Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Bradshaw, William (1671-1732)
BRADSHAW, WILLIAM, D.D. (1671–1732), bishop of Bristol, was born at Abergavenny in Monmouthshire on 10 April 1671 (Cooper, Biographical Dictionary). He was educated at New College, Oxford, taking his degree of B.A. 14 April 1697, and proceeding M.A. 14 Jan. 1700. He was ordained deacon 4 June 1699, and priest 26 May 1700, and was senior preacher of the university in 1711. On 5 Nov. 1714, when he was chaplain to Dr. Charles Trimnell, bishop of Norwich, he published a sermon preached in St. Paul's Cathedral. After having been for some time incumbent of Fawley, near Wantage, in Berkshire, he was appointed on 21 March 1717 to a prebend of Canterbury, which he resigned on his appointment as canon of Christ Church, Oxford, on 24 May 1723. He received the degree of D.D. on 27 Aug. of the same year; and on 29 Aug. 1724 was nominated to both the deanery of Christ Church and the bishopric of Bristol, receiving the two preferments in commendam. He published in 1730 a 'Sermon preached before the House of Lords on 30 Jan. 1729-30.' Bradshaw died at Bath on 16 Dec. 1732. He was buried in Bristol Cathedral, where a plain flat stone, about two feet beyond the bishop's stall towards the chancel, was inscribed: 'William Bradshaw, D.D., Bishop of Bristol and Dean of Christ Church, in Oxford; died 16 Dec. 1732, aged 62' (Rawlinson MSS. 4to, i. 267). It is also erroneously said that Bradshaw was buried at Bath (Le Neve, Fasti); 'ibique jacet sepultus' (Godwin, De Præsulibus). Bradshaw left 300l. to Christ Church.
[Catalogue of Oxford Graduates, 1851; Cooper's Biog. Dict. 1873; History of the University of Oxford, 1814; Godwin, De Præsulibus, ed. Richardson, 1743; Le Neve's Fasti, 1854; Daily Journal, 19 Dec. 1732; Britton's Abbey and Cathedral Church of Bristol, 1830; Pryce's Popular History of Bristol, 1861.]