he was proposed as its first president, but the deafness from which he was by this time suffering would alone have been an insuperable obstacle to his discharge of the office. After the completion of his Oxford engagement he retired to Niton in the Isle of Wight, and occupied himself with projects for a recast of his 'Memoirs of libraries,' with great alterations and improvements. A prospectus of the intended work was issued by Trübner & Co. Edwards negotiated for the appearance of a portion of it in the 'Library Chronicle,' and was understood to have collected considerable material for it, but it does not seem to be known whether this still exists. His last published book was a 'Handbook to Lists of Collective Biography,' undertaken in conjunction with Mr. C. Hole, the first and only part of which appeared in 1885. He also wrote the greater part of the article 'Newspapers' in the ninth edition of the 'Encyclopædia Britannica.' He died at Niton, 10 Feb. 1886. Notwithstanding serious faults and frequent failures, Edwards's name will always be associated with the history of librarianship in England. His services in connection with the free library movement were very valuable; and he did much to awaken attention to the defects of English libraries and librarianship. As a literary historian he was erudite and industrious, though not sufficiently discriminating. His works occupy a place of their own, and will always remain valuable mines of information. His opinions on library matters, whether expressed in his evidence before the museums committee or in his own writings, are almost always sensible and sound. They exhibit few traces of that vehemence of temperament and that incapacity for harmonious co-operation with others which were at the root of most of his failures, and placed him in a false position for so great a part of his life.
[Autobiographical passages in Edwards's writings; Memoirs in Academy and Library Chronicle; Reports of British Museum committees, 1835 and 1849; personal knowledge.]
EDWARDS, EDWIN (1823–1879), painter and etcher, born at Framlingham, Suffolk, on 6 Jan. 1823, a son of Mr. Charles Edwards of Bridgham Hall, Norfolk, was educated at Dedham, Essex, under Dr. Taylor. Early in life he studied law, and gave up a large and successful practice as an examining proctor in the admiralty and prerogative courts in order to follow his tastes as an artist. As a lawyer be wrote an 'Abridgment of Cases in the Prerogative Court;' 'A Treatise on the Jurisdiction of the High Court of Admiralty;' and 'Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction, a Sketch,' 1833. From 1860 Edwards devoted all his time and energy to art. First he painted in water-coloure. In 1861 he made the acquaintance of Fantin Latour, Jacquemart, and other well-known French artists, and commenced painting in oil. His pictures of the Cornish coast scenery attracted considerable attention at the Royal Academy exhibition in Trafalgar Square, and his 'Gainsborough Lane' was much admired in 1877. As an etcher his works are numerous, about 371, consisting of scenes of the Thames at Sunbury, English cathedral cities, wild Cornish coast, scenes in Suffolk, &c. He also published a work upon 'Old Inns of England,' profusely illustrated with etchings. He married Elizabeth Ruth, and died on 15 Sept. 1879. An exhibition of Edwards's paintings, water-colours, and etchings was held at the Continental Galleries, 168 New Bond Street, soon after his death.
[Journal des Beaux-Artsillustré, October 1879; Gazette des Beaux-Arts, 1 Nov. 1879; La Vie Moderne, 4 Oct. 1879; L'Art, 23 Nov. 1879.]
EDWARDS, GEORGE (1694–1773), naturalist, born at Stratford, Essex, 3 April 1694, was taught in early years by a clergyman named Hewit, who kept a public school at Leytonstone, and afterwards served an apprenticeship in Fenchurch Street, London. As a youth he had an opportunity of examining the library of Dr. Nicholas, and read incessantly. At the expiration of his apprenticeship he spent a month in Holland; in 1718 went to Norway, and was captured at Friedrichstadt by Danish soldiers, who suspected him of being a spy. He journeyed through France in 1719 and 1720, partly on foot. On returning home he began to make coloured drawings of animals, which fetched good prices. James Theobald, F.R.S., proved a zealous patron; and after an excursion in Holland, in 1731, Edwards was appointed (December 1733), on Sir Hans Sloane's recommendation, librarian of the Royal College of Physicians. The publication of his 'History of Birds' began in 1743, and occupied him till 1764. On St. Andrew's day 1760 Edwards was presented with the gold medal of the Royal Society, of which he was afterwards elected a fellow. He became a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries 13 Feb. 1762. About 1764 Edwards retired to Plaistow, and died of cancer and stone 23 July 1773. He was buried in West Ham churchyard. A portrait by Dandridge was engraved by J. S. Millar in 1764. His chief work, 'The History of Birds,' was dedicated to God. The first volume appeared in 1743, the second in 1747, the third in 1750, and
