Just six weeks old when the 1891 census was taken Edmund Robinson was born on 20th February and baptised two months later. At the time his parents were living at 16 Lower Howick Street, Alnwick, sharing the house with two other families. Father William Ralph Robinson was a self employed house painter, originally from Lichfield, Staffordshire who had married Alnwick born Elizabeth Cook in the summer of 1886 and they already had two children Amy Annie and George with young May being born in 1895.

By 1901 the family had their own house at 12 Queen Street, and Edmund remained living there with his parents and siblings working as a fishing rod maker. On 10th August 1913 he arrived in Canada on board the SS Megantic, with the intention of making for Toronto and establishing himself there.

On 11th November 1914 Edmund enlisted with the 20th (Central Ontario) Battalion as Private 57717 and six months later sailed with them from Montreal to Plymouth and a posting to West Sandling Camp, Kent. After four months training the Battalion travelled to France as part of the 4th Infantry Brigade, 2nd Canadian Division, where on arrival on 15th September 1915 they were given a section of the front line on the Ypres Salient near Messines to patrol and repair.

Whilst crossing a railway line near Battalion HQ on 2nd November Private Robinson fell and supposedly sprained his left knee. Initially treated locally he was invalided to England three weeks later, but it wasn’t until February 1916 that he was diagnosed with a loose cartilage in his left knee and a fractured tibia and he was transferred to Granville Specialist Hospital, Ramsgate. Having undergone surgery to remove the damaged cartilage he was then diagnosed with venereal disease and transferred to Cherry Hinton Hospital, Cambridge where he remained until the beginning of June.

Not classified as fully fit until December 1916, he was then posted to the 5th Reserve Battalion at Bramshott, Hampshire until he was posted back to the 20th Battalion rejoining them in France on 12th June 1917 at Coupigny Huts. The Battalion fought at Hill 70 in August 1917 and then moved on to Passchendaele and Cambrai before spending a relatively quiet winter holding trenches in the Vimy area.

After a period of leave in the UK in February 1918 Private Patterson was part of the Battalion that took part in the Battle for Amiens in the summer followed by fighting at Arras. After the armistice, the 20th marched 280 miles from Mons and crossing the Rhine at Bonn on 13th December 1918, took up their post as part of the Army of Occupation south-east of Cologne. The battalion returned to England on 7th April 1919, participating in the Victory Parade of Dominion Troops in London; and it was here on 10th June 1919 that Edmund Patterson chose to be demobilised rather than returning to Canada.

Edmund returned to live in Alnwick and in October 1921 married Catherine Theresa McFadden. The 1939 Register shows them living n Lindisfarne Road, Alnwick with Edmund still working as a fishing rod maker. He died on 1st July 1977 in Alnwick. It is not known where he is buried.

Edmund Robinson is remembered in Alnwick on A11.09