Edmund Mourilyan SLADDEN (1882-1962)

Edmund Mourilyan Sladden (1882-1962), known as Bob, was the nephew of Julius Sladden, being the son of Julius’ elder brother, Dilnot (1842-1906).  Bob is mentioned in three letters:  one written by his mother, one written by his sister and one written by his cousin, Cyril, dated 29^th October 1916.  Cyril refers to two New Zealand officers who joined his battalion who knew the New Zealand branch of the Sladden family quite well; Captain Holmden, a solicitor, knew Bob in particular and Captain Busby knew the rest of the family well.

Bob Sladden was born at Oxford, Canterbury, on the south island of New Zealand in 1882, the tenth of 11 children of Dilnot and Elizabeth Sladden.  He and his siblings were known collectively as “the Oxford Eleven”.

Bob married Star Eileen Willis on 22^nd June 1914 at Petone.  They had three children:  Elizabeth Mabel, known as Betty (1915), Mary (1918) and Dickson Henry (1923).

Bob died on 20^th December 1962 at Wellington, aged 80, and was buried at Taita, Wellington.