Bradley, Samuel

Singer

Collection date: Oct 1911

Area: Shropshire

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Sam Bradley at Lilleshall (1840-1913): age 71, Sam Bradley was a ‘double act’ with Seth Vandrell (see separate profile), singing 3 carols to Sharp on 27 October 1911. They sang in unison, not in harmony but they must have been good singers, as Sharp published all 3 songs - ‘Truth sent from above’ (FT2710) and ‘New Year’s Carol’ (FT2711) in his ‘English Folk-Carols’ (1911 pp46,51); ‘The Virgin Unspotted’ in the Journal of the Folk-Song Society 5 (1914 p24). The two men lived less than 2 miles apart.

Note: Sharp probably revisited Sam Bradley two months later in Dec 1911 to obtain 'Behold the Grace Appears' (FT2730 'obviously a composed song') - see profile of Henry Bould for circumstances.

Samuel Bradley was born at Donnington Wood in July qr 1840, 7th of 10 children of William Bradley, miner and his wife Sarah. He lived at Donnington Wood his whole life (2 miles SW of Lilleshall).  He married Anna Maria Meredith in January qr 1864 and they had 7 children. He was a coal miner in most censuses. In 1901 at age 60 he was a ‘general labourer’ (ref RG13/2567 f137 p16). He died October qr 1913 (Newport 6a 834 age 73).