Harry Edgar Osborne was one of six children to Alice Osborne. By 1901, Alice had been widowed. Her husband George had died in his forties. George had been one of the landlords of the Wellington Hotel in High Street, Nelson. His occupation was actually listed as an ‘Aerated water manufacturer’. This suggests to me that he produced mineral water or it may even have been an early description for fizzy drinks. This property is now occupied by the Wellington Stores builders merchants. Alice came from the nearby village of Trelewis, but was born in Ashleworth, Gloucestershire, the daughter of Joseph Howell. Their children were:

Annie - born in Nelson in 1874
Bertie - was born in 1877
Harry Edgar - born in 1879,
Charles Augustus - born abt 1884
Florence May - was born in 1886, and
Alice - born in 1888.

After George died, the family moved along the street to:

29, High Street, Nelson

The family must have either had some standing in the area. Even without a male head of the house, the family were able to employ a domestic servant named Flora Grey.

They may have been assisted by the both males being in fairly well-paid occupations.
Bertie was a manager in a mineral water works. Maybe he took this position following the death of his father.
Harry Edgar was employed as a land surveyor.

In 1904, Harry married Florence Rebecca Rees, who was born in Gelligaer in around 1881. Then, in about 1906, their only child to date was born, Thomas Douglas Rees Osborne.
The Osbornes were still in Nelson at this time, but before 1911, they had moved to 46, Amesbury Road, Cardiff where they lived, along with Florence’s mother Mary Ann Rees, who was a widow.

Harry is still a land valuer and is shown as working for the inland revenue.

News:

August 28^th 1915.

Wounded at the Dardanelles.

Official news has reached Nelson the 2^nd Lieutenant Harry E Osborne, 5^th Welsh Regiment has been wounded at the Dardanelles. Lt Osborne is a Nelson boy being the eldest surviving son of the late Mr George Osborne and Mrs Osborne, Fairfield House, Nelson. He is married to a niece of Major T H Dowdeswell (Llanstephan) and Captain W Dowdeswell, Treharris.
He takes a keen interest in all kinds of sport and is, without doubt, one of the finest miniature rifle shots in Wales, being the winner of numerous cups and medals, whilst he has also represented Wales in international shooting contests.

Sept 4^th 1915.

In a letter home from Private Tom Osborne he writes:

Somewhere on the Gallipoli – August 29^th
Up to present I am quite well. I sent to tell you yesterday that Lt Osborne had been killed, but this is not correct. I spoke to one of the boys who brought him back. He is wounded in the leg.

October 12^th 1915.

Mrs Osborne, 69, Shingrg Road received a notice stating that her husband, Lieutenant Harry E Osborne, 5^th Welsh was wounded in the Gallipoli Peninsula on August 10^th and is now missing.

[Source: Merthyr Express]