George Edwards was born at Eye, Suffolk, the son of George Edwards, a surgeon. He was sent for his education to the grammar schools at Great Yarmouth and Beccles and to Caius College,Cambridge, where he won a Tancred studentship. He completed his medical training at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, and proceeded to his M.B. degree in 1851. He settled in practice in London and was made assistant physician to St. Bartholomew’s in 1860, lecturer on forensic medicine in 1866, and physician in 1867. He was co-editor of the first three volumes of the Hospital’s Reports, but his most valuable work was contained in statistical reports, which he published annually in his capacity of medical registrar. He was also physician to the City of London Hospital for Diseases of the Chest; A small man, bullied at school, ragged at Cambridge, and envied at St. Bartholomew’s, he attained his position by sheer hard work and perseverance, and bore with great courage the distressing illness which cut short his promising career. He was an extreme Tory in politics, a strict Anglican in religion, and an uncompromising enemy of innovation in every sphere.

G H Brown

[Lancet, 1868; B.M.J., 1868; Moore, ii, 570; D.N.B., xvii, 118; Biog.Hist.of Caius College, ii, 277]