Edwin Matthews was born in Kensworth, a village on the outskirts on Dunstable in about 1879.

In 1891 he is a 10 year old schoolboy & living in the village with his father David 38, an agricultural labourer & mother Letitia 36, a straw plaiter. His 14 year old sister Louisa is working as a live-in domestic servant for the King family at 5 Gladstone Avenue, Luton.

In January 1903 Edwin married Annie Elizabeth Nicoll in Luton.

In 1911 he is now 30 years old & an Army Pensioner, having served with the Bedfordshire Regiment. He is working  as a caretaker at an elementary school & living at 59 Old Bedford Road, Luton. He & his wife have a young family, their son Leslie is 4 & they have 2 daughters, Gladys 2 & 6 month old Constance.

Edwin joined the Royal Defence Corps, which was formed in August 1917. It was composed of soldiers that were either medically unfit or too old for active service on the front line. The regiment provided home service duties such as troops for guarding important places including ports, bridges & even prisoner-of-war camps.

Sadly Edwin died on 2nd November 1918, just 9 days before the Armistice was signed. He is buried in the cemetery on Crawley Green Road.