William Bradburn Sr., 1866–1938

Born on 9 October 1866 in Hulme, Lancaster, England, William Bradburn arrived in St. Louis in 1883 with his parents, Thomas Bradburn and Margaret Leech, and his sister Margaret.

William was an apprentice printer in England and continued to work in the printing business in St. Louis. For more than thirty-five years, he worked as a linotype operator; then he was a proofreader until his retirement from the St. Louis Globe-Democrat newspaper. While working, William belonged to the Typographical Union, serving on various committees. William represented the St. Louis Union at the International Typographical Union Conventions in 1912, 1913, and 1914.

William Bradburn married Mary Ellen O’Reilly, daughter of John O’Reilly and Mary Corrigan, on 14 November 1900, at St. Bridget’s Catholic Church. William and Mary had three sons: Athol, Vernon, and William, all residing on Sheridan Avenue for many years before moving to Humphrey Street in 1923.

Raised in a strict Methodist household, William converted to Catholicism after his mother died in 1933. He was baptized at St. Pius V Church on Grand Avenue.

William died in St. Louis on 24 June 1938 with burial at Calvary Cemetery.

Written by Barbara (Bradburn) Larson
September 2016

© 2016, St. Louis Genealogical Society