Soldiers’ Stories: John Edwards (1st Life Guards)
A tunic with an incredible tale…
On display for the very first time, this tunic belonged to that of John Edwards of the 1st Life Guards.
John Edwards was born on the 4 October 1799 in Westminster, London and joined the 1st Life Guards (1st LG) in 1809 aged just 9 years old and under 4 feet tall.
At the time, the British Army employed many boy soldiers who would largely be used as trumpeters or drummers and therefore placed in the vulnerable positions close to senior commanders to broadcast instructions to the troops.
On the 18th June 1815, at the Battle of Waterloo, John was a 1st LG Trumpeter and assigned to the Household Cavalry Brigade Commander, Lord Robert Somerset. He was just 16 years of age. The Household Brigade consisted of 1st and 2nd Life Guards, the Royal Horse Guards (the Blues) and the 1st Dragoon Guards, approximately 1250 men and horses.
At 2pm, John blew this Field Bugle on command, which started the Brigades move into battle with the enemy. At this time, the French were starting to break through the allied lines, so the cavalry’s involvement was paramount. The ‘charge’ initiated by John’s bugle halted the French advance but came at a great cost with approximately 50% of the cavalrymen either being killed or wounded.
John served for many years post Waterloo, being discharged c1830 and he was allowed to keep his original bugle, which he gave to the regiment in 1870. John was a Queen’s Yeoman of the Guard and later an Out-Pensioner at the Royal Hospital Chelsea. He died in 1875.
John’s son donated his Waterloo medal after his death and the tunic was gifted to the museum by his four times Great Grandson. We are incredibly grateful to the family for donating these items to the museum’s collection.
With the support of the Life Guards Association, this tunic underwent conservation by the Royal School of Needlework.
The tunic was lightly surfaced clean with a low suction conservation hoover and soft brushes with spot cleaning in areas with staining. The areas of moth and insect damage were supported with a suitable natural fabric and surface couched to prevent any further increase in size. In the weaker areas, the holes were covered with a specially dyed conservation net. The quilted lining was covered in a conservation net and stitched into place along the lines of quilting to maintain the essence of the piece. As we were unable to deconstruct the jacket all stitching was undertaken using curved needles.
It is now proudly on display at Horse Guards.