He was born in 1880 in Pwllgwyn, Denbigh. His father was John Smallwood and his mother, Ellen. In 1904 he married Mary Tucker in Beaumaris. The 1911 census places them in new Brighton near Mold where 31 year old Edward was a coal miner. His wife Mary was 26 and they had two children Thomas John 6 and Catherine 1. Staying with them was Harry Tucker, Mary’s brother and a coal miner also.

He signed up for the army on the 8th December 1914. On his Attestation paper, he stated that he had previously served in R.A.R.E. militia for 7 years. which would have made him a reservist. His medical form at that time declared him to be fit for service. Edward never served abroad.  he was appointed to Acting Corporal in April of 1915 but he reverted to Private at his own request later that year.  He was the subject of a medical board on the 6th December 1915 which stated that he had chronic diarrhoea, suffered a great deal of pain and had lost a fair amount of weight. He was discharged on the 28th January 1916.   His character was descibed as ‘good’ on his discharge papers. It is difficult to work out where he served – Epping Forest is mentioned as is Bedford but these might have been the situation of the medical boards.

So Edward did not die in service which is why he does not have a military grave. His home service meant that he did not qualify for the usual medals.  It is to the credit of the people of Mold that his service was acknowledged on the Mold War Memorial.