Brigadier Brigadier is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several thousand soldiers. In ...

The Honourable ''The Honourable'' (British English) or ''The Honorable'' (American English; see spelling differences) (abbreviation: ''Hon.'', ''Hon'ble'', or variations) is an honorific style that is used as a prefix before the names or titles of certain ...

Geoffrey John Orlando Bridgeman MC (3 July 1898 – 15 October 1974), styled The Honourable from 1929, was a British soldier and

ophthalmologist Ophthalmology ( ) is a surgery, surgical subspecialty within medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders. An ophthalmologist is a physician who undergoes subspecialty training in medical and surgical eye care. Followin ...

Background and education

Born at

Harley Street Harley Street is a street in Marylebone, Central London, which has, since the 19th century housed a large number of private specialists in medicine and surgery. It was named after Edward Harley, 2nd Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer.< ...

in London, Bridgeman was the second son of William Bridgeman, 1st Viscount Bridgeman.Fox-Davies (1929), p. 213. His mother

Caroline Caroline may refer to: People * Caroline (given name), a feminine given name * J. C. Caroline (born 1933), American college and National Football League player * Jordan Caroline (born 1996), American (men's) basketball player Places Antarctica * ...

was the daughter of Cecil Thomas Parker, younger son of

Thomas Parker, 6th Earl of Macclesfield Thomas Augustus Wolstenholme Parker, 6th Earl of Macclesfield (17 March 1811 – 24 July 1896) was a British peer. Before inheriting the earldom, he sat in the House of Commons as Conservative Member of Parliament for Oxfordshire from 1837 until ...

. Bridgeman's younger brother Maurice was a businessman and civil servant. He was educated in

Eton College Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, C ...

and went then to

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by Henry VIII, King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any college at either Cambridge ...

. From 1917 he fought in the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, being commissioned into the

Royal Field Artillery The Royal Field Artillery (RFA) of the British Army provided close artillery support for the infantry. It came into being when created as a distinct arm of the Royal Regiment of Artillery on 1 July 1899, serving alongside the other two arms of t ...

. In 1918 he was decorated with the

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level pre-1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth countries. The MC i ...

and after the end of the war retired as lieutenant. He resumed his studies in Cambridge and after winning a classical exhibition, Bridgeman read natural sciences and graduated with a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

in 1920. Six years later at

St George's Hospital St George's Hospital is a large teaching hospital in Tooting, London. Founded in 1733, it is one of the UK's largest teaching hospitals and one of the largest hospitals in Europe. It is run by the St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundatio ...

he obtained a

Bachelor of Medicine Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery ( la, Medicinae Baccalaureus, Baccalaureus Chirurgiae; abbreviated most commonly MBBS), is the primary medical degree awarded by medical schools in countries that follow the tradition of the United King ...

and in 1928 he received further a

and a

Bachelor of Surgery Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery ( la, Medicinae Baccalaureus, Baccalaureus Chirurgiae; abbreviated most commonly MBBS), is the primary medical degree awarded by medical schools in countries that follow the tradition of the United King ...

.Cornelius (1988), p. 45.

Career

Bridgeman worked first as chief clinical assistant at Moorfields Eye Hospital and then as ophthalmic surgeon at

East Ham Memorial Hospital Newham University Hospital is an acute general hospital situated in Plaistow, Newham, Plaistow in the London Borough of Newham. It is managed by Barts Health NHS Trust. History The hospital was built to replace Queen Mary's Hospital for the East ...

. Subsequently, he returned to St George's and became employed at the

Western Ophthalmic Hospital Western Eye Hospital is an ophthalmology hospital in west London. It is managed by the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. History The hospital was founded by Henry Obre and John Woolcott, both surgeons, at St John's Place in Lisson Grove as ...

. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, he served in the

Royal Army Medical Corps The Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) is a specialist corps in the British Army which provides medical services to all Army personnel and their families, in war and in peace. The RAMC, the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, the Royal Army Dental Corps a ...

and gained the rank of brigadier. Bridgeman was attached to the

Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...

and came afterwards to

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. He was an honorary consultant ophthalmologist at the

India and Burma Office The India Office was a British government department established in London in 1858 to oversee the administration, through a Viceroy and other officials, of the Provinces of India. These territories comprised most of the modern-day nations of I ...

and was elected a fellow of the

Royal College of Surgeons of England The Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England) is an independent professional body and registered charity that promotes and advances standards of surgical care for patients, and regulates surgery and dentistry in England and Wales. The ...

in 1933.Who's Who (1963), p. 354. Bridgeman held membership of the Ophthalmological Society of the United Kingdom and of the

British Medical Association The British Medical Association (BMA) is a registered trade union for doctors in the United Kingdom. The association does not regulate or certify doctors, a responsibility which lies with the General Medical Council. The association's headquar ...

.Who's Who (1963), p. 355.

Family

On 3 July 1929, Bridgeman married Mary Meriel Gertrude Talbot (18 January 1903 – 5 July 1974), daughter of the Rt. Hon. Sir George John Talbot and Gertrude Harriot Cator. The couple had three children, one son and two daughters:Charles Mosley, editor, Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes (Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A.: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003), volume 1, page 499. * Robin John Orlando Bridgeman, 3rd Viscount Bridgeman (b. 5 December 1930). * Helena Mary Bridgeman (b. 2 November 1932), married firstly on 18 July 1953 and divorced in 1963 The Hon. Paul Asquith (4 January 1927 – 1984), son of

Cyril Asquith, Baron Asquith of Bishopstone Cyril Asquith, Baron Asquith of Bishopstone, PC (5 February 1890 – 24 August 1954) was an English barrister and judge who served as a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary from 1951 until his death three years later. The youngest child of British prim ...

, and Anne Stephanie Pollock, and married secondly James Francis Leslie Bayley, son of Thomas Eliot Bayley of

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

Midlothian Midlothian (; gd, Meadhan Lodainn) is a historic county, registration county, lieutenancy area and one of 32 council areas of Scotland used for local government. Midlothian lies in the east-central Lowlands, bordering the City of Edinburgh, ...

, on 15 July 1963, living in 2003 at Wassall House,

Rolvenden Rolvenden is a village and civil parish in the Ashford District of Kent, England. The village is centred on the A28 Ashford to Hastings road, south-west of Tenterden. The settlement of Rolvenden Layne, south of Rolvenden, is also part of th ...

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

. * Daphne Bridgeman (b. 9 April 1940), married on 4 December 1965 as his second wife William Howard Clive Montgomery of Rosemount House and of Greyabbey, son of

Major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

Hugh Edward Montgomery of Greyabbey, County Down, Deputy Lieutenant (DL), living in 2003 at Greyabbey,

Newtownards Newtownards is a town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies at the most northern tip of Strangford Lough, 10 miles (16 km) east of Belfast, on the Ards Peninsula. It is in the Civil parishes in Ireland, civil parish of Newtownard ...

County Down County Down () is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the traditional thirty-two counties of Ireland. It covers an area of and has a population of 531,665. It borders County Antrim to the ...

. Mary died in 1961 and Bridgeman survived her until 1974. His son

Robin Robin may refer to: Animals * Australasian robins, red-breasted songbirds of the family Petroicidae * Many members of the subfamily Saxicolinae (Old World chats), including: **European robin (''Erithacus rubecula'') **Bush-robin **Forest rob ...

succeeded his uncle

Robert Bridgeman, 2nd Viscount Bridgeman Major-General Robert Clive Bridgeman, 2nd Viscount Bridgeman (1 April 1896 – 17 November 1982), styled The Honourable Robert Bridgeman between 1929 and 1935, was a British Army officer and peer. Background Born in London and baptised at St Pa ...

, in his title in 1982.de Massue (1994), p. 287. His granddaughter is actress Flora Montgomery.

Notes

References

External links

*
Generals of World War II
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bridgeman, Geoffrey 1898 births 1974 deaths Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge British Army personnel of World War I British Army brigadiers of World War II English surgeons British ophthalmologists People educated at Eton College Recipients of the Military Cross Royal Army Medical Corps officers Royal Artillery officers Younger sons of viscounts Geoffrey 20th-century surgeons Military personnel from London