Edward Frederick Varley

Edward Varley farmed at Purleigh Hall, which was the name of the farm rather than of a grand residence, many locals farms also being "hall". He had married Catherine Editha Barber in 1938. He had some success with his horses in the local Hunt races.

Prior to the war, Edward Varley also appeared in the local papers for the wrong reasons, being fined in July 1939 for keeping 5 dogs without a licence (compulsory in those days) and earlier in March 1939 for driving under the influence of alcohol, when his licence was suspended for 3 years. At this trial the police noted a number of previous offences, including a 12 month driving ban and fine for the same offence in 1935. Fines for speeding and assaulting a Police Officer in Cambridge were held to be just student over exuberance. At the time he was an undergraduate. His wife was fined for showing too much light from the side lights on her car in November 1940.

In October 1943, he found himself before the Police Court again for driving a tractor at Cold Norton without a Road Fund licence or insurance, and also improperly.

In the book "Purleigh in Wartime", Sergeant E Varley is listed as one of three Home Guard Commandos.

He was initially with Maldon Patrol as a Private then Danbury Patrol as a Patrol Leader.

He is recorded as being discharged from Auxiliary Units. This may relate to his farm at Purleigh Hall being sold in March 1944, to Mr Rigby for £7,400, with Mr Varley presumably having to move elsewhere. The farm was described as being compact with 178 acres of arable and pasture. The residence was said to be well built, as it dated from the 1930s, the original 16th Century farm house having been destroyed in a fire in 1933. Much of the farm stock was sold off a month later.