John BLAND (2)

'Leeds Mercury' (29 January 1918)

DEATH OF THE LORD MAYOR OF BRADFORD

PATRIOTIC AND POPULAR CHIEF MAGISTRATE

CAPT. BLAND SUCCUMBS TO PNEUMONIA

The citizens of Bradford deeply regretted to learn, yesterday, of the death of the Lord Mayor (Captain John Bland), which occurred in the afternoon at Steep Hill House, Emm-lane, Bradford.

Captain Bland, who had been invalided out of the Army after active service in Egypt and France, contracted a chill last Thursday and pneumonia developed. He was attended on Sunday by three doctors, but he failed to rally and passed away yesterday.

His election as Lord Mayor last November was exceedingly popular with all ranks of the community, largely because of the patriotic part he had played as an officer in one of the Yorkshire battalions. Although over military age he volunteered for service in the early stages of the war.

In spite of his indifferent health he put great energy into his work as Chief Magistrate, and he spared no effort to make the Bradford Tank week a success. Although he had to dispense with many evening engagements he gave the whole of his time to his Mayoral duties, having retired from private business.

The son of Mr. John Bland, of Doncaster, he commenced business on his own account as a wool merchant at Bradford when twenty-one years of age, and subsequently became a partner in the well-known firm of Bland and Moore.

In 1911 he entered the City Council as Conservative member for the Exchange Ward, and when war broke out he was Deputy-chairman of the Finance and General Purposes Committee. He was for a time prospective Unionist candidate for the Spen Valley Division.

Public-spirited Man.

Being a bachelor, the duties Lady Mayoress have been performed by Miss Purcell his niece, who is a daughter of Dr. Purcell, of Wilsden.

Mr. H. H. Tetley, the Deputy Lord Mayor, has fulfilled a large number of the Lord Mayor’s engagements, especially in the evenings, and will carry on the duties until the City Council has appointed a successor to the late Capt. Bland.

This is the first time in the history of the municipality that a Chief Magistrate at Bradford has died during his year of office.

In view of the complaint from which Capt. Bland suffered, and which had been greatly aggravated by the hardships of military service, some of his friends doubted whether he would be strong enough to fulfil the onerous duties of the Lord Mayor, but he was a public-spirited man and keenly anxious to serve his fellow-citizens in any way that was open to him.

Consequently he showed no hesitation when he received a unanimous invitation from all parties to accept nomination for the position of Lord Mayor.

He had lived for a time in retirement at Harrogate, and was steadily regaining his health when he came to Bradford to take up his responsible duties, and there have been many indications that in his zeal for public service he was paying too little regard to his physical limitations.

On Tuesday of last week, Capt. Bland attended the funeral of Mr. Arthur Priestman, and on the Wednesday the mild weather prompted him to make a journey to Ripon, but, unfortunately, he did not take that care which his indifferent health required and he caught a chill which led to pneumonia.

Reception of the News.

When the sad news reached the Town Hall the War Agricultural Committee was sitting, but it immediately suspended business. The Libraries Committee assembled at four o’clock and immediately adjourned. The minute bell was tolled and flags were flown at half-mast on the roof of the Town Hall.

There was a number of callers at the Lord Mayor’s Parlour to express sympathy, the first to arrive being Mr. J. H. Robinson, the chairman of the Chamber of Commerce.

England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1966

1918

BLAND John of Steephill House Emm Lane Bradford captain 18th battalion West Yorkshire regiment died 28 January 1918 Probate London 5 November to Alice Purcell (wife of John Purcell) and Feather Ogden Whiteley treasurer. Effects £89415 1s. 8d.