The Family Business Got Me Started

[John Bradford]

I worked for H Bradford & Sons Ltd for many years and wanted to know who H Bradford was. It turns out he was my great grandfather Henry Bradford (1835-1915). You'll all appreciate the excitement when I found my first document at St. Catherine's House in the mid-seventies - his marriage certificate. And from that I learned that he was a widower so I possibly had a parallel family somewhere.
And next I learned that the ancient business card that the company used as advertising material belonged to Henry's father John Bradford (1806-1865). He'd presumably had that printed to mark his move from Bride Lane, Fleet Street to Shacklewell Lane, Dalston in the 1850s.
Thus was I hooked!

 

[Helen7]

And from that I learned that he was a widower so I possibly had a parallel family somewhere.

Did you ever trace any family from your great grandfather's first marriage?

 

[John Bradford]

Did you ever trace any family from your great grandfather's first marriage?

Yes, but only briefly. Your post prompted me to go back to this line and I've added a little more detail, but nothing terribly exciting I'm afraid.