Bradshaw, William – Grantham store manager became major CWS man

William Bradshaw (1877-1955)

SIR William Bradshaw, who managed Grantham’s Co-op, went on to become chairman of the Co-operative Wholesale Society.

The son of a Derbyshire miner, Sir William began work at 13 at Ripley Co-op.  He was a bound apprentice on 30p a week.

In 1901 he was appointed manager of the newly opened Wirksworth Co-operative Society. It was there he met his future wife, Lilian Bowler.

(Little did his colliery carpenter father suspect that one day she would become Lady Lilian).

The couple married in Belper in 1902.

He left Wirksworth after two years to become manager of the Grantham store after his bosses turned down his request for a rise on his £2.25-a-week salary.  He was 27.

The couple made their home at 76 Harrowby Road and remained there until William’s death.

In 1921 he was elected to the board of the English Co-operative Wholesale Society and elected to the executive committee in 1934.

He became chairman of the CWS – one of the world’s biggest food organisations – from 1936 until retiring in 1945. He was knighted in 1937 in the Coronation Honours list, a Knight of Pentrich. Two years later he was bestowed a Commander of Dannebrog, a Danish order seldom given to non-Nationals.

He was co-opted on to Grantham Borough Council in the early part of World War Two and remained so until his death although refused to serve on any committees after 1948, in protest at the imposition of higher rates.

In 1942 as chairman of Grantham and West Kesteven Warships Week, he saw £346,910 raised in savings, equivalent to £9.45 per head of population.

He was a town magistrate for 34 years.

He died while attending morning service at the Congregational (URC) Church.