Gerald Bridgeman, 6th Earl of Bradford
| Tenure | 21 March 1957 – 30 August 1981 |
|---|---|
| Successor | Richard Bridgeman, 7th Earl |
| Other titles | 6th Viscount Newport 7th Baron Bradford 11th Baronet Bridgeman of Great Lever |
| Born | 29 September 1911 |
| Died | 30 August 1981 (aged 69) |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Willoughby Montgomery |
| Issue | Richard Thomas Orlando Bridgeman Serena Mary Bridgeman Caroline Louise Bridgeman Charles Gerald Orlando Bridgeman |
| Parents | Orlando Bridgeman, 5th Earl of Bradford The Hon. Margaret Cecilia Bruce |
Gerald Michael Orlando Bridgeman, 6th Earl of Bradford, TD, DL, JP (29 September 1911 – 30 August 1981),[1] styled Viscount Newport between 1915 and 1957, was a British peer and soldier.
Background[edit]
He was the only son of Orlando Bridgeman, 5th Earl of Bradford and his wife Hon. Margaret Cecilia Bruce, eldest daughter of Henry Bruce, 2nd Baron Aberdare.[2] In 1957, he succeeded his father as earl.[1] Bridgeman was educated at Harrow School and went then to Trinity College, Cambridge, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1932. In 1961, he received a Master of Arts from Trinity College.
Career[edit]
Bridgeman was commissioned in 1938 in the Shropshire Yeomanry,[3] Royal Armoured Corps, part of the Territorial Army and fought in the regiment as part of the Royal Artillery in Italy in the Second World War.[4] He was mentioned in despatches and was decorated with the Territorial Decoration.[4] On his retirement in 1962, he was granted the rank of a captain.[5]
Elected in 1955, Bridgeman was president of the Country Landowners' Association for two years.[4] In 1975, he received the Bledisloe Gold Medal for Landowners by the Royal Agricultural Society of England.[6]
Bridgeman was Justice of the Peace for Shropshire from 1949 and became Deputy Lieutenant of that county two years later. He was appointed Crown Estate Commissioner in 1956,[7] a post he held until 1968.[8] In 1970, he was nominated Vice Lord Lieutenant.[9]
He owned land in Castle Bromwich, Warwickshire.
Family[edit]
On 31 October 1946, he married Mary Willoughby Montgomery, elder daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Hassard Montgomery and Hester Frances Dames-Longworth. They had four children:
- Richard Thomas Orlando Bridgeman, 7th Earl of Bradford (b. 3 October 1947)
- Lady Serena Mary Bridgeman (1 July 1949 – 16 January 2001) married Richard Andrew (died 2000) on 27 April 1978 and divorced in 1989. Committed suicide by taking paracetamol.[10]
- Lady Caroline Louise Bridgeman (born 18 April 1952), married Brian Garnell on 5 October 1974. They have four children:
- Tara Serena Clare Garnell (b. 21 October 1983)
- Thomas Henry Michael Garnell (b. 1986)
- Benedict Charles Orlando Garnell (b. 1990)
- Daniel Gerald Orlando Garnell (b. 1993)
- The Honorable Charles Gerald Orlando Bridgeman (born 25 June 1954), married Nicola Sales on 17 January 1982. They have three sons:
- James Edward Charles Orlando Bridgeman (b. 22 March 1978)
- Robert Gerald Orlando Bridgeman (b. 19 May 1983)
- Nicholas Francis Orlando Bridgeman (b. 2 June 1991)
Bridgeman died in 1981 and was succeeded in his titles by his older son Richard.[1]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c "Leigh Rayment – Peerage". Archived from the original on 8 June 2008. Retrieved 7 August 2009.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ Fox-Davies, Arthur Charles (1929). Armorial Families. Vol. I. London: Hurst & Blackett. p. 122.
- ^ Kelly's Handbook of the Titled, Landed and Official Classes, 1957. Kelly's. p. 1572.
- ^ a b c Who is Who 1963. London: Adam & Charles Black Ltd. 1963. p. 334.
- ^ "No. 42649". The London Gazette (Supplement). 13 April 1962. p. 3177.
- ^ "The Royal Agricultural Society of England, Official Website – Official and Awards" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 7 August 2009.
- ^ "No. 40952". The London Gazette. 18 December 1956. p. 7165.
- ^ "No. 43194". The London Gazette (Supplement). 16 January 1968. p. 619.
- ^ "No. 45098". The London Gazette. 12 May 1970. p. 5344.
- ^ "Depression led divorced aristocrat to take her life". The Herald. 28 February 2001. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
External links[edit]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
