Craddock's father Surgeon Major
William Craddock had been attached to the
1st Gurkha Rifles; he was therefore born into a family with strong links to the
British Raj. He studied at the prestigious
Wellington College before going on to
Keble College, Oxford. He qualified for the
Indian Civil Service in 1882, and two years later was sent on his first posting to the
Central Provinces. Craddock spent many years in the Central Provinces, moving steadily up the civil service ladder. He was an industrious worker and his diligence was duly recognized by the authorities. From 1893 onwards, he held the following positions in succession: Commissioner of Excise; head of the
Nagpur District; Chief Secretary to the head of the Province; Commissioner of the Nagpur Division; and finally
Chief Commissioner (or governor of the province) in 1907. He was appointed a Companion of the
Order of the Star of India (CSI) in the
1903 Durbar Honours, and in 1911 promoted to a Knight Commander in the order (KCSI). In 1923 he was appointed a Knight Grand Commander in the
Order of the Indian Empire (GCIE). At the
1931 general election, he was elected as
Member of Parliament for the
Combined English Universities, and held the seat until his death in 1937. ==Titles==