EDWARDS, Henry John
Henry John Edwards was born in Woodbridge on 8 September 1869 and baptised on 17 October 1869, eldest son of Henry Charles Edwards, a coal, corn & wine merchant, and his wife Sarah Jane née Freeman (27 December 1839-6 September 1898, who married at Saxmundham, Suffolk on 19 August 1868. Young Henry, like his father, also exhibited at the Woodbridge Industrial & Art Exhibition at the Lecture Hall, Woodbridge in April 1887 a watercolour 'Outpost Duty' by H. J. Edwards. In 1891 young Henry was a student at Trinity College, Cambridge from 21 May 1888 graduating B.A. in 1891 taking his master's in 1895 and as Fellow and Dean of Peterhouse, Cambridge and Lieut. Colonel commanding the Cambridge University Rifle Volunteers, married at Uggleshall, Suffolk on 30 December 1905, Margaret Ethel Aston (1877-), eldest daughter of Rev Arthur Aston, of Uggleshall, Suffolk. Made a Companion of the Order of the Bath in 1911 and in the same year Henry John Edwards, 41, Fellow of Peterhouse, and Colonel commanding the Cambridge Officer Training Corps 1908-1919 was living at 15 Brookside, 15 Trumpington Road, Cambridge with his 33-year-old wife Margaret Ethel, who was born in Huntingdon, and their 2 year old son Benedict Henry Ashton Edward who was born at Cambridge and they retained four indoor servants. In 1921 they were living at 61 Lensfield Road, Cambridge. Henry John Edwards of 9 Station Road Cambridge died at Cambridge on 26 June 1923, aged 53, and buried at St Andrew Cherry Hinton on 30 June 1923. He was the author/translator of several historical books.
He joined the University Rifle Volunteers in 1891 and two years later was appointed to the Trinity Company with the rank of Captain. By 1899 he was a major; and he commanded the Volunteers from 1901 to 1908 with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. He commanded the newly established Cambridge University Officer Training Corps with the rank of Honorary Colonel from 1908 to 1919. From 1916 to 1918 he was commanding officer of the Cadet Battalion; and in 1916 there were 6,000 troops under his command at
Cambridge.