Henry Joseph Steele Bradfield
Encyclopedia
Henry Joseph Steele Bradfield (1805–1852) was a colonial official and author.
Bradfield was born on 18 May 1805 in Derby Street, Westminster
, where his father, Thomas Bradfield, was a coal merchant. Whilst still under age he published in 1825 Waterloo, or the British Minstrel, a poem. He was bred to the art of surgery, and on 26 April 1826 left England in the schooner Unicorn in Lord Cochrane
's expedition to Greece, during which he was present in several engagements by land and sea. After his return he published The Athenaid, or Modern Grecians, a poem, 1830; Tales of the Cyclades, poems, 1830; and in 1839 edited a work entitled A Russian's Reply to the Marquis de Custine's “Russia.”
On 1 Sept. 1832 he received from the King of the Belgians
a commission as sous-lieutenant in the Bataillon Etranger of Belgium
, and was appointed to the 1st regiment of lancers. At one time he held a commission in the Royal West Middlesex Militia. He was appointed on 31 Dec. 1835 stipendiary magistrate in Tobago
, from which he was removed to Trinidad
on 13 May 1836. He was reappointed to the southern or Cedros
district on 13 April 1839, but soon returned to England
, having been superseded in consequence of a quarrel with some other colonial officer.
In 1841 he again went to the West Indies in the capacity of private secretary to Colonel Macdonald, lieutenant-governor of Dominica
, and in 1842 he acted for some time as colonial secretary in Barbados
. The charges which had occasioned his previous return were, however, renewed, and the government cancelled his appointment.
From that period he lived very precariously. He turned his moderate literary talents to account, and among some communications he made to the Gentleman's Magazine were articles on "The Last of the Paleologi" in January 1843, and a "Memoir of Major-general Thomas Dundas and the Expedition to Gaudaloupe" in August, September, and October in the same year. Latterly he practised all the arts of the professional mendicant.
He committed suicide in a London hotel on 11 Oct. 1852.
Bradfield was born on 18 May 1805 in Derby Street, Westminster
Westminster
Westminster is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, southwest of the City of London and southwest of Charing Cross...
, where his father, Thomas Bradfield, was a coal merchant. Whilst still under age he published in 1825 Waterloo, or the British Minstrel, a poem. He was bred to the art of surgery, and on 26 April 1826 left England in the schooner Unicorn in Lord Cochrane
Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald
Admiral Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald, 1st Marquess of Maranhão, GCB, ODM , styled Lord Cochrane between 1778 and 1831, was a senior British naval flag officer and radical politician....
's expedition to Greece, during which he was present in several engagements by land and sea. After his return he published The Athenaid, or Modern Grecians, a poem, 1830; Tales of the Cyclades, poems, 1830; and in 1839 edited a work entitled A Russian's Reply to the Marquis de Custine's “Russia.”
On 1 Sept. 1832 he received from the King of the Belgians
Leopold I of Belgium
Leopold I was from 21 July 1831 the first King of the Belgians, following Belgium's independence from the Netherlands. He was the founder of the Belgian line of the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha...
a commission as sous-lieutenant in the Bataillon Etranger of Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, and was appointed to the 1st regiment of lancers. At one time he held a commission in the Royal West Middlesex Militia. He was appointed on 31 Dec. 1835 stipendiary magistrate in Tobago
Tobago
Tobago is the smaller of the two main islands that make up the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. It is located in the southern Caribbean, northeast of the island of Trinidad and southeast of Grenada. The island lies outside the hurricane belt...
, from which he was removed to Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
on 13 May 1836. He was reappointed to the southern or Cedros
Cedros, Trinidad and Tobago
The coastal area known as Cedros lies on a peninsula at the South-Western end of the island of Trinidad. Located at the tip of the peninsula, Cedros lies mere miles off the coast of Venezuela...
district on 13 April 1839, but soon returned to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, having been superseded in consequence of a quarrel with some other colonial officer.
In 1841 he again went to the West Indies in the capacity of private secretary to Colonel Macdonald, lieutenant-governor of Dominica
Dominica
Dominica , officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island nation in the Lesser Antilles region of the Caribbean Sea, south-southeast of Guadeloupe and northwest of Martinique. Its size is and the highest point in the country is Morne Diablotins, which has an elevation of . The Commonwealth...
, and in 1842 he acted for some time as colonial secretary in Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
. The charges which had occasioned his previous return were, however, renewed, and the government cancelled his appointment.
From that period he lived very precariously. He turned his moderate literary talents to account, and among some communications he made to the Gentleman's Magazine were articles on "The Last of the Paleologi" in January 1843, and a "Memoir of Major-general Thomas Dundas and the Expedition to Gaudaloupe" in August, September, and October in the same year. Latterly he practised all the arts of the professional mendicant.
He committed suicide in a London hotel on 11 Oct. 1852.