Francis Charles Bridgeman
Encyclopedia
Brigadier
Francis Charles Bridgeman JP
(4 July 1846 – 14 September 1917), styled The Honourable from 1865, was a British
Army officer and Conservative
politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1885 to 1895.
. His mother was Hon. Selina Louisa Forester, the daughter of Cecil Weld-Forester, 1st Baron Forester
. Bridgeman was educated in Harrow School
and joined afterwards the British Army.
Bridgeman was nominated an aide-de-camp to Prince Edward of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach in 1875, a position he held until the following year. He was promoted to captain and lieutenant-colonel in 1877. A year later, Bridgeman accompanied a special mission sent to Spain
and attended the marriage of King Alfonso XII, where he was invested a knight of the Order of Isabella the Catholic. In 1883 Bridgeman was advanced to major.
He took part in the Suakin Expedition
in 1885 and upon his return he entered the British House of Commons
, having been elected for Bolton
; he represented the constituency for a decade until 1895. Bridgeman obtained colonelship in 1887 and received command of the Staffordshire Infantry Brigade in 1892. He became commandant of the central group of the London Volunteer Regiment in 1916. Bridgeman was a Justice of the Peace
for the counties Staffordshire
as well as Shropshire
.
.
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
Francis Charles Bridgeman JP
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
(4 July 1846 – 14 September 1917), styled The Honourable from 1865, was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Army officer and Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1885 to 1895.
Background and education
Bridgeman was the second son of Orlando Bridgeman, 3rd Earl of BradfordOrlando Bridgeman, 3rd Earl of Bradford
Orlando George Charles Bridgeman, 3rd Earl of Bradford PC DL , styled Viscount Newport between 1825 and 1865, was a British courtier and Conservative politician...
. His mother was Hon. Selina Louisa Forester, the daughter of Cecil Weld-Forester, 1st Baron Forester
Cecil Weld-Forester, 1st Baron Forester
Cecil Weld-Forester, 1st Baron Forester was a British Member of Parliament.Born Cecil Forester, he assumed the additional surname of Weld by Royal licence in 1811, upon inheriting Willey Park from his cousin George Forester. He was elected to the House of Commons for Wenlock in 1790, a seat he...
. Bridgeman was educated in Harrow School
Harrow School
Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...
and joined afterwards the British Army.
Career
In 1865, he purchased a commission into the Scots Fusilier Guards as an ensign and lieutenant and four years later became a lieutenant and captain.Bridgeman was nominated an aide-de-camp to Prince Edward of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach in 1875, a position he held until the following year. He was promoted to captain and lieutenant-colonel in 1877. A year later, Bridgeman accompanied a special mission sent to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and attended the marriage of King Alfonso XII, where he was invested a knight of the Order of Isabella the Catholic. In 1883 Bridgeman was advanced to major.
He took part in the Suakin Expedition
Suakin Expedition
The Suakin Expedition refers to two military expeditions led by Major-General Sir Gerald Graham V.C. to Suakin in Sudan with the intention of destroying the power of Osman Digna, the first in February 1884 and the second in March 1885.-The first expedition:...
in 1885 and upon his return he entered the British House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
, having been elected for Bolton
Bolton (UK Parliament constituency)
Bolton was a borough constituency centred on the town of Bolton in the county of Lancashire. It returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons for the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the bloc vote system....
; he represented the constituency for a decade until 1895. Bridgeman obtained colonelship in 1887 and received command of the Staffordshire Infantry Brigade in 1892. He became commandant of the central group of the London Volunteer Regiment in 1916. Bridgeman was a Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
for the counties Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
as well as Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
.
Family
Bridgeman married firstly, Gertude Cecilia, daughter of George Hanbury, on 26 July 1883; they had five children. Gertrude died in 1911 and after two years as a widower Bridgeman remarried Agnes Florence, daughter of Richard Holt Briscoe on 27 November 1913. He died in 1917 and was survived by his second wife until 1946. His oldest son was the diplomat Reginald BridgemanReginald Bridgeman
Reginald Francis Orlando Bridgeman CMG, MVO was a British diplomat and politician.-Background:Born in London, he was the oldest son of Brigadier Francis Charles Bridgeman, son of Orlando Bridgeman, 3rd Earl of Bradford, and his first wife Gertude Cecilia Hanbury, daughter of George Hanbury...
.