Edward was born in Hornsey, north London on 11th November 1892 and started his studies at Ilford County High School on 11th September 1905. Previously, he had been a pupil at Highlands School.
He was the son of Robert and Jane Burn and his family lived first in Mayfair Avenue, before moving to Airlie Gardens, both in Ilford. His father, Robert, was a shipbroker’s clerk who originated from Northumberland and his mother, Jane was born in Scotland. Edward had an older sister, Grace and a younger brother, Ernest. Like his brother, Edward left school and became a clerk in the education office of the local council.
Interestingly, the Ilford Recorder (18th June 1915) revealed that Edward spent time working in Smyrna (now Izmir in Turkey). The newspaper added Edward to their Roll of Honour, explaining that he had, ‘come over from Asia Minor with 13 other British subjects and joined Kitchener’s army last October.’
Edward is recorded on a supplementary list for the first Roll of Honour (in the Christmas 1914 edition of the school’s magazine). It gives his regiment as the Rifle Brigade.
He was serving with the 7th Battalion of the Rifle Brigade (service number S/5083) when he died on Tuesday 8th June 1915, aged 22. His brigade had landed in Boulogne on 19th May 1915. His division was involved at actions at Hooge, where they were the first division to be attacked by flamethrowers. He is buried in the White House Cemetery, St. Jean-Les-Ypres.
Research by Andrew Emeny, History Teacher at ICHS
Sources:
Ancestry.com
ICHS school records and magazines
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Ilford Recorder (18/06/1915)
Note
Ilford County High School started life as the Park Higher Grade School in 1901 in Balfour Road, Ilford. It was renamed Ilford County High School (or initially County High School, Ilford) in the years after the school’s management was transferred from Ilford School Board to Essex Education Committee in 1904.