Born in
Westminster, Edward Bramley went by the name "Ted". While still young, he moved with his family to
Detroit, but they returned to London during
World War I. He became an
engineer and joined the
Amalgamated Engineering Union. Bramley's father was a member of the
Social Democratic Federation and the
Industrial Workers of the World. He steadily rose through the ranks, joining the London District Committee in 1932. He attended a
Communist International meeting the next year. While a councillor, Bramley led a movement to occupy empty luxury flats, in order to house returning service personnel. He was charged with conspiracy, and received a suspended sentence. Facing illness, he resigned as London District Secretary in 1947, but continued to stand in elections, failing to hold his council seat in 1949, then standing unsuccessfully in
Stepney at the
1951 general election. Around this time, Bramley retired to
Hertfordshire and tried his hand at farming. He started writing about agricultural questions for the
Daily Worker. == Personal life ==