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Edward Crowe was born on 21 July 1854 at 3 Upper Crown Street, Westminster. He was the second child, born into a Quaker family, the father being Joseph Crowe (1805 - 1886) and his mother Sarah Crowe, neé Cooper (1820 - 1875). They were married in July 1851 and had 6 children. Their eldest was Spicer John Crowe (b1852) who was in the Coldstream Guards and died of wounds after the battle of Tel-el-Kebir fought on 13 Sep 1882. He left a widow and three children. Other children were Mary (1856 - 1913), twins John George and Sarah Ann aka Lilla (31 Dec 1860 ), Lilla died in 1907. John emigrated to the USA and married Eugenia Elmore on 5 Nov 1898 in Pennsylvania. They had 5 children. The last sibling, Herbert was born in July 1863.
Edward attested for the army at Canterbury on 16 Feb 1871, his medical certificate describing him as being 5ft 6.5ins. The certificate was countersigned on 22 Feb 1871 by Surgeon Major Benjamin Burland of the 19th Hussars and the CO at Canterbury, Colonel Charles Vanbrugh Jenkins also of the 19th Hussars. He was given the army number of 923, and joined the 20th Hussars. The regiment returned from India the following year, stationed at Colchester. The 20th’s movements around England can be tracked from Private Crowe’s record:
1872 Colchester, Essex 22 Oct The 20th Hussars had moved around frequently to aid the civil powers where industrial troubles occurred, but were relocated to Ireland in the autumn of 1879 to keep the peace at elections. Edward Crowe had been promoted to lance corporal on 2 Jan 1879, and then nine months later, to corporal on 8 October, a month before the regiment sailed to Ireland from Liverpool. The 20th Hussars’ stations in Ireland were:
1879 Newbridge, co Kildare 8 Nov Corporal Crowe was promoted to lance sergeant on 8 Dec 1882 and to sergeant the next year, on 10 July 1883, just before marrying 21 year-old Eliza Saul in Dublin on 17 August 1883. She was the daughter of William and Elizabeth Saul, Irish Roman Catholics who lived at 4 Duke Lane, Dublin. Edward and Eliza had their first child, Lilla, born on 5 Aug 1884 at Ballincollig. She lived to the age of 66 and died in Eastbourne. A year later, the 20th Hussars returned to England to prepare for the voyage to Sudan. On 20 Feb 1885 two squadrons embarked at Portsmouth and sailed via the Mediterranean, the Suez Canal, and landed at Suakin on the Red Sea on 14 March 1885. Sergeant Crowe was one of the men selected for active service and was part of the reconnaissance sent inland. They encountered Dervishes at Hasheen where a battle was fought causing 45 casualties. Sergeant Crowe was one of the casualties, and when the 20th Hussars were re-embarked for Cairo he was taken to hospital at Abbassia. He was diagnosed with muscle atrophy although the medical report states ‘cause not known’. He returned to England on 16 July 1885, sailing on the SS Bulimba, and went to the Military Hospital at Netley, Southampton, from 3 Aug to 15 Sep 1885. He was discharged from the army on medical grounds on 15 Sep 1885, and he and Eliza settled down to civilian life in East London.They lived at River Lea Iron Wharf, Quadrant Street, Canning Town, West Ham. Edward became manager of the Canning Town Depot of George Cohen & Co Ltd. They had ten more children, three of whom died very young: Elizabeth aka Georgie 1886 - 1956, twins John and Edward born 9.11.1887, John died on 19.2.1889 and Edward on 21.10.1888 (buried in West Ham Cemetery). Their next child was born on 24 April 1889, Theresa Mary Joseph Crowe. She was the grandmother of Diana Thomas who kindly supplied the photos, documents and information on Sergeant Crowe. Theresa lived to the age of 95. Theresa married John Albert Sayer on 17 Sep 1914, in Dover. They were both aged 25 and he was RSM in the Buffs (The East Kent Regiment, 3rd Foot). He remained in England to train recruits for the regiment serving in France. After the War he served in Mesopotamia and India. They had eight children, the youngest being Molly, mother of Diana. Theresa was living in Frinton-on-Sea when she died on 5 November 1984. Edward and Eliza continued to thrive to the extent that they owned a horse and carriage. A company tribute to past employees of George Cohen, published in 1934, refers to ‘Ted’ Crowe, their depot manager (and his son William Crowe who became Wharf Manager at Stepney). He retained his Quaker faith and sent his family out on Sundays to invite homeless people in for a meal. Eliza remained a Catholic, and the children were not pressured to be Quaker or Catholic. After Theresa, there were Ethel ( 26.12.1890 - 4.9.1981), Arthur ( 24.7.1893 - 19.12.1963), Florence ( 7.8.1895 - 22.10.1972), then Maud who died in infancy ( Aug -12 Sep 1897) and twins William and James ( 4.4.1900 ). William died in Romford, Essex on 27.7.64 and James died in Canada in 1966. Both served in WW1. Edward became ill in 1911 and was admitted to hospital. He died on 11 July 1913 and was buried in West Ham Cemetery (near Stratford and Forest gate) next to the twins John and Edward, and Maud, who all died in infancy. Eliza was also buried there after she died on 17th March 1938, St Patrick’s Day. The fee for the burial of Edward was paid to the Superintendent and Registrar by Mr Hitchcock - one pound and four shillings. Burial was unmarked in the 2nd Chapel Ground no. 44483.0.7.NW. The main photo shows Sergeant Edward Crowe in the dress tunic of the 20th Hussars and gold laced pill-box forage cap. It was taken c1883 before service in Sudan. In 1885 he was awarded the Egypt medal, with a clasp for SUAKIN 1885, as far as is known. He would also have received the Khedive’s Star, sanctioned by the Sultan of Turkey and distributed by the Khedive of Egypt to British troops. The photos below show Edward and Eliza c1890 after he left the army. |
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