Edbrook, John

Singer

Collection date: Jan 1904

Area: Devon

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John Edbrook at Bishops Nympton, North Devon (1860-1936): age 41, 9 songs (FT107-113) on 11 Jan 1904: John Edbrook was baptised on 19/2/1860 at Withycombe, Somerset, eldest of 7 children of James Edbrook, a thatcher, and his wife Ann. His surname was spelled with an ‘e’ (Edbrooke) but this was dropped in later records.

He left home and moved down into North Devon, where in Oct qr 1889 he married Emma Peagam of Bishops Nympton. John was an agricultural labourer all his life. In 1901 John and Emma were living at nearby Mariansleigh village with their 5 children (RG13/2139 f64 p5). They must have moved back to Bishops Nympton by the time John met Sharp in 1904. Emma died in 1906. John could not sign the 1911 census form, so was perhaps illiterate. He probably died Jan qr 1936 (Barnstaple 5b 606).

Note: John was the eldest brother of singer Elizabeth Edbrook(e), who later sang for Sharp at Withycombe in 1908.