Thomas Bradley (priest)

Thomas Bradley was born in 1596 or 1597, the son of Henry Bradley of Wokingham in Berkshire and his wife, Barbara daughter of Walter Lane of Reading in the same county. He was educated at Exeter College, Oxford and was admitted to the degree of Doctor of Divinity. On 5 March 1631, he married Frances the youngest daughter of John, Baron Savile of Pontefract.
He was initially chaplain to George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham, whom he accompanied on trips to the Île de Ré and to La Rochelle and in 1628 he was appointed chaplain to [[Charles I of England|Charles I]]. He became Rector of [[Castleford]] in 1630 and from 1643 he was additionally Rector of [[Ackworth, West Yorkshire|Ackworth]]. His parishes were in a strongly [[Cavalier|Royalist]] part of [[Yorkshire]]. During the [[Pontefract#History|Siege of Pontefract]] in 1644, he was a preacher to the [[Cavalier|Royalist]] troops under [[George Wentworth (of Woolley)|Sir George Wentworth]]. In 1645 [[Roundhead|Parliamentarian troops]] occupied [[Ackworth, West Yorkshire|Ackworth]] and he was deprived of his livings. He underwent much suffering during the [[English Interregnum|Interregnum]] when along with his family he was ejected from their home. It is generally supposed that he attended [[Charles I of England|Charles I]] at his [[Charles I of England#Trial and execution|execution]] on 30 January 1649.
He was restored to the rectory of Ackworth following the end of the [[Commonwealth of England]] in 1660. In 1666 he founded two almshouses at [[Ackworth, West Yorkshire|Ackworth]]. He resigned from his livings in 1672 and died on 10 October 1673.
Publications.
[[Category:1590s births]]
[[Category:1673 deaths]]
[[Category:Alumni of Exeter College, Oxford]]
[[Category:Anglican writers]]
[[Category:17th-century English Anglican priests]]
[[Category:English theologians]]
[[Category:People from Wokingham]]
[[Category:Clergy from Yorkshire]]
[[Category:Cavaliers]]