Harold William Bradfield (20 September 18981 May 1960) was an Anglican

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is c ...

who served as

Bishop of Bath and Wells The Bishop of Bath and Wells heads the Church of England Diocese of Bath and Wells in the Province of Canterbury in England. The present diocese covers the overwhelmingly greater part of the (ceremonial) county of Somerset and a small area of D ...

from 1946 to 1960. Harold was born in Lambeth, an only child whose father was a ‘Club and Smoking Room worker. He was at school at

Dulwich College Dulwich College is a 2–19 Independent school (United Kingdom), independent, Day school, day and boarding school for Single-sex education, boys in Dulwich, London, England. As a Public school (United Kingdom), public school, it began as the Col ...

, and was 18 when he joined the

City of London Yeomanry The City of London Yeomanry (Rough Riders) was a yeomanry regiment of the British Territorial Army, formed in 1901 from veterans of the Second Boer War. In World War I it served dismounted in the Gallipoli Campaign but reverted to the mount ...

and the

Army Cyclist Corps The Army Cyclist Corps was a corps of the British Army active during the First World War, and controlling the Army's bicycle infantry. History Formation Volunteer cyclist units had been formed as early as the 1880s, with the first complete bicy ...

. He served in France in 1918-19 and, after the

Great 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 ...

ended, he was awarded the

Victory The term victory (from Latin ''victoria'') originally applied to warfare, and denotes success achieved in personal combat, after military operations in general or, by extension, in any competition. Success in a military campaign constitutes ...

and British War Medals. In 1922, he completed a Batchelor of Divinity degree at

King's College, London King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public university, public research university located in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of George IV of the United Kingdom, King G ...

, and was ordained and served in

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancash ...

as a curate and Vicar of St Mark’s, Heyside. In 1934, he was appointed Secretary of the Canterbury

Diocesan Board of Finance A Diocesan Board of Finance, often abbreviated to DBF, is an institution of the Church of England which owns land and controls a number of financial matters in each of the Church's dioceses. Such Boards have existed in every diocese of the Church s ...

and in 1942,

Archdeacon of Croydon The Archdeacon of Croydon is a senior ecclesiastical officer within the Diocese of Southwark. As such the deacon is responsible for the disciplinary supervision of the clergy within its five rural deaneries: Croydon Addington, Croydon Central, ...

. Bradfield had been considered for bishoprics including Croydon in 1942, but concerns were expressed about his health because of over-exertion. Nevertheless, his reputation as ‘one of the ablest and most clearheaded men in administration and finance’ was emphasised by the Archbishop of Canterbury to the new Prime Minister, Clement Attlee, who was the key figure in the appointment process, and Bradfield was offered the bishopric of Bath and Wells.TNA PREM5/257 He remained in post until his death in 1960, the last in a series of bouts of ill-health. He gained national fame in 1953 when he was one of the Queen's supporters at her coronation. The occasion was one of the first major outside broadcasts, and Bradfield's distinctive spectacles and dark hair can be seen to the Queen's left, with

Michael Ramsey Arthur Michael Ramsey, Baron Ramsey of Canterbury, (14 November 1904 – 23 April 1988) was an English Anglican bishop and life peer. He served as the 100th Archbishop of Canterbury. He was appointed on 31 May 1961 and held the office until 1 ...

of Durham, a future Archbishop of Canterbury, to her right. Unusually for a Bishop of a major diocese in England in the 1949s and 1950s, Bradfield was not from a middle-class family nor had an Oxbridge degree. His success in the Church of England resulted from his own considerable strengths, particularly in the field of administration.

References

1898 births 1960 deaths Alumni of King's College London Archdeacons of Croydon Bishops of Bath and Wells Somerset County Cricket Club presidents Fellows of King's College London Holders of a Lambeth degree Canons of Canterbury People educated at Alleyn's School British Army personnel of World War I City of London Yeomanry (Rough Riders) soldiers Army Cyclist Corps soldiers {{ChurchofEngland-bishop-stub