Background
Edwards was born in Shrewsbury, educated at Shifnal Grammar School, and was a qualified solicitor, being admitted in 1871.
cricketer association football player
Edwards was born in Shrewsbury, educated at Shifnal Grammar School, and was a qualified solicitor, being admitted in 1871.
He was called into the England side as a late replacement for another Shrewsbury-born player, John Wylie. He made his solitary England appearance on 7 March 1874 against Scotland, playing as an inside forward. In 1876, he only made two appearances for, both in the Cup Final when he played at centre forward against the Old Etonians.
In the first match, played at Kennington Oval on 11 March 1876, Edwards scored the first goal, turning in a cross from Charles Wollaston.
Edwards had been instrumental in helping to establish the Welsh Football Association, serving as its first treasurer in 1876. A week after the Final replay, Edwards played for the Wales national team in their inaugural match, played at Hamilton Crescent, Partick on 25 March 1876.
The match ended in a 4–0 victory for the Scots. Edwards was one of two players to play at full international level for both England and Wales, the other being Robert Evans, who made ten appearances for Wales and then played four times for England.
He also played in representative matches for North Wales and Staffordshire.
Edwards was also a useful cricketer and played for Shropshire for several years and served the club as secretary, as well as for Warwickshire county (not first-class) and Shrewsbury Cricket Club. He was later clerk to Shrewsbury magistrates court for nineteen years until his death on 14 January 1893, while convalescing from throat infection at Old Colwyn in Wales. He was buried in the General Cemetery at Longden Road, Shrewsbury.
He was also a member of the Wanderers team, making his first appearance on 4 March 1874, scoring in a 4–0 victory over Westminster School.