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Edward was the eldest child of Rev Henry Bedford and Mabel Elizabeth Pim. He was educated at Amesbury (Bickley) before attending Wellington College from 1908 to 1912/3.

He was a contemporary of Donald Hay (also on the memorial). Like Hay, he spoke at the Debating Society, including one occasion where he and Hay were on opposite sides of the debate. He played rugby and also took part in cross-country running. He performed well academically; in 1911 he won prizes for Mathematics and for English Composition, in 1913 he won prizes for English, Reading, Divinity and History, and the Talbot Medal for Merit. He became Head of the Murray Dormitory, and a School Prefect. He was also Head of the Rifle Corps and became a Lieutenant in the OTC. In 1912 he was elected to a Scholarship at Worcester College, Oxford but entered University College in 1913.

On the outbreak of war Edward was gazetted to the 3rd Wessex Brigade of the Territorial Field Artillery, commanded by his uncle Colonel E H Bedford Pim. He was seriously ill in camp at Cosham in 1914, and for a time resigned his commission, taking it again in the same brigade in July 1915. He served in several camps in England and as instructor at the artillery school in Bulford. The school closed in 1917 and he then went to the Front in September, was wounded in October in Flanders and returned to England in December. He went out again in March 1918 and was seriously wounded in April, losing his left arm. Having been discharged from hospital on 28th June, he developed acute pneumonia and died on 5th July. His funeral was held at St Mary's Plaistow on 9th July. He was buried with full military honours. The coffin was borne from the church to the cemetery on a gun carriage supplied by RFA from Woolwich, drawn by six black horses.

Thank you to Wellington College for their assistance.