Ohinemuri Regional History Journal 40, September 1996
12/6/96
Dear Charles
About a month ago your most interesting and informative letter arrived at the Red Lion Inn. Yes Charles, the Red Lion Inn at Brede still carries on and is still run by a member of the same family that was here when the Boer War broke out in 1899. More about that later.
Firstly, let me apologise for having taken rather a long time in replying to your letter, mainly because I have been endeavouring to collect any information that may be of interest to you.
From the photostat marked No. 1 you will see that we were already aware of the circumstances leading up to and concerning the death of Trooper Bradford. However, your letter made very interesting reading, especially with reference to your Uncle William and others and also the information about PAEROA and the dedication of a beautiful fountain there by the Prime Minister of New Zealand.
Now to your questions:-
1. As already stated, the Red Lion Inn has been here for about 300 - 400 years and for about 150 years has been owned and run by members of the JEE family. I have a Victorian cushion made presumably by Trayton Bradford, beautifully decorated with thousands of tiny beads positioned over the front, fixed with pins. The centre decoration, in the form of an embossed star, in the centre of which is a photograph (presumably T Bradford) with Grenadier Guards (I think) motifs on either side, ornamental ribbons of beads all around the edges of the cushion and the letters "To S.B. from T.B." and the date 1890.
2. Well now, my grandmother was Sarah Bradford who married a William Jee and amongst their children was John Jee, my father. As the photostat marked No.2, copied from a parchment or vellum sheet, was sent to Mr Trayton Bradford at the Red Lion, Brede, I assume that Trayton was brother to my grandmother Sarah. I would also assume that Trayton was Father of George Roland Bradford.
3. Trooper George Bradford was not an inhabitant of Brede, but rather of Sandhurst which is a small village only a few miles from here, but lying within the Kent border. For that reason there is not, as far as I am aware, any preservation of his memory in Brede.
Perhaps if you wrote the Rector of Sandhurst at Sandhurst Rectory, Sandhurst, Kent, he might be able to come up with some information, as from item No.1 I see that his parents were buried in Sandhurst Churchyard.
[See also Those who Mourned for Bradford story in this Journal]