Formerly with the Northumberland Fusiliers, Edwin died of his wounds on September 15, 1916, fighting with the 8th Yorks and Lancs, just a day before the tragic loss of the ten Shildon DLI men who fell at Flers Courcelette. Edwin was born at Brusselton in 1890 and on the 1891 census is at 10 North Terrace. His parents were Thomas Solomon of Barnard Castle and Annie Stockdale of Brough, Westmorland, which is where the couple married in October 1870. Edwin is the youngest of seven children in 1891, Margaret Ann, a dressmaker, is the oldest at 19, father Thomas is working as a fitter. A decade later and the Solomon’s are living at New Shildon in the Soho Cottages. Thomas Solomon is a foreman at the gasworks nearby and Edwin is the youngest of four children, aged twelve. In 1911 the family are living at Soho House, 21 year old Edwin is working with his father, but as a gas fitter-plumber. Edwin’s father would retire in 1911, which was reported in the Darlington & Stockton Times, Ripon & Richmond Chronicle, in July of that year:

colin adamson