Edward Cook (the name occasionally appears as Cooke) was born at Badsey on 16th February 1886, the second of eight children of John Cook, a baker, and his wife, Mary Eleanor Hughes (née Holland). He was baptised in St James’ Church, Badsey, on 14th March 1856.
Edward spent the first two years of his life living in a house now known as The Wheatsheaf Inn, in a household which comprised his parents, older sister, his grandmother, Esther Knight, his step-grandfather, Joseph Knight, and his four children (Ann Elizabeth, Joseph, Sarah Sophia and Charles Frederick).
In 1858, two-year-old Edward emigrated to Canada with his parents and older sister. His grandmother and her new family emigrated too. Whether the Cook and Knight families all went out together, or whether one family went first and the other followed, is not known.
Edward and his family settled in Mersea, Essex County, Ontario, where his father took up farming. Six more siblings were born in Canada.
Edward, too, became a farmer. He married Mary Ann Wigle on 2nd May 1877 at Gosfield South Township, Essex County. They had three sons and two daughters: Forest John (1881), Richard S (1883), Morley (1885), Ada M (1888) and Marguerite (1895).
Edward died at Leamington, Essex County, on 28th April 1924 and was buried three days later at Lakeview Cemetery, Leamington (his surname is spelt as COOKE on his gravestone). Mary died ten years later on 6th February 1934.
