Edith Oliver was born in the village of Springfield, Chelmsford, Essex on 29th September 1882.  She was the daughter of Samuel and Sarah A Oliver and appears on the 1891 census living at the family home in Arbor Lane, Springfield.  Samuel was a 44 year old warder at the local prison.  Sarah, one year older than he was, looked after the family home.  Six Oliver children are noted on the 1891 census, ranging in age from 17 to four.  They were: Arthur Oliver (aged 17, a printer’s apprentice), Herbert Oliver (aged 16, a fitter’s apprentice), Annie Oliver (a 12 year old scholar), Edith (aged eight), Gertrude Oliver (aged seven) and Kate A Oliver (aged four).  All of the children had been born in Springfield.  Samuel was from nearby Little Baddow and his wife from Boreham.

The 1881 census shows the family’s address as 20 Arbor Lane, Springfield.  Sarah is there (noted as a warder’s wife), with Arthur, Herbert and Annie.  Samuel appears on a separate return taken at Chelmsford prison.  The family had suffered a recent bereavement, Frederick Oliver, born in 1880, dying the same year in infancy.

By the time the 1901 census was taken, Edith Oliver had moved out of the family home in Springfield and was engaged as a nurse in the employ of Francis Symmons, a 37 year old solicitor living on Lexden Road, Colchester.  Francis and his wife had a six year old daughter, Dorothy, and Francis’ 70 year old father was also living with them.  Edith was one of four servants employed by the family.

It is not known for how long she was employed by the Symmons family or when she left them.  However, perhaps tiring of the duties she was undertaking and in need of a move, she had replied to an advertisement for a ‘Lady’s Companion’ and been interviewed by Miss Margaret Cotesworth of Roeheath, Chailey, the Lady in question.  Edith appears to have had no ties binding her to Essex and so she accepted the position when it was offered to her and packed her belongings for Sussex.  A birthday postcard in her personal album, addressed to her at Roeheath indicates that she was certainly providing companionable services to Miss Cotesworth as early as September 1910.

Again, it is unclear when Edith joined Sussex 54 VAD but with Margaret Cotesworth playing such a leading role in the detachment it would have been almost inconceivable that her “companion” would not also take part. 

Edith’s battered album contains entries from 129 sick and wounded soldiers that virtually span the entire war. Their stories appear HERE. There are also occasional photos, most of them, unfortunately, uncaptioned.  It would appear that some of the photos though, were given by Frances Blencowe as they are repeated in her own albums.  Edith Oliver, where she appears, is easily recognisable.  At six feet, two inches (according to her great nephew), she stands head and shoulders above her companions.