Charles Bradley

Charles Bradley (1789–1871) was an English Anglican priest who was eminent as a preacher and writer of sermons published between 1818 and 1853.

Early life Bradley belonged to the evangelical school of the Church of England. He was born in Halstead, Essex, on 22 February 1789. His parents, Thomas and Ann Bradley, were both of Yorkshire origin, but settled in Wallingford, Berkshire, where Charles, the elder of two sons, passed much of his early life.

In 1809, Bradley took pupils and edited school books. That year, also, he was awarded an M.A. degree by King's College, Aberdeen, as "Master of the Foundation School at Wallingford, Berks, and author of a work on English Grammar", certified by William Mairis, Rector of St Peter's Church, Wallingford, and William Hazil , former Fellow of Pembroke College, Oxford.

Bradley was, for a time after his marriage, a student at St Edmund Hall, Oxford, where he matriculated in 1810.

Curate Bradley was ordained deacon in 1812 by John Randolph, without proceeding to a degree, to the parish of Wallingford, where the rector was Edward Barry. In 1818 he was ordained priest by George Pretyman Tomline and became curate of High Wycombe.

At High Wycombe Bradley combined the work of a private tutor with the sole charge of the parish. Among his pupils were William Smith O'Brien, Bonamy Price and Philip Jacob. His powers as a preacher soon attracted attention. He formed the acquaintance of William Wilberforce, Thomas Scott, the commentator, Daniel Wilson, and others. William Herbert had been curate there from 1826; in 1836 he moved on to the Rhydybrew chapelry in Llywel parish as a perpetual curate.

James Francis Cobb was taken when young to hear Bradley preach in St James's Chapel. He wrote much later, in 1882, "I remember perfectly his manner and appearance; the pleasant, kindly face, with the iron-grey hair and whiskers, the attractive style, the clear voice, the loving, earnest way of applying his subject, which was always divided and subdivided". In terms of homiletics, George Jennings Davies in 1884 called Bradley "one of the greatest masters of divisions".

Works Bradley's Sermons Preached in the Parish Church of High Wycombe (1818) was dedicated to Lord Liverpool. It ran to two volumes, and an 11th edition in 1854.

Of the six sons by the first marriage, the eldest of six sons was the educator Rev. Charles Bradley of Southgate, and the fourth was George Granville Bradley. F. H. Bradley was the fifth child, and A. C. Bradley the youngest, of the second marriage.

Bradley spent the last period of his life at Cheltenham, where he died on 16 August 1871, aged 82.