Life story shared by Pamela Moss, relative. With grateful thanks to Roger Titford (Supporters Trust at Reading), and Chris Lee for their contributions regarding Reading Football Club, including the photograph of Edward with the team.
Edward ‘Teddy’ KNOWLAND was born in Bristol in 1849, the son of James, a boilermaker, and his wife Eliza. The family moved briefly to Liverpool, but returned to Bristol where Edward grew up with his siblings James (born 1845), Elizabeth (1851) and William (1853). In the1871 census he was living at home with his widowed mother in Old Bread Street, Bristol, and was working as an engine fitter.
Soon afterwards he moved to Reading and started work in the engineering department of Huntley & Palmer’s biscuit factory. In 1877 he was the victim of a theft, reported in the Berkshire Chronicle: “Arthur Roberts pleaded guilty to stealing a gold Albert chain, the property of Edward Knowland, a fellow lodger at 81 Kings Road … and was sentenced to two months hard labour.”
On 03/05/1879, Edward married Fanny LAKE, the daughter of George LAKE and his wife Elizabeth, at St John’s Church, Reading. Fanny’s widowed mother had been running the Royal Sovereign public house in Kings Road, which may be where the couple met. In the 1881 census they were living at 26 Hatherley Road, Redlands, where they remained throughout their married life. Edward’s occupation was given as iron fitter/turner.
In 1882 Edward was involved in a rescue on the River Kennet not far from Huntley & Palmer’s. A report in the Reading Observer on 03/06/1882 (which misspelt Edward’s name as Nolan) stated that two girls had got into difficulties while playing in the river, which had deep holes left by recent dredging. Among those who came to their aid was James Cuthbert, who entered the water despite being unable to swim. He took hold of one of the girls, but lost his footing and sank into one of the holes. “Fortunately at this time a man named Nolan, an engineer at the Factory, came up, and seeing Cuthbert and the girl both in danger of being drowned, he rushed in and succeeded in bringing the little girl out, and assisting Cuthbert into the shallow water.”
A week later James Cuthbert wrote to the Observer refuting many of the details in the report. He claimed that he had landed the girl on the bank himself, and that Edward had not entered the water but had helped him to climb out from the bank. Edward’s response appeared the following week: “Sir, I was surprised to read Cuthbert’s account of the late narrow escape from drowning. I really cannot understand his motive in sending you such an erroneous statement. He says I did not jump in the water and rescue him. …He had hold of the child with his left hand, but she was under water. He was shouting for help when I came up and would undoubtedly have been drowned had I not jumped in and brought him to the side……Now Sir I think it very poor thanks after getting him out, and having to walk to Hatherley Road, Redlands, my address, with my wet clothes on…….I remain yours truly, Edward Knowland.”
Edward was a keen sportsman, and took part in various sporting activities with his work colleagues. He played, for instance, in an annual cricket match between the machine hands and bench hands of the engineering department, and also took part in the Reading Working Men’s Rowing Regatta with three other fitters. He later became a referee at the Regatta, and also officiated at other sporting events as starter, timekeeper, judge etc. In addition he sat on several organising committees, and in 1897 was the ‘indefatigable chairman’ of the committee which organised the Reading Biscuit Factory’s Athletic Club annual sports meeting.
Edward’s main passion, however, was football. There are no records of him as a player, but he appears to have been an early member of South Reading Football Club’s committee. He later joined Reading Football Club, and when it became a limited company in 1897 Edward was voted in as one of twelve directors. On 04/11/1899 the Reading Observer published an interview with Edward with the following introduction: “There are none more genial than the ever popular Mr Edward Knowland, a highly-esteemed director of the Reading Football Club. And certain it is that there is not a gentleman in the Berks County Town who has followed football more closely than he has during the past 25 years.”
On 14/06/1900 Fanny died suddenly at home due to complications from chronic bronchitis, which she had suffered for 20 years. She was buried in Division 63 of Reading Old Cemetery. The couple had no children and after her death Edward left Hatherley Road and spent the rest of his life as a boarder with various different families.
Edward continued as a director of Reading FC and was on the committee of the club’s annual fete, which raised funds for the team’s summer wages. At the 1903 fete he demonstrated his own footballing skills by winning the penalty kick competition! In 1910 the club was in danger of going out of business due to financial problems, and Edward was involved in the efforts to save it. Fortunately these were successful, and in the summer of 1912 Edward enjoyed a visit to Holland with the club. In May 1913 he also accompanied the team on their short tour to Italy during which they beat the Italian national side 2 – 0.
Later that year Edward suffered an accident at work, which was reported in the Faringdon Advertiser on 06/09/1913. “Mr E. Knowland, of Caversham, a well-known sportsman and director of Reading FC, fell down a pit whilst following his employment at Messrs Huntley & Palmer’s, and damaged his ribs, fracturing one of them. He was conveyed to the Royal Berkshire Hospital and after being treated was taken home, where he has since been confined to his room….Much sympathy will be felt for him, especially at the start of the football season.” It isn’t clear whether Edward returned to work, but in 1914 he was one of 270 special constables sworn in to assist the police for the duration of the 1st World War.
By the 1921 census Edward was retired and living as a boarder at 17 Southview Avenue, Caversham. He died on 23/02/1922, aged 72, of nephritis (kidney disease) and was buried with Fanny. John Blandford, a fellow director at Reading FC, attended the funeral, but no other details are known. Mr Blandford died 2 months later and both men were remembered at a meeting of Reading FC reported in the Reading Observer on 04/08/1922: “With profound regret and a keen sense of loss, everyone connected with the club will recall the deaths of Mr J.R. Blandford and Mr E. Knowland. Few indeed understand fully the real value of the services rendered by each of these gentlemen for upwards of a quarter of a century, and it is desired herewith to place upon record a meet appreciation of their good work.”
Division 63, Plot no 12952