the story of Edward's fever and paralysis, adding the information that he was in Scutari Hospital and received a pension of 6d per day for six months which was made permanent after Florence Nightingale wrote to the Prince Consort and Edward "agitated through the papers." 1

So was Ralph Edwards really Edward Realf? If so, why did he leave the Royal Artillery before his wedding in 1848? Did he re-enlist to earn money to keep his wife and baby daughter? If so, why did he use an alias which he never, as far as I know, used anywhere but in the army? Did he desert before October 4th 1848 and if he did, why admit to having been in the Royal Artillery on his marriage certificate? I feel almost certain that Ralph is Edward but I am still trying to find answers to these questions.

Edward Realf died at Ridgewood, Uckfield in March 1895 and was buried in Little Horsted Churchyard on April 2nd of that year. Caroline lived on at 41 Horsted Green Cottages, Little Horsted, moving to live with her youngest son Joseph in West Hoathly after 1901. She died and was buried there in 1906.

[1] transcript of letter from Sarah Whapham to Thomas Suplee