Harold Kingsley Edge was born in New Ferry in 1897. His father, William Henry Edge, ran the butcher's shop founded by his father John, and Harold was born in the upstairs living accommodation.

Harold was the second of four children. His older brother Stan went into the family business – still run today by Stan's grandson Callum – which freed Harold to pursue his ambition of becoming an artist. He enrolled at Birkenhead Art School.

That career was interrupted when he joined up. He enlisted at Wrexham into the 1st Denbigh Hussars Yeomanry and was moved to France with the Machine Gun Corps and Tank Corps. He took part in the battle of Cambrai and was killed on 1 December 1917.

Various of his paintings are still treasured by his brother Stan's descendants.

Simon Edge