Biography of Edgar reginald Folker

Malcolm Smith's Family History Archive

Biography of

Edgar Reginald FOLKER

[Ref. Q.3]

Edgar Reginald Folker was born on 23 October 1884 at 106 St.Georges Road, Upper Holloway, London. He was known as Eddie and was the third in a family of five children. The census of 1891 shows him living with his family at Beulah in Albert Terrace, Wolstanton in Staffordshire. His father was employed by Crown Derby Pottery in Stoke-on-Trent.

Eddie attended St.Pauls College in Southgate then Willesden High School. There is a reference to him attending Woodland College. At some time he was a junior at Cambridge College of Preceptors in Bloomsbury Square which indicates that he was learning to become a teacher. He was in the choir at St.Michaels church at Stonebridge Park.

He started work as an apprentice to The Vauxhall Iroworks Company Limited in Wandsworth Road, Vauxhall. They were marine engineers but had already diversified into the manufacture of motor cars. The census of 1901 records Edgar's occupation as Apprentice (Marine Engineering). At that time he was lodging at 1 Studley Road in Lambeth, the home of Arthur and Rose Simms and their children. Two years later he obtained a driving licence. Manufacture of Vauxhall cars was moved to Luton in 1905, next door to West Hydraulic Engineering Co and they formed a joint company. In that year, Eddie was driving one of their cars from Liverpool to London, when he was involved in a collision in Daventry which resulted in a court case. Vauxhall Motors became a separate company in 1907. It appears that Eddie progressed so well with Vauxhall that he drove a special car at the Isle of Man trials. The company, to begin with, were well known for their sport models. The Y-Type Y1 saw success at the 1908 RAC and Scottish 2000 Reliability Trials. It also saw massive success at the Brooklands circuit. So much so it accomplished 200 miles at an average speed of 46mph. It is known that Eddie drove in speed tests other than the Isle of Man, some of which were at Brooklands. It is also known that in 1910, a Vauxhall became the first 20HP car to exceed 100mph. A Vauxhall 30-98 finished second in the 1914 Russian GP (behind a 15 litre Benz) and this was the only occasion that a Vauxhall placed in a National Grand Prix. A Vauxhall A-30-98 came second in the 1914 Russian Grand Prix. Eddie's niece Dora recalled that he was a racing driver and drove for Siddeley Deasy at Brooklands.

Eddie joined the Rover Company where he became assistant manager. There is a lovely photograph of the entire family taken outside the family home at 12 Park Road, Harlesden in 1907. The occasion is the wedding of his cousin, John Herbert Folker, to Marie van Dillen and the couple are sitting in a Rover 20 car which one must presume Edgar had provided and was driving. He eventually started his own business in the motor trade, having a showroom at 60 Haymarket in London however, his eagerness in driving led to several convictions for motoring offences as reported in his local newspaper.

The entry in the Telephone Directories between 1911 and 1914 list him as a motor & car dealer, his telephone number being GERrard 8600. The Post Office Directory for 1915 still showed this address although he had died early that year. His telegraph address was Vanquisher, Charles. He was a member of The Motor Club at Whitcomb Street, not far from his showroom. Between 1910 and 1914, the Electoral Registers show that Eddie was living at his parents home at 12 Park Road Harlesden, but as a lodger in a single furnished room at the front of the top floor of the house, and was paying rent of 10/- per week to his mother.

As an adult, he was described by his niece, Dora Folker (to whom he was godfather), as a dashing man with black curly hair.

Eddie was a keen sportsman. He was a member of The Thames Rowing Club which was originally formed in 1860 for the purpose of "organised pleasure or exercise rowing". He represented them at various regattas including Henley. There is a story regarding an event at Goring Regatta when his rigger broke. Realising that he was a dead weight, he discarded his oar then dived off coming up behind the boat after the last oar had passed. He was also a member of Twickenham Rowing Club which is located on Eel Pie Island. It was founded on 26th July 1860 and is, jointly with Thames Rowing Club, the third oldest of the rowing clubs on the Thames. Edgar's name is listed on their War Memorial at the club. Additionally, he was a member of The Remenham Club, which was formed in 1909 by Members of Metropolitan and Up-River Clubs, to establish a meeting place at Henley for past and present rowing men, their families and personal friends.

Along with his brothers Arthur and Sydney, Edgar joined the York and Lancaster Regiment in World War 1. His Application for Appointment was completed and signed by him on 13 August 1914. The application indicated that he was able to ride a horse. On 15 August he joined the 3rd (Reserve) batallion where he served in the rank of 2nd lieutenant. His fitness form details his physical attributes recording that he was 6'3" tall, weighed just over 14 stones, had good vision but had three false teeth on a bottom plate. On 15 January 1915, Edgar embarked at Southampton for France. Tragically, just over five weeks later he was killed in action. On 22 February, Edgar's father had received the dreaded telegram notifying his death.

A memorial service was held at St.Michaels church at Stonebridge Park on 13 March 1915 and an obituary appeared in the Willesden Chronicle on 26th. Edgar's father was devastated by his death and kept a shrine in the house with his photograph and medals on display. An obituary held in The Bond of Sacrifice Book gave an account of Edgar's life.

Edgar had made a Will on arrival in France on active service. Administration was made to his father on 29 March 1915. An extract from the Letters of Administration show the gross value of Edgar's estate as being Ł2229:8s:4d.

Tragedy spread further to Edgar's girl friend, Peggy Trull, who suffered injury to her spine when diving into a swimming pool and was subsequently paralysed and confined to a wheelchair.

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