Edward was born on 8th May 1887 to Edward and Emily (née Merifield) Hatcher at Portsea, Hampshire. Edward senior and Emily were both originally from Dorset. By the time of the 1891 census the family was living at 72, Stamford Street in Portsea. Edward senior (48) was working as a joiner.  With him were his wife Emily Augusta (40), his eldest daughter Emily Ada (19), Arthur (17), a joiner like his father, Ellen (12) who was still at school and the youngest child Edward William (3). By the time the next census was recorded in 1901 the two oldest children were not with the family. No census records for the eldest daughter Emily have been found until she turns up again in 1911.  Arthur was working as a joiner in the shipyard and living with his wife Emma and their 5 month old daughter Doris, in Portsmouth. Ellen was still living in the family home and was self-employed as a dressmaker. Edward, at 13, we may assume was still at school although nothing is mentioned in the census. Between 1899 and 1901 Edward attended the Southern Grammar School in Portsmouth. From there he became a pupil teacher at Fratton Street Church School in Portsmouth. In preparation for entry to a training college, William took courses and examinations in mathematics, physiography and drawing. He took the Examination for Admission in 1905, and the Archbishops’ Examination for entry, achieving a second class pass in both.

By the next census ten years later, Edward had started his teaching career and the family had moved away from Portsea and was living at 53, Wiltshire Road, Thornton Heath, Surrey. Edward’s mother was now calling herself by her middle name, Augusta. The 1911 census had an additional question for the wife in the family, of the number of children she had given birth to and how many were still living. She had 5 children in all but only 4 were still living. A fifth child has not featured on any of the census returns so in all likelihood died under the age of ten , and as there is a gap of nine years between the births of Ellen and Edward it is possible it was in that period. Edward was the only one of their offspring still living with them, but they had a boarder, William Siddorn (25).

Edward was described as an assistant teacher working for the County Council and William, who was also from the Portsmouth area, was an assistant teacher working for the Urban District Council. Edward’s and William’s lives followed very similar courses, with them both attending Winchester Training College at the same time. Ellen was still a dressmaker, now Ellen Orchard with two children and living in Portsmouth. There is no Mr Orchard featured on the census return but Ellen is not entered in the record as a widow.  Emily Ada appears now as Ada Day, having chosen to call herself by her middle name, married, with four children, although there are only three of them on the census return. Like her sister she is the head of the household but not described as a widow. The two eldest of her children were born in Burma, and she may have been married in India. They are living in Canterbury Villa, Wiltshire Road, Thornton Heath, the same road as her parents. No documentary evidence has yet been found to establish the whereabouts of Mr. Orchard and Mr. Day but there is the possibility that Ellen’s husband was in the Navy and Ada’s was a soldier.

Southern Grammar School photograph from memorialsinportsmouth.co.uk

Shortly after the declaration of war Edward enlisted in the 9th (County of London) Battalion (Queen Victoria’s Rifles). His biography published on the Southern Grammar School Roll of Honour, states that when war was declared Edward was on holiday in Switzerland. Perhaps he had been inspired to travel there by the mountaineering exploits of the College Principal Henry Martin, who ‘When war came he was on holiday in Switzerland, and in common with others had some difficulty in getting home. In November 1914, he responded to the call for men by enlisting as a Private.’

While training in Crowborough, Edward along with three other young men, including William Siddorn who had been a boarder with his parents in Thornton Heath, posed for a photograph. They have signed the photograph on the back, so can be identified as A.M. Butterwick, N.H. Smith, W.E.Siddorn and E.W.Hatcher. It is not known whether Edward and William Siddorn enlisted together. They were both from the Portsmouth area, had both done their training at Winchester and were teaching in or around London, and William was a lodger in the house of Edward’s parents. They enlisted in the same regiment and were most likely firm friends.  Shortly after this photograph was taken they left England for France, arriving at the end of March 1915. Of the four men in the photograph only one would survive the war, Edward’s friend William Siddorn.

The Southern Grammar School Roll of Honour gives an account of Edward’s war after landing in France.