During the Saxon period Bradford was included in the parish of Dewsbury; but William the Conqueror, who mentions it in Domesday Book, included it in the barony of Pontefract, which he granted to llbert de Lacy. The manor of Bradford remained in the hands of the De Lacies until the beginning of the 14th century, when it passed by marriage to the family of the earl of Lancaster, John of Gaunt holding it at the time of his death in 1399. The manor was held by the Crown from that time down to the reign of Charles I., who sold it for a small yearly rent to the corporation of London. Afterwards it passed into the possession of the Marsdens of Hornby Castle, but since 1795 it has been held by the Rawson family, from whom the corporation have recently purchased all manorial rights. In the struggle between Charles I. and the Parliamentarians, Bradford adhered to the cause of the latter, and twice successfully resisted the royal forces that besieged the town. Subsequently the earl of Newcastle defeated Lord Fairfax at Atherton Moor, a few miles distant, and the Parliamentarian general retreated upon Bradford, giving the defence of the town over to his son, Sir Thomas Fairfax, who, however, was ultimately compelled to yield to the superior numbers of the Royalists. From that time the career of Bradford has been almost entirely a commercial one.

Situated in a populous, well-watered valley, abundantly supplied with iron, coal, and stone, Bradford has, since the introduction of steam, made exceedingly rapid progress. During the Plantagenet and Tudor periods the manufacture of woollen cloth was carried on in Bradford, the trade being greatly assisted by the settlement of a number of Flemish weavers in the district. About the end of the 17th century, however, the worsted trade, which till then had been chiefly confined to Norwich, was introduced into Bradford, and in course of time became the staple trade of the town. In 1773 a piece hall was erected, and for many years served as a market-place for the manufacturers and merchants of the district. On the introduction of steam-power and machinery the worsted trade advanced with great rapidity. The first mill in Bradford was built in 1798; there were 20 mills in the town in 1820, 34 in 1833, and 70 in 1841; and at the present time there are between 200 and 300, of much greater magnitude than the earlier factories. In the seventy years between 1801 and 1871 the population of the town increased tenfold, during which period the worsted trade has been developed to an astonishing extent. In 1833 Mr (now Sir Titus) Salt developed the alpaca manufacture in the town; mohair was shortly afterwards introduced; and more recently Mr S. C. Lister has introduced the silk and velvet manufacture, having invented a process of manipulating silk waste, whereby what was previously treated as refuse is made into goods that will compete with those manufactured from the perfect cocoon. In the Bradford staple trade alone it is estimated that there is now an annual turn-over of between £60,000,000 and £70,000,000.

Bradford has been greatly improved in appearance during the last few years, many important public buildings having been erected, and new and spacious thoroughfares opened out where narrow and ungainly streets formerly existed. Amongst the more prominent public buildings may be mentioned—St George’s Hall, used for public meetings, concerts, <fcc., and capable of accommodating nearly 4000 persons, built in 1853; the Exchange, built in 1867, at a cost of £40,000; the market buildings, opened in 1872; and the Town-Hall, opened in 1873, and built at a cost of £100.000. The town is built entirely of the freestone which is so plentiful in the district. Many of the warehouses are large and of considerable architectural beauty, and the factories are mostly of great extent, some single establishments giving employment to between 3000 and 4000 workpeople.

The parish church, built in 1485, on the site of an old Norman church, is dedicated to St Peter. The living is valued at £1300 per annum. There was no other church in the town until 1815, when Christ Church was built. In 1838 St James’s Church was erected, and between that date and 1853 five others were built. More recently ten additional churches have been built by the Bradford Church Building Society, the last of the ten (St Bartholomew’s) being opened in 1872. There are now over twenty churches in the town. The dissenters have upwards of forty places of worship in Bradford, many of which are large and handsome edifices. The Roman Catholics likewise possess several churches.

The educational facilities of the town are considerable. The Airedale College, for the education of students intended for the Independent ministry, is situated here, and has a large annual revenue. Until a few years ago there was also a Baptist college here, but it has been removed to Rawdon, six miles distant. The Bradford Grammar School existed in the 16th century, and in 1663 received a charter of incorporation from Charles II. Latterly, the Endowed Schools Commissioners have reconstituted the school; a new building, giviug accommodation to between 300 and 400 scholars, was erected in 1873, and Mr Forster M.P., Mr Henry Brown, and others, have pres nted a number of scholarships to the school. Since 1832 there has been a Mechanics’ Institute in the town, and in 1871 a new one was erected at a cost of £32,500. There are several other educational institutions, including a Church Literary Institute and a Female Educational Institute, and a Free Library was established in 1872. Under the direction of the school board eight or ten handsome and commodious schools have been erected.

Bradford possesses a general infirmary,, a fever hospital, an eye and ear hospital, an institution for the blind, and several other charitable institutions. It has two theatres and several music halls. There are two public parks,—Peel Park and Lister Park,—each comprising over 50 acres, and also two smaller parks. The first temperance hall in England was erected at Bradford in 1837. There are two courthouses for the holding of the county and West Riding courts; the borough court is held in the town-hall. Numerous political and social clubs flourish in the town. Three daily and four weekly papers are published. Statues of the late Sir Robert Peel and Richard Oastler, “the factory king,” were put up in advantageous positions some years ago; and recently the statues of two local commercial celebrities, Sir Titus Salt and Mr S. C. Lister, have been erected. Bradford has communication with all parts of the country by the Midland, Great Northern, Lancashire and Yorkshire, and London and North-Western Railways. A branch canal in connection with the Leeds and Liverpool canal was opened in 1774, but in 1871 it was closed by injunction, in consequence of the polluted condition of its water. Since then, however, it has been purified and re-opened.

In addition to its extensive operations in connection with the worsted trade, Bradford is largely engaged in the machine, stone, coal, and iron trades. The well-known Bowling and Low Moor Ironworks are within a short distance of the town. Formerly a septennial festival was held at Bradford in honour of Bishop Blaize, the patron saint of the wool-combers, but after 1825 it was discontinued. The market days are Monday and Thursday.

BRADFORD, John, was born at Manchester in the early part of the reign of Henry VIII. Being a good penman and accountant, he became secretary to Sir John Harrington, who was paymaster of the English forces in France. Bradford at this time was gay and thoughtless, and to support his extravagance he appropriated some of the money entrusted to him; but being unable to bear the load of his guilt, he made restitution, and relinquished his employment. About 1547 he took chambers in the Inner Temple, and began to study law; but finding divinity more congenial to his taste, he removed, in the following year, to Catherine Hall, Cambridge, where he studied with such assiduity that in little more than a year he was admitted to the degree of master of arts, and was soon after made fellow of Pembroke Hall. Bishop Ridley, who in 1550 was translated to the see of London, sent for him to the metropolis and appointed him his chaplain. In 1553 he was also made chaplain to Edward VI., and became one of the most popular preachers in the kingdom. Soon after the accession of Mary he was arrested on a charge of sedition and confined in the Tower, where he continued a year and a half. During this time he wrote several epistles which were dispersed in various parts of the kingdom. He was afterwards removed to Southwark, and was at last brought to trial before the court in which Gardiner sat as chief, where he defended his principles to the last, in defiance of all attempts to effect his conversion. He was condemned to the flames, and suffered in Smithfield, July 1, 1555. His writings, which consist chiefly of sermons, meditations, tracts, letters, and prayers, have been published in 12mo by the Religious Tract Society.