Yahya Birt
Bradford was a city of stark contrasts at the turn of the 20th century. As J.B. Priestley, its most famous writer, described, it was “at once one of the most provincial and yet cosmopolitan of English provincial cities”,[1] proudly asserting its independence from London. While Priestley celebrated the contributions of German merchants in broadening Bradford’s horizons, his depiction missed a crucial element: the pivotal role of the British Empire in shaping the city’s trade, missionary activities, military engagements, and cultural life. This five-part essay will explore these often-overlooked aspects of Bradford’s imperial connections, starting with asking why Bradford’s story has mostly been presented as a local one without considering this wider history.
Part 1: Bradford: Not Just a Local Story
Part 2: Bradford’s Wool as a Settler Colonial Commodity
Part 3: Colonial Christianity in Yorkshire (forthcoming)
Part 4: The Colonial History of the Yorkshire Regiments (forthcoming)
Part 5: Popular Colonial Culture in Yorkshire Beyond the Somali Village (forthcoming)
[1] J.A. Jowitt, “Late Victorian and Edwardian Bradford” in J.A. Jowitt and R.K.S. Taylor (eds.) Bradford 1890‒1914: Cradle of the Independent Labour Party (Bradford: Bradford Occasional Papers No. 2, October 1980), pp. 4‒5.
Somali Village 