Private Benjamin Henry Ede Service number 112612
Private Regiment Royal Army Medical Corps
Date of birth 6th July 1885
Date of death 17th February 1919
Age at death 33 years
His Story
Baptised as Benjamin Adolphus Ede on 26th July 1885 at St. James the Less church, Bethnal Green the son of Benjamin, a Japanner and his wife Martha of 127 Old Ford Road, Bow.
In the 1891 census for 53 Seabright Street, Bethnal Green his 31 year old father is a furniture painter. His wife Martha is 30, his son Benjamin is 5 and at school, Ernest is 4 and Albert is 1. The whole family were born in Bethnal Green. In 1901 they are at 96 Quilter Street, Bethnal Green with Benjamin Snr. 41 a furniture japanner, wife Martha is 40, Benjamin 15 is a commercial clerk, as is his 14 year old brother Ernest. The 3 younger sons are Albert 11, Arthur 7 and George 3.
In 1911 the family are at 140 Roman Road with Benjamin 51 still carrying on his trade of furniture japanner which is the same trade undertaken by his 24 year old son Ernest. Wife Martha, 50 has been married for 27 years and had 6 children, 5 still alive. Benjamin A. is 25 employed as an order clerk for a firm of wholesale stationers, Herbert V. at 21 is an assistant in a boot shop, Arthur, 17 is a junior clerk at a stockbrokers firm whilst George W.F? is 13 and still at school [ is this Frederick?].
On 31st May 1914 at St. Andrew’s Church, Bethnal Green Benjamin Henry Ede, 26, an oilman of 2 St. Jude Street, Bethnal Green, son of Benjamin deceased, a cabinet maker married Esther Rosetta Sawyer. 25, a blouse machinist of 4 Seabright Street, daughter of William Henry Sawyer a packing case maker. The witnesses were William and Rosetta Sawyer.
His wife Esther was baptised at St. Andrew, Bethnal Green on 5th August 1881, the daughter of William Henry (a packing case maker) and Rosetta Sawyer of 65 Longner Road. In 1911 this family are at 54 Middleton Street, Bethnal Green where Esther is a 22 year old blouse machinist born at Mile End. Her father states he was born at Roehampton whilst her mother Rosetta, 46 is a trouser machinist who has been married for 27 years and had 7 children, all of whom had survived.
Benjamin stated he was 28 (in fact he was 31), an Oil and Colourman Assistant living at 2 St. Jude Street, Bethnal Green when he became Private No. 112612 in the Royal Army Medical Corps on 14th April 1917. He died of Pneumonia on 17th February 1919 at the Military Hospital in Bethnal Green having served 1 year and 310 days. He had spent 209 of those days being part of the Egyptian Force in the Middle East.
Benjamin and Esther had 2 sons born in 1915 and 1917 in Bethnal Green and his wife received his British and Victory medals. When his wife filled in a form in 1920? (she re-married in October 1920) requiring her to name her late husband’s relatives she stated ‘none’ against her husband’s parents details – in fact they both died in 1927. She disclosed that two of his brothers were in the Royal Navy, Arthur aged 29 and Frederick 25 a musician on H.M.S. “Orion” at Portland
EDE, Frederick. 9th March, 1896 – after 1919
In 1911 aged 14 Frederick may have been on the “Exmouth” Training ship at Grays, Essex but on 17th May 1919 he enlisted in the Royal Marines Band as No. 1864. Eight days later banns were called at St. Jude’s Church, Bethnal Green for Frederick Ede, 23 of HMS ‘Orion’ and Rosetta Sawyer, 19 of 8 Peel Grove, Bethnal Green. They were married on 14th June 1919 – Frederick Ede, 23, musician, Royal Marine Band of 4 St. Jude Street, son of Benjamin Henry deceased, a cabinet maker and Rosetta Sawyer, 19 of the same address, daughter of William Henry, a packing case maker. The witnesses were George Walter Maze and Florence Allen. So, Frederick married his brother Benjamin’s sister-in-law.