The BRADBURY family – Private BRADBURY, Albert (1874-1959)

Thomas Bradbury (1848-1911) and Annie Kestin (1847-1917) married at St Mary de Castro on 15^th January 1874.  Thomas was a gardener.  They had two children, Albert (1874-1959) who was born in Belgrave on 28^th September 1874 and Walter (1878-1937) who was born in Twyford, where Annie’s family lived, in 1878.  By 1881 the family lived at 15 Factory Road in Hinckley, where Thomas kept a market garden growing cucumbers and melons, and by 1891 in 2 Daneshill Road, remaining until at least 1898.

Thomas and Walter were members of the St Martin’s community in 1909 (but not Albert or Annie).  Thomas was elected sidesman in 1907 and Walter undertook a variety of roles including sidesman (from 1909), Secretary/Treasurer of St Martin’s Guild (from 1921) and a member of the PCC from at between at least 1921 and 1934.

Albert was baptised at St Peter’s, Belgrave, on 21^st October 1874.  It was a private baptism, perhaps due to ill health of Albert or his mother, and he was received into the church five months later on 14^th March 1875.  By 1891 he was an apprentice gas fitter whereas brother Walter worked as a clerk to a solicitor.

Like his parents, Albert married at St Mary de Castro church, to domestic servant Mary Susannah Clarke (1875-1956) on 11^th June 1898.  In 1901 they lived at 29 Vaughan Street.

Albert worked as a gas fitter and they had daughter Annie who was born on 1^st January 1899.  Either Annie (1899-1966) was born prematurely or else Mary had been about 2 months pregnant at the time of their marriage.  She was baptised at Sapcote in January 1901, just after her second birthday.  Sister Lily Gertrude (1903-1989) was born in1903 and also baptised at Sapcote.

In 1911 Albert worked as a stone polisher for a stone mason, possibly connected with his father in law William Clarke who was a quarryman.  The family lived at 21 Wolverton Road, where they remained until at least 1939.

In 1918 Albert worked as a printer.  He was 5’6” and had dark brown hair and grey eyes.  He had a scar on his right shoulder but was in good health, categorised by the RAF as Class A.

Albert joined the Royal Air Force on 9^th September 1918 a Private (2^nd class) – the lowest rank – shortly before the end of the war, when he was 44.  He served at home as a driver and labourer until 12^th January 1919, when he transferred to the reserve with a “very good” character.  He was finally discharged on 30^th April 1920.  In 1939 Albert worked as a litho stone polisher and his daughters worked in the hosiery trade.

Mary died in Leicester in 1956. Albert died in February 1959 and was buried with Mary at Saffron Hill Cemetery.