Edward was born on 17th March 1848 in Aberdeen, the youngest of Alexander Watkins' three sons by his first wife Mary Gray. He attended Aberdeen Grammar School from 1859 to 1860 and in 1864 went into partnership with his brother Frederick in the business FHG Watkins & Co., Woollen Manufacturers, which was declared bankrupt in August 1868.
After the failure of Watkins & Co. he married Charlotte Elizabeth Dickens on August 28th 1877 at the Baptist Chapel in Dunstable, Bedfordshire. Edward gave his occupation as book keeper and his address as 66, Spittal, Old Aberdeen, Scotland. They had had five children:
Family sources indicated that Edward and his family left Liverpool on April 2nd 1888. Their destination was not given, but they do not appear to have followed Jessie and other family members to New Zealand. In any event, Edward's death is recorded in Liverpool in December 1890. In 1891 Charlotte and three of the children were living with her mother, Mary Dickens, in Houghton Regis, Bedfordshire. In the census the Watkins children were Madeline A aged 11, Edward V aged 8, and Daisy G aged 5.
Of Lottie there was no mention in 1891, but she married Charles Bumpus Dickens in Luton in 1900 and they went to Liverpool where they were found in the 1901 census. Charlotte was still in Dunstable with the other children, and was described in the census as a dolls costumier and toy manufacturer. The children were Madeline aged 21 and Ethel aged 20, both working with Charlotte, Vincent aged 18 and Daisy aged 15. Later that year in Dunstable Madeline also married. Her husband was Charles' brother, William Palethorpe Dickins, aged 32, a bank manager living at 221 West Derby Road, Liverpool.
In 1911:
William and Annie Dickens were living in Walton, Liverpool with their children
Madeline Ruth Dickins, aged 8, and William Oliver Dickins, aged 4.
Charles and Lottie Dickins and their son Charles Vincent Dickins, aged 9,
were living in Liscard, Cheshire.
Charlotte Watkins, and Ethel Watkins were still in Dunstable
Edward Vincent Watkins was a schoolmaster in Taunton
Daisy and her husband Thomas Callan were living in Croydon, and they had
been married for less than a year.
Edward Vincent Watkins married Clara Grace Goodland on July 31st 1915 at Christ Church Purley, Surrey. He was aged 32, a schoolmaster living at Taunton School Somerset.