TWO members of staff from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) visited Crediton Parish Church during the afternoon of Wednesday, August 10 to erect a replacement headstone for Edward Adams, one of four individuals whose grave is under their care in the churchyard.

The governors of Crediton Parish Church receive a small sum of money from the CWGC each year for grass trimming around the four headstones, but responsibility for the upkeep of the headstones and keeping them clean remains with the CWGC.

Keith Parsons of the Crediton Area History Museum Society has carried out research on Edward Adams, who was a private in the 3rd Battalion of the Canadian Infantry and died on January 1, 1915.

His attestation papers show his date of birth as 1871 when in fact he was born in 1861. It is known that older men often tried to disguise their age to sign up, including putting black boot polish in their hair. New recruits for the Canadian Expeditionery Force (CEF) were supposed to be between 18 and 45 years of age.

Edward was the eldest son of Richard and Mary Adams, of Crediton, and husband of Agnes Adams, of Toronto, Ontario.

Two of Edward’s sons also fought with the CEF, Arthur Ernest who was to win the Military Medal and a younger brother Arthur, both of whom survived.

The results of Keith’s research can be found on the website: www.creditonhistory.org.uk .