a gardener. His sons Charles and Richard were both working as labourers.

John Bradley’s father, Richard Bradley, was married probably in 1858 and he and his wife, Elizabeth had a daughter, Sarah Anne who was baptised in Cirencester on 15 July 1860. In 1861 they were all living at 169 Gloucester Street, Cirencester where Richard was working as a labourer. They then had two more sons, James Bradley born 1963 and Charles Alfred Bradley, who was baptised in Cirencester on 16 April 1865. By 1871 they had moved down the road to 163 Gloucester Street, Cirencester and had two more daughters, Ellen aged 4 and Elizabeth aged 1. On 12 May 1872 their son, John Bradley, was baptised in Cirencester. Richard and Elizabeth then had two more daughters Alice born about 1874 and Edith born about 1875. Richard continued to work as a labourer and by 1881 the family had again moved down the road to 132 Gloucester Street. At this time many of the houses in Gloucester Street were billeted with members of the militia and Richard and Elizabeth had two militia members also living with them, one aged 22 from Bourton on the water and one aged 21 from Chedworth. The Royal North Gloucestershire Militia had its headquarters at Cirencester. That same year the Royal North Gloucestershire Militia was amalgamated into the Gloucestershire Regiment. By 1891 the family were still living at 132 ‘Gloster’ Street, Cirencester where Richard was working as a mason’s labourer and John Bradley was working as a farm labourer. John’s sister, Edith was also living at home and was described as a domestic but out of work. Richard and Elizabeth also had another son, Ernest, aged 9. They still had one 17 year old member of the militia billeted with them.

John Bradley married Flora Alice Mills towards the end of 1895 in Cirencester. At the time Flora was living at 4 Barton Lane Cirencester and was the daughter of a Mason. John then went to work as a carter and he and Flora moved to 32 Gloucester Street, Cirencester. They had two daughters, Mabel Rosina baptised in Cirencester 11 October 1896, and Gwendoline Georgina Gertrude baptised in Cirencester 9 October 1898  and by 1901 they had moved down the road to 43 Gloucester Street, Cirencester when John was described as a carter working on a local board farm.  John and Flora then had a son, Sydney, baptised in Cirencester 20 April 1902. By 1911 they also had number 42 Gloucester Street, Cirencester and at this time John Bradley was working as a carter for the Cirencester Urban District Council. His children, Gwendoline and Sydney, were at school and his other daughter, Mabel, aged 14 was working as a kitchen maid in the house of a professor at the Royal Agricultural College.

By 1927 John Bradley’s daughter, Mabel Bradley, was noted on the steamship Ruahepu travelling to New Zealand. In the 1929 Register John Bradley is noted as working as a park keeper living at 31 Cecily Hill, Cirencester which is just on the edge of Cirencester Park. His wife, Flora, and a schoolchild, Peter Stubbings, were also living with him.

John Bradley died in Cirencester in early 1965.

Notes by Carol Davies 2020