Edith Marie Phillips was born in the agricultural village of Franche near Kidderminster, Worcestershire. Her first listing in a census was in 1891 in central Birmingham where she lived in The Swan, public house working as a barmaid. The Swan Hotel was a haunt of diarist, Samuel Johnson, a century earlier.
In 1892 she married John Allen Vernon Crockford in Kings Norton, Birmingham.
In 1897, John's father Allen died and by 1901 the couple were living in Rhyl, Flintshire where John was listed as a retired draper. The couple had four children; Winifred (b 1893), Gwendoline b (1894) and twins Doris and Allen born in 1897. Doris died in 1902, and by 1911 Winifred and Gwendoline were boarding at The Laurels school in Dunchurch and Allen was a scholar at home. The family were living in Edgbaston and her husband, John, was once again a Draper at Crockford and Grove.
In 1915, Edith and John moved to Downview Road, Heene, Worthing. Allen joined the Army and the whereabouts of her daughters is unknown. Her husband, John, took over a large Draper's shop in Chapel Road Worthing.
Her son, Allen, won a commission to the army in 1915 and was later decorated for war service. He then studied medicine at Cambridge University and became an honorary surgeon to George V1 and Queen Elizabeth II. Gwendoline became a physiopherapist and Winifred a bank clerk.
Edith and John moved to 206 Preston Road in Hove in the 1920's where they lived until 1936. They moved to 2 Aymer Road, Hove where John died in 1938. In 1939 Edith moved to 100A Grand Avenue, Worthing.
Edith died on 13 March 1954 at 112 Reigate Road, West Worthing. Her effects of £3882 were left to her son, Allen Lepard Crockford who was the Secretary to St Thomas' Medical School.