Edward was the third child of Frederick Smith and Sarah Ann Chell who married in Stone in
Staffordshire. They married on 1st March 1890 at The Immaculate Conception & St Dominic
a Roman Catholic Church, the same church was used to baptise their first child, Frederick who was born on the 12th April 1892.
The 1901 Census shows that the family had moved to Leicester, they were living at 62 Russell Street, Frederick Snr was working as a Shoe Hand and the couple had four children, Frederick, Elizabeth born 1896, Edward born 1898 and Nellie born in 1900. Before the next Census they had four more children, Arthur born 1903, Lily born 1904, Lawrence born 1906 and Thomas born in 1909.
By 1911 they had moved to 266 Avenue Road Extension. Eldest daughter Elizabeth aged 14 was working as a Hosiery Hand Run About. The couple had two more children after the Census, Frank born in 1913 and finally Sydney born in 1914. Edward’s parents were still living at the same address in 1939.
Edward was Killed in Action on 7/12/1917 aged 19. He is buried at Villers-Faucon Communal Cemetery Extension in France. His inscription reads ‘Rest In Peace Dear Son Loving Mother, Father’. The cemetery extension was started in April 1917 it contains 459 Commonwealth burials of which 144 are unidentified.
