Richard Bradley (died 5 November 1732) was an English botanist. His early life is obscure and even his date of birth is uncertain, possibly it was 1688.
He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1712. In 1714 he visited the Netherlands where he took an interest in horticulture. Back in England, he worked at Cannons, Middlesex, the estate of James Brydges, 1st Duke of Chandos, FRS. Bradley's employer was a very wealthy man until he incurred losses in the South Sea Bubble. Chandos and Bradley shared an interest in exotic plants such as the pineapple. Bradley's responsibilities at Cannons included the hot-house and the "physic garden" (i.e. a botanical garden). He was dismissed for financial mismanagement.
In 1724 he was appointed the first Professor of Botany, Cambridge University. He indicated that he would work to establish a botanical garden in Cambridge, but died in office without the project having made any progress.[1]
In 1701 Bradley brought a crocodile to the UK for the first time. It was kept in the lake and grounds of his home in Braintree, Essex.[2]
Bradley was a prolific writer. His works include A General Treatise of Husbandry & Gardening, which was published in a monthly version, making Bradley a pioneering gardening journalist.[3] He also wrote about cookery and was the first to publish a pineapple recipe in English.[4]