Edward Britton was born in Bridgwater in 1870, one of nine children to Edward and Eliza Britton. Edward Sr was a mariner, and the family lived on the main road from the town to Bath.
There is a gap in the documentation for Edward Jr; when we next meet him on the 1911 census he is married with children of his own. His wife is Ada Olive Martin, the daughter of a bricklayer from Topsham in Devon. They had eight children, six of them girls, and, according to the document, Edward was working as a ‘deal carrier’, moving wood from the ships arriving in Bridgwater to the timber yard.
(from gloucesterdocks.me.uk)
Sadly, Edward’s service records are also sparse. He enlisted in the Royal Engineers as a Sapper and, given his age, it is likely that this was not early in the conflict. He was involved in the Inland Water Transport division – given his father’s work as a mariner, this doesn’t come as a surprise.
The Army Register of Soldiers’ Effects provides a surprising insight into Sapper Britton. It gives the date of his death, but notes the cause as “Drowned, River Stour, Kent”.
An inquest was held on Monday by Dr Hardman at the Military Hospital, Stonar, respecting the death of Sapper Edward Britton… who was drowned through the capsizing of a boat… It appeared that Britton was ferrying Lance-Corporal Griggs to a barge which was in tow with three others when a collision occurred, the boat overturned and Britton was drowned.
[Kentish Gazette: Saturday 7th September 1918]
Sapper Britton passed away on 26th August 1918, at the age of 48.
Edward Britton lies at rest in St John’s Cemetery in his home town of Bridgwater, Somerset.
Death and Service 
Edward is my Great-great Grandfather. I would love to know more about what happened to him. It is very odd that it did not make any newspapers at the time. Also strange that he drowned, given that his father was a mariner, I would have presumed he would know how to swim.
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Thank you for your message, and for letting my know of your connection to Edward. In the research I have done on the fallen, the lack of consistency in information always surprises me. With regard to the contemporary newspapers, it may well be that his death was reported, but copies of those newspapers may no longer exist (with the destruction caused during the Second World War, sometimes whole archives were just obliterated). Thank you for your comments.
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hello, I don’t know if you will receive this message but as far as I know Edward would also be my great, great grandfather. My mum Edna died last year, her mother was Winnifred Alexandra Lancaster (nee Britton) My grandparents are also interned in St John’s, Bridgwater.
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Hi there, Eileen,
Many thanks for your message, and apologies for the delay in replying.
I am always grateful to hear from relatives of those I have researched, and I hope Edward’s entry added a little background to his life for you.
Best wishes,
Richard
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