BRADFORD, city, municipal, county, and parliamentary borough, West Riding of Yorkshire, England, gm. W. of Leeds. Pop. 298,045. It lies in a small valley opening southwards from that of the Aire and extends up the hills on either side. Most of the principal streets radiate from a centre near the town hall. The situation of Bradford on the lower eastern spurs of the Pen nines—the meeting place of hill-land and plain—has had much to do with its history and development throughout the centuries. It is mentioned as having belonged before 1066, with several other manors in Yorkshire, to one Gamel, and appears to have been almost destroyed during the conquest of the north of England and was still waste in 1086. By that time it had been granted to Ilbert de Lacy, in whose family it continued until 131I. Already Brad ford was becoming an important market centre, interested in wool. A further market was granted in 1251 and in 1294 the addition of a fair. The inquisition taken after the death of Henry de Lacy, earl of Lincoln, shows that the earl had there a hall or manor-house, a fulling mill, a market every Sunday, and a fair on the feast of St. Andrew. Edward IV. granted to certain f eoff ees, in whom he had vested his manor of Bradford, a market on Thursday every week and two yearly fairs on feast days. Many of these fairs were of five days' duration. The church of St. Peter dates from 1485 and occupies the site of a previous Norman church. At the formation of the diocese of Bradford in 1920, out of those of Ripon and Wakefield, the parish church of St. Peter was made the cathedral. Its most noteworthy feature is the fine original roof of oak. Among educational institutions, the grammar school existed in the 16th century and received a charter of incorporation from Charles II.
From the mention of a fulling mill in 5311 it is possible that woollen manufacture had commenced at that time. By the reign of Henry VIII. it had become an important industry and added much to the status of the town. Leland in his Itinerary says that Brad ford is "a praty quik Market Toune. It standith much by cloth ing." Towards the end of the 17th and beginning of the 18th century the woollen trade decreased and worsted manufacture began to take its place. On the introduction of steam-power and machinery the worsted trade advanced with great rapidity. The first mill in Bradford was built in 1798 ; in 1910 there were over 300. In 1836 Mr. (afterwards Sir) Titus Salt developed the alpaca manufacture in the town ; mohair was shortly afterwards intro duced; and the great works at Saltaire were opened (see SHIPLEY). Later, Mr. S. C. Lister (Lord Masham) introduced the silk and velvet manufacture, having invented a process of manipulating silk waste whereby what was previously treated as refuse is made into goods that can compete with those manufactured from the perfect cocoon.
Bradford Exchange is the chief wool-buying centre, and Brad ford's commercial relations with both South America and Aus tralia are very important. It is the chief centre for wool-combing and the worsted industry. Its communications by rail are only fair save through Leeds, but it has canal communication to the Humber and to Liverpool. The local water, after draining over peaty soil, is very soft and consequently is specially suited to wool washing and other manufacturing processes. There are deposits of coal and iron near by.
As a large industrial centre Bradford has many technical schools. The technical college, under the corporation since 5899, was opened in 1882. A Mechanics' institute was founded in 1832 and in 1871 the Mechanics' hall, close to the town hall, was opened. The Cartwright memorial hall contains an art gallery and museum and commemorates Dr. Edmund Cartwright (1743-1823) as the inventor of the power-loom and the combing machine. Other establishments are the Airedale college for students for the Inde pendent ministry and the United Independent college (1888) . Most of the buildings in Bradford are built with freestone quar ried locally. As this stone blackens easily under the influence of smoke the town has a somewhat gloomy appearance.
Bradford was created a county borough in 1888 and a city in 1897. The corporation is presided over by a lord mayor—a dignity conferred in 1907. The city is served by the L.M.S.R., L.N.E.R., and M. and G.N. Joint railway and possesses a municipal light railway, opened in 1907, extending from Pateley Bridge to Loft house (6m.) and serving the Nidd valley. The borough returned 2 members to parliament' between 5832 and 1885, when 3 were returned. Since 1918, 4 members represent Bradford.