Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Bradford, Thomas
BRADFORD, Sir THOMAS (1777–1853), general, was the eldest son of Thomas Bradford of Woodlands, near Doncaster, and Ashdown Park in Sussex, and was born on 1 Dec. 1777. He entered the army as ensign in the 4th regiment on 20 Oct. 1793. He was promoted major into the Nottinghamshire Fencibles, then stationed in Ireland, in 1795. He gave proof of military ability during the Irish rebellion, and in 1801 was promoted brevet lieutenant-colonel, and appointed assistant adjutant-general in Scotland. He was again brought on to the strength of the army as major in 1805, and served with Auchmuty as deputy adjutant-general in 1806 in the expedition to South America. In June 1808 he accompanied the force under Sir Arthur Wellesley to Portugal, and was present at the battles of Vimeiro and Corunna. On his return to England he became assistant adjutant-general at Canterbury, and lieutenant-colonel in succession of the 34th and 82nd regiments in 1809. In 1810 he was promoted colonel, and took the command of a brigade in the Portuguese army. He proved himself one of the most successful Portuguese brigadiers, and at the attack on the Arapiles in the battle of Salamanca Bradford's brigade showed itself worthy of a place beside the British army. In 1813 he was promoted major-general, and made a mariscal de campo in the Portuguese service, receiving the command of a Portuguese division. He commanded this division at Vittoria, at the siege of San Sebastian, and in the battle of the Nive. At the battle before Bayonne he was so severely wounded that he had to return to England.
In 1814 he was placed on the staff of the northern district, and made K.C.B. and K.T.S.; but he missed the battle of Waterloo, at which his younger brother, Lieutenant-colonel Sir Henry Holles Bradford, K.C.B., who had also been a staff officer in the Peninsula, was killed. He commanded the seventh division of the army of occupation in France from 1815 to 1817, and the troops in Scotland from 1819 till he was promoted lieutenant-general in May 1825, and was then appointed commander-in-chief of the troops in the Bombay presidency. He held this command for four years. He was colonel 94th regiment 1823–9, and on his return to England in 1829 became colonel 30th regiment (till 1846). In 1831 he was made G.C.H., in 1838 G.C.B., in 1841 he was promoted general, and in 1846 exchanged the colonelcy of the 38th for that of the 4th regiment. He died in London on 28 Nov. 1853, aged 75.
[Royal Military Calendar; obituary notices in the Times, Gent. Mag., and Colburn's United Service Magazine.]
Dictionary of National Biography, Errata (1904), p.35
N.B.— f.e. stands for from end and l.l. for last line
| Page | Col. | Line | |
| 161 | ii | 24 | Bradford, Sir Thomas: after four years insert He was colonel of the 94th regiment from 1823 to 1829 |
| 26 | for the 38th regiment read the 30th regiment, which he held till 1846 |