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Antonio Brady (1811-
Sir Antonio Brady (1811-
Brady’s parents were Anthony Brady (1777-
Antonio Brady was a civil servant in the Admiralty. He steadily progressed and eventually became Superintendent of Contracts shortly before he retired in 1870. Brady was knighted shortly after his retirement. He travelled widely. Brady was a Conservative and active member of the Church of England. He was educated at Colfe’s school Lewisham. Brady started to collect Pleistocene mammalian fossils from Ilford about 1844. He devoted a large amount of his spare time and money to search for and dig up fossil bones. Mrs. Mary Curtis, the wife of the owner of an Ilford Brick Pit would send Brady a letter when the quarrymen uncovered any bones. His finest specimen, found in 1864, was a complete mammoth skull with both tusks. Brady relinquished his claim to this specimen in favour of the British Museum. He spared no effort to excavate the fragile fossil bones and used plaster of Paris, strong boards and nail bar iron. Brady eventually sold his specimens for £525 to the British Museum in 1874. A catalogue of his specimens, compiled by William Davies (1814-
Sources
Brady, N. and Woodward, H. 1882. In Memoriam: Sir Antonio Brady, J.P., F.G.S., &c. Transactions of the Essex Field Club. Vol. 3 pp.94-
George, W. H. 1999. Sir Antonio Brady (1811-
Fossil Collection at Natural History Museum; Museum of London.
Archives: Some letters at Natural History Museum. Some Family Papers at Essex Record Office, Chelmsford.
Likeness: Brady, N. and Woodward, H. 1882 p. 95.
Wealth at Death: Estate valued at £21,337.
Lithograph drawings of mammoth mandibles collected by Sir Antonio Brady from Ilford Essex.
Largest jawbone is more than 80cm wide
Source: A. Leith Adams Monograph of the British Fossil Elephants Part 2 1879 plate 8. Palaeontographical Society
Fossil Rhinoceros Skull and Mandible
Collected by Antonio Brady
Length about 80cm
Line Drawing of Sir Antonio Brady's Brass Memorial Plaque
St. John's Church, Stratford Broadway
Line drawing of stolen bronze plaque
formerly on Methodist Church Hall in Ilford Lane
Thomas Curtis was the owner of some of the Ilford Brick Pits. When large bones were found Mrs. Curtis would write to Antonio Brady. He would them arrange for the fossils to be removed and compensate the labourers for any loss of wages.