Edward was born in 1881 the son of James Fowlds and Mary Fowlds nee Williams.
His father, James, was born at Chapel Hill, Grantham, Lincolnshire and his mother, Mary, in Seacombe, Cheshire. They were married in 1871; the marriage was registered in Chester (O/N/D).
They had been married for 39 years when they completed the census form in 1911 and had had eight children of whom only five were still living. Seven children were named on the census between 1881 and 1911: James Edward (b. 1872, Wakefield, Yorkshire, d. 1893), Maud Mary (b. 1876, Chester), George (b. 1879, birth registered West Derby district of Liverpool), Edward (b. 1881, birth registered West Derby district of Liverpool), Ernest (b. 1884, birth registered Birkenhead, d. 1894), Martha (b. 15 July 1886, Seacombe, Cheshire) and Emily (b. 1888, Seacombe, Cheshire).
In 1881 James, a printer's compositor, and Mary were living at 37 Hawdon Street, in the West Derby district of Liverpool. They had three children, James (8), Maud (4) and George (1).
By 1891 the family home was in Seacombe, Cheshire. Mary was listed as head of household and in the house on the night of the census were five of her six children; James (18) a printer's apprentice, George (11), Edward (9), Ernest (7) and Martha (4). Her husband, James, and eldest daughter, Maud (b. 1876), have not yet been traced on the 1891 Census.
The family had probably moved to the registration district of Salford, Lancashire, by 1893 as when the eldest child, James Edward, died at the age of 20 in 1893 his death was registered in Salford (J/A/S). The fourth son, Ernest, died the following year in 1894 aged 10 and his death was also registered in Salford (A/M/J).
By 1901 James (51) and Mary (51) were living together at 16 Martin Street, St Ann's, Nottingham. James was now a foreman compositor. Still living in the family home were their five surviving children, Maud (24) a lace pattern carder, George (21) a newspaper warehouseman, Edward (19) a printer's packer, Martha (14) a printer's folder, and Emily (12) who was still at school.
Edward joined the army sometime after the 1901 Census and served in the South African campaign, later transferring to the Army Reserve.
Edward married Edith Hickman at Nottingham Register Office on 5 October 1903. They were to have five children who were all born in Nottingham; Maud Mary (b. 3 December 1903), Martha (b. 17 December 1906), Edith (b. 21 August 1909), James Edward (b. 17 March 1912) and Ernest (b. 4 October 1914). It is interesting to note that all their children with the exception of Edith who shared her mother's name, bore the same names as Edward's siblings, including those of his two brothers who died young.
In 1911 Edward, a coal carter, and Edith, a lace hand clipper (working from home), lived at 13 Reform Terrace, Westminster Street, Nottingham, with their three daughters; Maud (7), Martha (4) and Edith (1). Also in the household was a boarder, Marg. Ann Freestone (68), a widow who worked as a lace hand clipper from home.
Also in 1911 Edward's parents were living at 62 Leicester Street, with their two youngest daughters, Martha (24) a blouse examiner, and Emily (22) a cardboard maker. Also in the household was Mary's niece, Ethel Williams (20, b. Chester) a paper bag maker.
Edward's older brother, George, had married Eliza Gapper about nine years earlier. At the time of the 1911 Census George, a paper warehouseman, and Eliza, a machinist, and their only child, James William (4), were living at 8 Agnes Terrace, St Ann's, Nottingham. Also in the household was a boarder, Jane Gapper (67) a widow who was a lace maker working from home.
Edward's widow, Edith later lived with her brothers Robert and Albert Hickman at 13 Simons Terrace, Westminster Street, St Ann's, and this is the address given for her on the CWGC record. It was also the address to which the commemorative scroll was sent to her in December 1919.
Edward's father, James, died in 1913 aged 63 (death registered O/N/D, Nottingham) while his mother, Mary, died in 1944 aged 94 (death registered September, Nottingham).
Of Edward's surviving four siblings:
George Fowlds died on 5 April 1946 aged 67. Probate was awarded to Arthur Edward Fowlds, a bookbinder. George's address was given as 150 Dame Agnes Street, Nottingham. His wife Eliza, also died in 1946 aged 65, just a short time before her husband's death (death registered March, Nottingham).
Maud Mary Fowlds married Ernest James Horne and died on 10 January 1947 aged 70. She and Ernest, a printer, were living at 127 Dame Agnes Street, St Ann's, at the time of her death.
Martha Fowlds married Thomas J Carnell in 1919 (marriage registered A/M/J Nottingham). Thomas died aged 63 in 1955 (death registered March, Basford), but Martha survived her husband by over twenty years, dying at the age of 93 in 1979 (death registered September, Basford).
No trace has yet been found of the youngest sibling, Emily Fowlds, after the entry on the 1911 Census.
