Edward was educated at St Andrews, Grahamstown and at Caius College, Cambridge - entering at St Mary's hospital in 1910 he qualified in 1912. He was keen on rugby football and played for Caius College in a strong year and was one of the main stays of the Hospital IV, captaining it in 1912-1913. He remained at St Mary's Hospital, acting as house physician and house surgeon, and was then appointed second assistant pathologist - a post he was holding when he volunteered for service in the R.A.M.C. when war was declared. After a few weeks in England he became attached to the 1st Bn. Loyal North Lancashire Regiment as their medical officer and entered the war in France on 21st August 1914. He was killed by a sniper, who shot him though the head whilst he was attending to some wounded soldiers. Officers of the Regiment told of their high regard for him as medical officer and how "his men simply loved him, and a private who had been under his care nearly wept when he heard that he had been killed."