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National Maritime Museum

Bradford, Sir Edward Eden (1858-1935)


IDENTITY STATEMENT

Reference code(s): GB 0064 BRD

Held at: National Maritime Museum

Title: Bradford, Sir Edward Eden (1858-1935)

Date(s): [1873-1883]

Level of description: Collection

Extent: 3 boxes

Name of creator(s): Bradford | Sir | Edward Eden | 1858-1935 | Knight | Admiral

CONTEXT

Administrative/Biographical history:

Edward Eden Bradford joined the Royal Navy as a Cadet in 1872, serving on HMS HERCULES in the channel. Promoted to Midshipman in 1876, he then served aboard HMS DORIS, HMS DANAE and HMS RALIEGH, before taking up position on the schooner HMS SANDFLY as her Sub-Lieutenant. It was during his time on th SANDFLY that Bradford was forced to take charge of the vessel, following the murder of her Commanding Officer and five crew by natives whilst surveying ashore in the Solomon Islands. Bradford's subsequent actions in recovering the bodies of his shipmates and the punishment of the natives earned him a special promotion to Lieutenant in December 1880. Bradford then joined HMS ACHILLES in 1881 and took part in the bombardment of Alexandria, for which he was decorated. He served in the China Station from 1883 to 1891 aboard HMS SAPPHIRE and HMS MUTINE, after which he joined HMS BOADICEA, flagship of the East Indies Squadron as a Commander. Promoted to Captain in 1899, Bradford then served under Admiral Sir Arthur Wilson as his Flag-Captain in HMS MAJESTIC, HMS REVENGE and HMS EXMOUTH. Commodore of Chatham Naval Barracks from 1907 to 1908, Bradford was then made Rear-Admiral of the Home Fleet, with his flag in HMS HIBERNIA. He then commanded the Training Squadron aboard HMS LEVIATHAN from 1911 to 1913, before being promoted to Vice-Admiral and given command of the 3rd Battle Squadron, with which he supported Admiral Beatty at Dogger Bank. At his own request, Bradford retired in 1918 with the rank of Admiral.

CONTENT

Scope and content/abstract:

Papers of Sir Edward Eden Bradford chiefly relating to Bradford's earlier career and include detailed log books and journals from 1873 to 1883, official progress certificates, reports, etc, as well as letters and reminiscences. Contained in one journal are entries regarding the events in the Solomon Islands whilst serving on HMS SANDFLY and elsewhere in the collection are newspaper articles and poems relating to this incident.

ACCESS AND USE

Language/scripts of material: English

System of arrangement:

Conditions governing access:

Please contact the Archive for further information.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Please contact the Archive for further information.

Finding aids:

Detailed catalogue online at the: National Maritime Museum website .

ARCHIVAL INFORMATION

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

The papers were presented to the National Maritime Museum in 1991 by Miss Katherine Bradford, daughter of the late Admiral.

ALLIED MATERIALS

DESCRIPTION NOTES

Archivist's note: Edited by Sarah Drewery, Jun 2011.

Rules or conventions: Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions: 2010-08-26


INDEX ENTRIES
Subjects
Naval operations | Military operations | Military engineering
Ships logs | Primary documents | Documents | Information sources

Personal names
Bradford | Sir | Edward Eden | 1858-1935 | Knight | Admiral

Corporate names
Royal Navy

Places
Solomon Islands | Oceania