Edward Bradbury, the son of master tailor John Bradbury and his first wife Martha (nee Ride), was born in Derby on Christmas Day 1853. His mother passed away the same day.

His working life began in the employment of the Midland Railway and his enthusiasm for railways remained with him his entire life. He was still with family, who were then living at 93 Osmaston Road, in the 1881 census; he was employed as a Railway Clerk at that time. He married Ada Augusta Warrington at Osmaston Road's General Baptist Chapel the following year. In 1891 they had moved to 53 West Street, Hartington Terrace. Edward had begun to call himself as Edward Strephon Bradbury in various Directories. He had become a journalist and author and was writing about the railway for numerous newspapers and magazines. His articles often appeared under the pseudonym Strephon. He published several books. He died of pneumonia at his home in Buxton on 3 March 1905, aged 55 and was interred at Fairfield. One obituary notice described him as " an ardent lover of Derbyshire and his descriptive pictures of the beauty spots of the county were extremely vivid". Another stated that "he was intimately acquainted with every part of the Peakland, and no man has done so much to popularise the Switzerland of England as he".

He wrote in the foreword, on New Year's Day 1884, that the "present volume is composed of fugititive essays contributed at casual intervals" to a number of journals and newspapers including "The Derbyshire Times".

Derbyshire Dales.

Chapter 5. A Visit to the Via Gellia, pp.49 - 61

Chapter 10. In the Ashover Valley (part), pp.118 - 120

Derbyshire Spas.

Chapter 21. Matlock - pp.299 - 303, with engravings

Chapter 21. Matlock - pp.304 - 306, with engravings

Chapter 21. Matlock - pp.307 - 309, with engravings

Railway Readings

Chapter 23. Through the Peak on the Engine of the Express.

Chapter 24. Over the High Peak Railway.

Additional Images : & Advertisements

R. Keene's Platinotype view of High Tor and two of his advertisements

Advertisement for John Bradbury of Derby, the author's father

Advertisement for Herbert Buxton's Royal Museum

Full page advertisement for The Derbyshire Times

Full page advertisement for Drabble's, Stone Merchants of Matlock Station Yard

Advertisement for Tyack's New Bath Hotel