Joseph Bradford (preacher)

The Reverend Joseph Bradford
Joseph Bradford Arminian Magazine April 1783
President of the Methodist Conference
In office 1795–1796
Preceded by	Thomas Hanby
Succeeded by	Thomas Taylor
In office 1803–1804
Preceded by	Joseph Taylor SEN
Succeeded by	Henry Moore
Personal details
Born	c. 1748 [note 1] Blandford, Dorsetshire?, England
Died	28 May 1808(1808-05-28) (aged 67)[1] Hull, England
Resting place	Holy Trinity Church, Hull.
Spouse(s)	1-Mary Angell 2-Elizabeth Turner(née Edwards)
Occupation	Preacher
Known for	Companion of John Wesley Methodist movement

Joseph Bradford (c.1748 – 28 May 1808) was a British preacher and travelling companion of John Wesley.[2]

Life

Bradford was John Wesley's travelling companion 1774–1780 and again 1787–1790.[3] Wesley entrusted Bradford with transcribing his Journal and in 1785 also entrusted him with a letter to be read to the Conference after Wesley's death.[3] When Wesley was on his deathbed his friend Joseph Bradford was at his side.[4]

Bradford was twice President of the Methodist Conference in 1795 and 1803.[5] Bradford served as the first governor of Kingswood School from 1795 to 1802.[6]

Bradford suffered a severe paralysing stroke some months before his death in 1808.[7]

References

Notes

1. Birth date varies as calculated after death from 1741 up to 1752 from marriage documents, but Wesley's publication and a letter written on the death of his wife Mary indicate 1748.

Citations

1. 1808 Obituary
2. Wakeley p211
3. Vickers
4. Kelly p36
5. Bradford,CA pp34,40
6. Hastling pp84,85,119
7. Dickinson pp407,409

Sources

• Vickers, John A. "Bradford, Joseph". A Dictionary of Methodism in Britain and Ireland. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
• "1808 Obituary, with Anecdotes, of remarkable Persons". The Gentleman's Magazine. Vol. 103. 1808. p. 563.
• Kelly, Charles H, ed. (1891). Wesley and His Successors. London: Charles H Kelly. pp. 35–36. OL 7075665M.
• Bradford, Charles Angell (1930). The Life of The Rev. Joseph Bradford. London: R. F. Hunger. OL 7558501W.
• Hastling, A.H.L.; Addington Willis, W.; Workman, W.P. (1898). The History of Kingswood School. London: Charles H Kelly. pp. 84–85, 119. OL 7074813M.
• Wakeley, Joseph Beaumont (1856). The heroes of Methodism: containing sketches of eminent Methodist ministers, and characteristic anecdotes of their personal history. Carlton & Porter. pp. 209–216. OCLC 645123461.
• Dickinson, Robert (1825). The life of the rev. John Braithwaite, Wesleyan Methodist Preacher. pp. 407, 409. OCLC 222487365.

Further reading

• Osborn, George (1869). Outlines of Wesleyan bibliography. OL 6902928M.
• Lewis, Donald M., ed. (2004). Dictionary of evangelical biography, 1730-1860. Peabody (Mass.): Hendrickson Pub. ISBN 9780801046902.

External links

• "Joseph Bradford (c.1741-1808)". The University of Manchester Library.