Edward Charles Woodhall 1895-1916

Edward Charles Woodhall was born on 17 March 1895, at the newly built family home, 351 Franklin Road, Kings Norton.  He was the second son and third child of four born to Charles Goodwin Woodhall and Martha Virgilla [nee Groom].  It is thanks to his youngest brother, my grandfather, that we know so much about Edward's short life.  For, like so many young men born in this era, Edward was to die in the horrors of the First World War.  My grandfather, William Gilbert Woodhall was born on 12 March 1901, a gap of six years in age which I suspect led to the younger boy idolising his older brother.

 

from top left - Edward, Ernie, Edith; from middle left - Edward [their grandfather], Martha [their mother], Charles [their father]; at front - William 

Edward was brought up to attend the local congregational church on Watford Road, Kings Norton and his church life was important to him, as is revealed by his brief diaries.  He left school and went to work for Cadbury Brothers at Bournville.  Something must have  caught his eye – perhaps an advert – which led him to travelling alone to Canada where he worked on a farm for about a year, returning home on the outbreak of the war.  Because of my grandfathers love for his brother the letters, diaries and other ephemera, and ‘bits and bobs’ that were left on his death were kept by grandpa.  When Grandpa died at the age of 98 these were acquired by myself along with the rest of the contents of what is now the family archive.

It is my intention in the next few blog entries to chronicle Edward’s life through the items left in my care.