The third son of Edward Bradby, Headmaster of Haileybury College, Hertfordshire, UK and his wife, Ellen Sarah Bradby, nee Johnson, Henry was born on 28th December 1868 at Hertford Heath, Hertfordshire. Henry’s brother Godfrey Fox Bradby and their sister were also poets who published collections during the First World War.
Educated at Rugby School, Henry went on to study at New College, Oxford University. While studying at Oxford, he played first-class cricket for Oxford University in 1890, making his debut against the Marylebone Cricket Club at Oxford. He made five more first-class appearances for Oxford in 1890, scoring 178 runs at an average of 19.77, and with a highest score of 40 not out.
After graduating from Oxford in 1891, Henry became a schoolmaster at Rugby School in 1892.
In April 1895, in Mere in Wiltshire, UK, Henry married Violet Alice Milford, who was the daughter of Robert Newman Milford, an Anglican clergyman, and his wife Emily Sarah Frances Milford. Alice’s brother, Robert T. Milford, had also studied at Oxford University.
Henry and Violet's son Daniel Edward, born in 1897, who alo educated at Rugby,was killed during WW1, serving as a Captain with the 9th Bn. The Rifle Brigade (The P:rince Consort’s Own) on the Western Front. Captain Bradby was killed by a sniper on Easter Monday, 9th April 1917 during the Battle of Arras.
During his time at Rugby, Henry wrote a number of books about the school. During the First World War, he wrote the poem April 1918 and his WW1 collection was “Poems” (Latimer Trend, Plymough, 1925) – for private cirulation. There was also a collection entitled “Sonnets (Rugby), which was published in 1918.
Henry died on 28th June 1947 the death being registered in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, UK
“April 1918”
You, whose forebodings have been all fulfilled,
You who have heard the bell, seen the boy stand
Holding the flimsy message in his hand
While through your heart the fiery question thrilled
'Wounded or killed, which, which?'- and it was 'Killed-'
And in a kind of trance have read it, numb
But conscious that the dreaded hour was come,
No dream this dream wherewith your blood was chilled-
Oh brothers in calamity, unknown
Companions in the order of black loss,
Lift up your hearts, for you are not alone,
And let our sombre hosts together bring
Their sorrows to the shadow of the Cross
And learn the fellowship of suffering.
Henry Christopher Bradby
NOTE: The Battle of the Lys, also known as the Fourth Battle of Ypres, was fought from 7th to 29th April 1918 and was part of the German spring offensive on the Western Front in 1918.
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| Rupert Brooke's original grave marker |
Poets, writers, artists, musicians, etc. who died or were wounded or killed in The First World War who were pupils of Rugby School –
Rupert Brooke ( - 1915) – his original memorial cross from Skyros Island is now at Rugby School with the memorials of other Old Rugbeians
Arthur Bliss ( ) musician – wounded
William Denis Browne (1888 – 1915) musician
George Drinkwater MC (1880 - 1941) – artist - wounded
Donald Hankey (1884 – 1916) – British poet – wounded
There are stained glass memorial windows in the Chapel at Rugby school - the work of Harry Grylls of the firm Burlison and Grylls of London – with thanks to Sarah Wearne@sarah_wearne and Connie Ruzich herrypilgrim via Twitter for the information.
Other Rugby School pupils who fought in WW1 include:
Percy Wyndham Lewis (1882 – 1957) – poet, writer and artist was also a pupil of Rugby School
Geoffrey Faber (1889 - 1961) - British academic, publisher, and WW1 soldier poet
Sources: Find my past, FreeBMD,
Catherine W. Reilly “English Poetry of the First World War: A Bibliography” (St Martin’s Press, New York, 1978) p. 64
The “Western Gazette”, 19 April 1895
https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/april-1918/
https://rugbyschoolarchives.co.uk/RollofHonour.aspx?RecID=310&TableName=ta_rollofhonour&BrowseID=14
