Ernest Albert Edwards

Ernest Albert was the son of William and Emma Edwards (née Wilde). His father William was born in West Felton, Shropshire, in about 1846 and by 1871 was employed as a butler by George Lister, a landowner, at Finningley Park Hall near Austerfield near Bawtry. Among the indoor staff was a housemaid, Emma Wilde (29 b. Hathern Leicestershire), whom William married in 1871 (reg. J/A/S Wakefield). William and Emma had eight children who were all born on the estate (births recorded Doncaster registration district) and baptised at the parish church of St Helena, Austerfield: William Edward b. 1872 bap. 4 August 1872; Samuel Harman b. 1874 bap. 19 April 1874; George Charles b. 1875 bap. 27 June 1875; John Henry b. 1876 bap. 18 June 1877; Arthur Herbert b. 1879 bap. 31 August 1879; Ernest Albert b. 1880 bap. (Albert Ernest) 28 November 1880; Margaret Harriet b. 1881 bap. 18 June 1882 and Edith Emma birth registered 1886 (J/F/M) bap. 4 July 1886. In 1881 William and Emma were living at The Cottage, Austerfield, with their six children: William (8), Samuel (5), George (5), John (4), Arthur (1) and Albert-sic (under 1 year). Their first daughter Margaret was born later that year and their second daughter Edith five years later. By 1891 only the five youngest children - John, Arthur, Ernest, Margaret and Edith - were still at home and in 1901 only Edith (15) was living with her parents who were still at The Cottage. William had retired by 1911 and he and Emma were living at Thornbury Cottage, Lound, near Retford. They were still living in Lound when Ernest was killed in 1918. In 1901 Ernest (19) was employed as a footman at 'The Rocks Mansion', Uckfield, Sussex, by Richard Streatfield ('living on own means'); he and his wife Mary employed five outdoor staff (coachmen/stablemen and groom) and nine indoor staff including two footmen. Ten years later Ernest was a butler at Bank House, Lewes, Sussex, in the household of Francis Whitfield, a banker, who employed six indoor staff. A short time later, Ernest moved to Worksop where he was the proprietor of the Waverley Hotel and café on Bridge Street. He married Sarah Jane Pearson (b. Cumberland 19 April 1892) at Worksop parish church on 12 February 1916; both were living at the Waverley Hotel. They had a daughter, Edith, who was born in 1916 (reg. J/A/S Wigton Cumberland) but who died in 1923 (J/F/M Cockermouth). The later CWGC record gave his widow's address as the Waverley Hotel, Worksop, but by 1920, when Ernest's possessions were returned to her, she was living in Bassenthwaite, Cockermouth, Cumberland.