Background
Edwards was the eldest son of William Edwards (1720–1808) of Halifax, who in 1784 set up James and a younger son, John, as the firm of Edwards & Sons in Pall Mall, London.
Edwards was the eldest son of William Edwards (1720–1808) of Halifax, who in 1784 set up James and a younger son, John, as the firm of Edwards & Sons in Pall Mall, London.
John died soon afterwards, and the business was continued by James. A third son, Thomas (d 1834), was a bookseller in Halifax. Richard, another son, at one time held a government appointment in Minorca.
Around 1804, having acquired a fortune, he decided to retire, and with the Bedford Missal and other literary and artistic treasures he went to live at a country seat in the neighbourhood of Old Verulam.
He was succeeded by Robert Harding Evans. The house was finely situated among gardens, in which was an alcove mentioned by Dibdin, some of whose imaginary bibliomaniacal dialogues are set in the surrounding grounds.
He died at Harrow 2 January 1816, at the age of fifty-nine, leaving five children and a widow, who afterwards married the Review
Thomas Butt of Kinnersley, Shropshire.
His last instructions were that his coffin should be made out of library shelves. A monument to his memory, sculpted by Peter Turnerelli, is in Harrow Church. Edwards was Dibdin"s "Rinaldo, the wealthy, the fortunate, and the heroic".
Some of his books were sold by Christie, 25–28 April 1804.
The remainder, a choice collection of 830 articles, fetched the sum of £8,467. 10s. when it was sold by Evans 5–10 April 1815.