44781 Rifleman John William Edwards
12th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles
7th June 1917
Born in Camberwell,Surrey in 1889.
His parents were John Alexander Edwards(20/03/1854-1915)
and Susan Dawson (1863-1936). They married on 01/01/1882.
This was Johns second marriage as previously he had been married to Susan's older sister ,Sarah Annie Dawson(born in 1855),whom he had married on 24/02/1877 and they had a daughter,Annie Jessie(born in 1878). Sadly though,Sarah died in 1881 aged only 26.
John had 3 brothers,Sidney Herbert(11/01/1884-1974),Alfred Henry (born 1885) and Leonard (born in 1895).
He also had 4 sisters,Edith Emily(06/10/1887-1974),Minnie(born in 1892),Maude(born in 1898) and Lizzie (born in 1901).
In the 1891 census the family were living at 15 Knowle Road Lambeth. Johns father was employed as a Salesman at Covent Garden.
In the 1901 census,the family had moved to
71 Cromwell Grove,Camberwell. John senior was still employed
as a salesman at Covent Garden.
In 1913 John married Henrietta May Mannering(born in 1891)
He enlisted in Whitehall,Middlesex as Private 4234 in the London Regiment. He was later transferred as Rifleman 44781 into the
12th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles.
He was killed in action on 07/06/1917.