William Henry Edwards, Waterman of the Thames

Anchor monument to William Henry Edwards, All Saints Cemetery, Maidenhead, Berkshire.

"In loving memory of William Henry Edwards who departed this life June 2? 1902 aged 48 years"

William Henry Edwards was born in 1853 in Maidenhead, Berkshire to Charles Edwards, a railway labourer, and his wife Elizabeth Scrafield.

William first appears on the 1861 Census, listed as W Edwards, aged 8, living with his parents and siblings in North Town, Maidenhead, Berkshire.

In 1871 William is serving as a Private in the Coldstream Guards in Essex.

In 1879 William marries Emma Gomm in Maidenhead, Berkshire, and their first child, a son William Frederick is born a year later in 1880.  The family can be found on the 1881 Census living at North Town Court where William trade is a waterman. Watermen of the Thames were boat or barge men who offered their services for hire to transport goods or passengers along the river. 


The Company of Watermen and Lighterman was established by Act of Parliament in 1555 to control the Watermen on the River Thames responsible for the movement of goods and passengers. Indeed it remains the only ancient City Guild to he formed and controlled by Act of Parliament.

Even today it still licences the Watermen and Lighterman working on the River Thames, the former being concerned with passenger transport and the latter with the carriage of goods. The young Freemen of the Company are eligible to participate in the Doggett's Coat and Badge Race, which has been held annually since 1715. This gruelling boat race is held each July and goes along the river from London Bridge to Chelsea. The winner has the honour of
wearing the scarlet coat, breeches and silver arm badge that are based on the original costume of an eighteenth century Watermen"  - Watermens Hall


1891 finds William and his family still living in North Town Court, joining the family are Henry Charles aged 9, Beatrice Mary aged 7, Rhoda aged 5, James (Stephen James) aged 3, and 1-year-old Mary.  Living a few doors away are William's brother Ernest J Edwards and his family.  Ernest is also a waterman by trade.

The Edwards unfortunately did not get on well with their neighbours, the Stevens, in North Town. On 10th June 1896 the Maidenhead Advertiser reported:

"NEIGHBOURS AT VARIANCE. 

Mrs. Jane Stevens, of North Town, had been summoned for having assaulted Mrs. Emma Edwards, a neighbour. There was a cross-summons against Mrs. Edwards. Mr. W. Weed, solicitor, Maidenhead, appeared for Mrs. Edwards. Mrs. Stevens pleaded not guilty. 

Mrs. Edwards, wife of Wm. Edwards, a ballester on the Thames, said that hearing a noise on the 26th May she went into her back-yard and saw her little boy crying. She asked defendant's boy what he wanted to hit her boy for, whereupon Mrs. Stevens came and shook her fist in her face and used bad language to her. Defendant afterwards picked up a piece of broken flower-pot and threw it at her it struck her bead and cut it open, causing it to bleed very much. It was not the first nor second time Mrs. Stevens had assaulted her. She (complainant) had lived at North Town for 17 years and had never been insulted by anyone so much as she had been by defendant. Defendant, without any provocation, put her fist into her face. She had to go to Dr. Plumbe about the cut on her head. 

Henry Edwards, son of complainant, said that when he came home from work, at about 7 o'clock on May 27, he heard his brother crying he went out and spoke to him. Shortly afterwards Mrs. Stevens put her fists in his mother's face and used bad language. She subsequently picked up a piece of flower-pot and threw it at his mother and cut her head. He had heard Mrs. Stevens going on at his mother two or three times before. 

Rhoda Edwards, daughter of complainant, said she saw the cut on her mother's head and heard the language used by Mrs. Stevens. 

Mrs. Sophia Reeves said that whilst she was in her garden she saw defendant pick np something (she did not know whether it was a stone or a piece of flower-pot) and throw it at Mrs. Edwards. Witness was about 20 yards off. 

Defendant called Kate Grimmett. but she said she was not present when the row commenced. Joseph Grimmett, who lodges with Mrs. Stevens, said he was in the garden on May 27, when the row took place between defendant and complainant. Mrs. Edwards struck the first blow and knocked Mrs. Stevens over the well. Defendant (who was his sister) then picked up a stone or something else, and threw it at complainant, and it struck her head. He thought the row was all over then, but Mrs. Edwards came on to his sister's premises again and caught hold of his sister. 

Cross-examined Complainant's boy also struck his sister with a piece of wood. He did not offer to fight Mrs. Edwards, nor did he want to fight her boy. He didn't take his jacket off: he had it on his arm. The cross-summons was now gone into. Mrs. Stevens said that she heard her boy crying and went out to see what was the matter. Whilst in the yard Mrs. Edwards knocked her down over the well, and in self-defence she (complainant) picked up something off the garden and threw it at Mrs. Edwards. This was not the first time that defendant had abused her. Cross-examined: It was not a fact that she tried to hit Mrs. Edwards first. She never quarrelled with Mrs. Edwards unless she began at her first. It was over the children that she and defendant quarrelled. This was all the evidence, and the Chairman said that both cases would be dismissed, and Mrs. Edwards would have to pay 11s. 6d. costs and Mrs. Stevens 7s. 6d. costs."

Young Rhoda was to pass away in 1898, aged just 13-years-old.

By 1901, just a year before William's death, the family has moved to 9 Rose Cottage, Summerleaze Road, Maidenhead, Berkshire.  Also, at this time William Frederick is currently residing as a patient at the Royal Naval Hospital in Alverstoke, Hampshire.  William Frederick was listed as an Able Seaman.   


William died on 24th June of 1902 aged only 48-years-old. 

In 1911 the widowed Emma is still living in Rose Cottage with her son James aged 18 and now a jobbing gardener, and her daughter Beatrice.  Living in Emma's household at the time is Beatrice's husband Frederick Andrews, an electrical engineer and their two sons, Frederick aged 3 years, and Cecil aged 2.

Henry Charles, now a police constable, and his wife Louisa have moved to 27 Pinnacle Hill, Bexley Heath in Kent by 1911.  Their two daughters Rhoda Lily, (possibly named after Henry's sister) aged 5, and Hilda Margarite aged 2 years are living with them.

Mary is a parlour maid for the Plumby family at 34, The Pryors, East Heath Road, Hampstead.

Emma Edwards eventually followed William to the grave in 1927.