Born in Scarisbrick on 22nd November 1894, Edmund was the son of Charles and Sarah (née Wadsworth) and he was baptised at St. Elizabeth’s Church. He was the eldest of four children and spent his early childhood living with his mother and siblings at 29 Lancaster Road, Southport. Evidence suggests that his father was not in the family home. His mother was from a prosperous Southport family, her father being a master butcher with several shops in the town. Although she was initially living on her own means it was apparent that financial difficulties lay ahead.
After leaving school Edmund returned to Scarisbrick and lived with his great uncle, Joseph Halliwell, in a shop close to St. Elizabeth's Church. Joseph was a bachelor living with his brother and sisters and was known to provide shelter for orphaned or needy youngsters. Edmund later found employment as a gardener at Scarisbrick Hall and was said to have been a prominent member of Scarisbrick Hall Cricket Club.
Edmund joined the Royal Navy in November 1911, prior to the outbreak of war. He served with HMS Renown and HMS Prince of Wales and was promoted to the rank of stoker 1st class. He was then assigned to HMS Invincible which had undergone a major refit before returning to sea at the
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She led the advance on the German High Seas Fleet in the North Sea, off the Jutland peninsula of Denmark. This was the only full-scale fleet action of the war and the largest sea battle in history in terms of the vessels involved. It resulted in about 10,000 casualties which were mainly fatalities. The Royal Navy committed 151 combat ships, 14 were completely destroyed and 25 were damaged. They faced 99 combat ships of the German navy of which 11 were lost and 31 were damaged. In many ways the battle mirrored those taking place on land, ending in stalemate with neither side gaining a significant