Edward England (potato Importer)
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Edward England (December 1859 – 30 August 1917) was a Welsh businessman, entrepreneur and merchant, who was the director of Edward England Potato Importers Ltd from 1887, until his sudden death three decades later.


Early life

Edward England was born in 1859, around December, in
Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...
. He was the 8th child, and 6th son, of English-born John Humphrey England, a potato merchant, and Ann Rees. England's maternal grandparents, Thomas and Margaret Rees, were both farmers from
Lisvane Lisvane ( cy, Llys-faen) is an affluent community in the north of Cardiff, the capital of Wales, located north of the city centre. Lisvane is generally considered to be one of the wealthiest residential areas of Wales, with an average house ...
. Edward had a privileged upbringing - his father was the founder of a successful potato importing company, and so the family were able to afford a large house and several servants.


Marriage and issue

Edward married Louise Mary Lewis in July 1887 - one month before the death of his father. They had six children, three of which survived to adulthood: *Captain John Humphrey England (1888–1976) married Lilian Elizabeth Noyes and had 3 children: **Elizabeth Joan England (1917–2010) married Colonel
Dudley Thornton Colonel Dudley Edwin Thornton, CBE, ERD (1 May 1919 – 22 April 2009) was a British soldier, who commanded the 18th Battalion of the King's African Rifles during the Burma Campaign, and was chairman of the Welch Regiment Museum, in Cardiff, f ...
and had 3 children. **Rosalind England (1919–2013) married Robert Norris and had 3 children. **Audrey Lilian England (born 1920) married John Rowland Payne and had 3 children. *Arthur England (1890–1890) died in infancy. *Kathleen Mary England (1893–1971) spinster. *Doris Louise England (1894–1979) married Lt Comdr Adrian Henry James Stokes, son of
Sir Gabriel Stokes Sir Gabriel Stokes (7 July 184922 October 1920) was an Irish civil servant and colonial administrator of the Indian Civil Service. He acted as the Governor of Madras between February–March 1906. Family Gabriel Stokes was born on 7July 1 ...
, and had 2 children: **Pamela Mary Stokes (1918–2011) married Brigadier Vincent Alexander Prideaux Budge and had 3 children. **Terence Edward Gabriel Stokes (1921–2000) married Eve Slezenger and had 1 child. *Edward England (1900–1901) died in infancy. *Harry Smith England (1900–1901) died in infancy.


Career

Edward joined the family business, alongside his father and older brothers, as soon as he finished school. He succeeded his father as owner of the business in 1887, and rebranded it as "Edward England Potato Importers Ltd" , more commonly known simply as "Edward England." Under Edward's leadership, the company began importing potatoes from
Holland Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former province on the western coast of the Netherlands. From the 10th to the 16th c ...
,
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
and
Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica during the period ...
. Importing the potatoes from Brittany became so prestigious, that the company was able to acquire its own steam ship, the SS Cardiff City, in 1909. Despite the decimation of the countryside during the
First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, the company continued to flourish. After the end of hostilities, and prompted by a disease outbreak in Northern France, it began to encourage the growing of early potatoes on the Southern Irish coast.


Freemasons

Edward became part of the Freemasons in 1897, signing up to the
United Grand Lodge of England The United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) is the governing Masonic lodge for the majority of freemasons in England, Wales and the Commonwealth of Nations. Claiming descent from the Masonic grand lodge formed 24 June 1717 at the Goose & Gridiron ...
on 4 March.Source Citation Library and Museum of Freemasonry; London, England; Freemasonry Membership Registers; Description: Membership Registers: Country S 1576-1703 to Country T 1705-1822; Reel Number: 17 Description Description : Membership Registers: Country S 1576-1703 to Country T 1705-1822 Source Information Ancestry.com. England, United Grand Lodge of England Freemason Membership Registers, 1751-1921 atabase on-line Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. Original data: Membership registers 1751-1921 from the collection of the United Grand Lodge of England held by the Library and Museum of Freemasonry. Images reproduced by courtesy of the Library and Museum of Freemasonry, London. Rights reserved. Source Description Master Mason in the family? Find out with these membership registers from English lodges.


Death

England died, suddenly, on 30 August 1917 – 3 days after the 30th anniversary of his father's death - at his home in
Llanishen Llanishen (Welsh language, Welsh Llanisien ''llan'' church + ''Isien'' Saint Isan) is a district and Community (Wales), community in the north of Cardiff, Wales. Its population as of the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 census was 17,417. Lla ...
. He was succeeded by his son, John Humphrey "Jack" England.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:England, Edward 1859 births 1917 deaths Freemasons of the United Grand Lodge of England English businesspeople in retailing 19th-century English businesspeople