Lieutenant-Colonel Orlando Bridgeman, 5th Earl of Bradford, DL, JP (6 October 1873 – 21 March 1957), styled Viscount Newport from 1898 to 1915, was a British peer,

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

politician and soldier.

Background

Bridgeman was the oldest son of

George Bridgeman, 4th Earl of Bradford George Cecil Orlando Bridgeman, 4th Earl of Bradford JP DL (3 February 1845 – 2 January 1915), styled Viscount Newport from 1865 to 1898, was a British soldier, Conservative politician and peer. He was the grandfather of Princess Alice, Du ...

and his wife Lady Ida Frances Annabella Lumley, second daughter of

Richard Lumley, 9th Earl of Scarbrough Lieutenant-Colonel Richard George Lumley, 9th Earl of Scarbrough (7 May 1813 – 5 December 1884) was an Anglo-Irish peer and soldier. Biography He was born at Tickhill Castle, the son and heir of Frederick Lumley-Saville (1788–1837), the o ...

. Bridgeman was educated at

Harrow School Harrow School () is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (English boarding school for boys) in Harrow on the Hill, Greater London, England. The school was founded in 1572 by John Lyon (school founder), John Lyon, a local landowner an ...

and went then to

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

, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1896 and with a

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA or AM) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Those admitted to the degree have ...

in 1903. At Cambridge, he was secretary of the

Pitt Club The University Pitt Club, popularly referred to as the Pitt Club, the UPC, or merely as Club, is a private members' club of the University of Cambridge. It was formerly male-only, and has admitted women since 2017. History The Pitt Club was ...

. He succeeded his father as earl in 1915. He owned up to .

Career

Bridgeman joined the

3rd (Edinburgh Light Infantry Militia) Battalion, Royal Scots Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * 1⁄60 of a ''second'', i.e., the third in a series of fractional parts in a sexagesimal number system Places * 3rd Street (di ...

, and was appointed a

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

on 29 April 1899. The battalion was embodied in December 1899 to serve in the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic and ...

, and in early March 1900 left

Queenstown, Ireland Cobh ( ,), known from 1849 until 1920 as Queenstown, is a seaport town on the south coast of County Cork, Ireland. With a population of 14,148 inhabitants at the 2022 census, Cobh is on the south side of Great Island in Cork Harbour and home ...

on the ''SS Oriental'' for

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

. He fought in the war after arrival in 1900, and again in 1902, returning from

Cape Town Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...

to the United Kingdom with most of his regiment in May 1902. He again fought in the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

from 1915 as a lieutenant-colonel. He played country house cricket in the 1890s. Bridgeman was appointed Honorary Colonel of the

King's Shropshire Light Infantry The King's Shropshire Light Infantry (KSLI) was a light infantry regiment of the British Army, formed in the Childers Reforms of 1881, but with antecedents dating back to 1755. It served in the Second Boer War, World War I, World War II and Korea ...

in 1939. Bridgeman was assistant private secretary to

Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury (; 3 February 183022 August 1903), known as Lord Salisbury, was a British statesman and Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom three times for ...

in his posts as

Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs may refer to: * Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Spain) *Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (UK) The secretary of state for foreign, commonwealth and development affairs, also known as the fore ...

between 1898 and 1900 and as

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister Advice (constitutional law), advises the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, sovereign on the exercise of much of the Royal prerogative ...

for a few weeks during the summer of 1902. Salisbury resigned on 11 July 1902, and Lord Newport subsequently was private secretary to Salisbury's successor

Arthur Balfour Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour (; 25 July 184819 March 1930) was a British statesman and Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1902 to 1905. As Foreign Secretary ...

from July 1902 until 1905. Having joined the

House of Lords The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house, the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. One of the oldest ext ...

on his father's death, Bridgeman became

Government Whip A whip is an official of a political party whose task is to ensure party discipline (that members of the party vote according to the party platform rather than their constituents, individual conscience or donors) in a legislature. Whips a ...

in 1919, a post he held until 1924. He was Justice of the Peace for

Shropshire Shropshire (; abbreviated SalopAlso used officially as the name of the county from 1974–1980. The demonym for inhabitants of the county "Salopian" derives from this name.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West M ...

and represented the latter county as well as

Warwickshire Warwickshire (; abbreviated Warks) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It is bordered by Staffordshire and Leicestershire to the north, Northamptonshire to the east, Ox ...

as Deputy Lieutenant, too. In 1932 he served as treasurer of the

Royal Salop Infirmary The Parade Shops, formerly the Royal Salop Infirmary, is a specialist shopping centre at St Mary's Place in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England. It is a Grade II listed building. History The original facility on the site was the Salop Infirmary desig ...

Shrewsbury Shrewsbury ( , ) is a market town and civil parish in Shropshire (district), Shropshire, England. It is sited on the River Severn, northwest of Wolverhampton, west of Telford, southeast of Wrexham and north of Hereford. At the 2021 United ...

Family

On 21 July 1904, he married The Hon. Margaret Cecilia Bruce, daughter of

Henry Bruce, 2nd Baron Aberdare Henry Campbell Bruce, 2nd Baron Aberdare (19 June 1851 – 20 February 1929), styled The Honourable from 1873 to 1895, was a British soldier and peer. Background Born in Merthyr Tydfil, Bruce was the eldest son of Henry Bruce, 1st Baron Aberdar ...

. They had five children: * Lady Helen Diana Bridgeman (22 June 1907 – 7 May 1967), married Sir Robert Henry Edward Abdy, 5th Bt. (11 September 1896 – 17 November 1976) on 10 February 1930 and divorced in 1962 *The Hon. Ursula Mary Bridgeman (12 July 1909 – 6 May 1912) * Gerald Michael Orlando Bridgeman, 6th Earl of Bradford (29 September 1911 – 30 August 1981) *Lady Anne Pamela Bridgeman (12 June 1913 – 21 May 2009), married Lieutenant-Colonel Weetman John Churchill Pearson, 3rd Viscount Cowdray (27 February 1910 – 19 January 1995) on 19 July 1939 and divorced in 1950 *Lady Joan Serena Bridgeman (29 May 1916 – 23 July 1935)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bradford, Orlando Bridgeman, 5th Earl Of 1873 births 1957 deaths 5 Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge British Army personnel of the Second Boer War British Army personnel of World War I Conservative Party (UK) Baronesses- and Lords-in-Waiting Deputy lieutenants of Shropshire Deputy lieutenants of Warwickshire People educated at Harrow School

Orlando Orlando commonly refers to: * Orlando, Florida, a city in the United States Orlando may also refer to: People * Orlando (given name), a masculine name, includes a list of people with the name * Orlando (surname), includes a list of people wit ...

Royal Scots officers Edinburgh Militia officers