Editing James Bradley (section)

== Biography ==
Bradley was born at [[Sherborne, Gloucestershire|Sherborne]], near [[Cheltenham]] in [[Gloucestershire]], to William Bradley and Jane Pound in September 1692.{{efn|The usually given date of birth of March 1693 (N.S.)<ref name="biogencastron" /> is conjecture, as the [[parish register]] is missing. The Bishop's transcript records his baptism on 3 October 1692.<ref name="vickery" />}} His nephew John was also an astronomer.<ref name="kennett" /> After attending Westwood's Grammar School<ref name="rawlinson" /> at [[Northleach]] in Gloucestershire,<ref name="ODNB" /> he entered [[Balliol College, Oxford]], on 15 March 1711, and took degrees of [[Bachelor of Arts]] and [[Master of Arts]] in 1714 and 1717 respectively. His early observations were made at the rectory of [[Wanstead]] in [[Essex]], under the tutelage of [[James Pound]], his uncle and a skilled astronomer. Bradley was elected a fellow of the [[Royal Society]] on 6 November 1718.<ref name="EB1911">{{EB1911|inline=y|wstitle=Bradley, James|volume=4|page=373}}</ref>

He took orders on becoming vicar of [[Bridstow]] in [[Herefordshire]] in the following year, and a small sinecure living in Wales was also procured for him by his friend [[Samuel Molyneux]]. He resigned his ecclesiastical preferments in 1721, when appointed to the [[Savilian chair of astronomy]] at [[University of Oxford|Oxford]], while as reader on experimental philosophy from 1729 to 1760, he delivered 79 courses of lectures at the [[Ashmolean Museum]].<ref name="EB1911"/>

In 1742, Bradley was appointed to succeed [[Edmond Halley]] as Astronomer Royal; his reputation enabled him to apply successfully for a set of instruments costing £1,000; and with an 8-foot [[quadrant (instrument)|quadrant]] completed for him in 1750 by [[John Bird (astronomer)|John Bird]], he accumulated at [[Greenwich]] in ten years materials of inestimable value for the reform of astronomy. A crown pension of £250 a year was conferred upon him in 1752.<ref name="EB1911"/>

Bradley retired in broken health, nine years later, to the Cotswold village of [[Chalford]] in Gloucestershire.<ref name="EB1911"/> He had medical attention from a local doctor, and [[Daniel Lysons (physician)|Daniel Lysons]] from Oxford. He died at Skiveralls House on 13 July 1762. He was buried in the churchyard of Holy Trinity church, [[Minchinhampton]] in Gloucestershire.<ref name="ODNB" /><ref name="stratford" /> His wife died before him, in 1757. He was survived by one daughter.