Warden of Girdlers Hall in 1960.
Andrew Behan has kindly provided this research: Edward Calcott Pryce was born on 16 May 1884 in 'Trelydan', Guilsfield, Welshpool, Montgomeryshire, Wales, the elder son of David Pryce (1857-1933) and Jane Pryce née Rogers (1859-1921). His father was a farmer and a preacher. His brother, David Glyndwr Price (1894-1979) was born on 27 January 1894, also in Guilsfield.
The 1901 census shows him living at Great Weston, Church Stoke, Montgomeryshire, with his parents, brother, two female domestic servants and three men working on the farm, i.e. a cattleman, a horse keeper and a waggoneer. He was educated at both the Welshpool County School and at Aberystwyth before attending the University of London and obtaining his Bachelor of Arts degree. He qualified as a solicitor, obtaining his LL.B. (Legum Baccalaureus) in 1909. The 1911 census shows him living at 18 Gordon Road, Cardiff, Wales and giving his occupation as a solicitor. On 20 July 1911 he married Sylvia Jane Middleton (1884-1967) of Arbroath, Scotland, at St Andrew's Church, Cardiff.
In the 1910 London County Council Elections he stood, unsuccessfully, as a candidate for the Progressive Party (a party that was aligned to the Liberal Party for contesting municipal elections) in Hackney North.
During World War One he served first as a Lieutenant and later as a Captain in the Royal Field Artillery (Territorial Force). He entered France on 15 November 1915 but was injured and was issued with a Silver War Badge, certificate number B230804, on 21 November 1919 and this was sent, as were his subsequently issued 1914-15 Star, British War Medal 1914-1918 and Victory Medal, to his home at Brent Knoll, Balgores Lane, Gidea Park, Romford, Essex.
The 1920 edition of the Post Office London Directory lists him as a parliamentary agent (firm Arthur Taylor & Co), 1 Queen Victoria Street, EC4. He stood as a National Liberal party candidate in the 1922 general election for the Ludlow Constituency in Shropshire, but lost. In 1923 there was a by-election in the same constituency, which he again lost, standing a Liberal party candidate.
On 12 November 1923 he applied to be admitted to the Freedom of the City of London by redemption, being a solicitor occupying premises at 2 Fenchurch Avenue. The Post Office London Directory of 1925 lists him not only as (firm Arthur Taylor & Co) 2 Fenchurch Avenue, London, EC3 and at 'Oaklands', Squirrels Heath, Romford, Essex, but also in its Solicitor Classified Section as (firm, C. G. Scott, son & Pryce) 35 New Broad Street, EC2. The London Gazette informs that the partnership between himself and Alfred Taylor trading as Alfred Taylor & Co was dissolved by mutual consent on 26 April 1926.
Kelly's 1929 Directory shows him still at 'Oaklands', Station Road, Squirrels Heath, Romford and this address was also shown in the Post Office London telephone directory that also listed his business as E. C. Pryce, Solicitor, 1 Berners Street, W1. Telephone directories from 1930 to 1941 show his business as Pryce Calcott & Co, Solicitors, 16 Soho Square, London, W1. Telephone directories until 1933 show his home to be in Squirrels Heath, but from 1934 to 1944 they show him as a Justice of the Peace living at 'Ponders', Margaretting, Ingatestone, Essex.
In 1940 he was awarded the O.B.E. and The Post Office London Directory of 1941 shows him as a member of City of London Common Council for the Aldgate Ward and his address as 24 to 28 St Mary Axe, EC3. From 1946 and for several years thereafter he was appointed by H. M. The King as one of his many Lieutenants in the City of London. Being a Freeman in the Company of Horners he is shown as an elector in the 1947 register occupying premises at Baltic Exchange Chambers, St Mary Axe, EC3 and these registers continued to list him in these chambers until 1958.
Telephone directories from 1948 show his home address as Durrington House, Sheering Lower Road, Harlow, Essex. (In 2020 the house is owned by Rod Stewart).
In 1956 he was appointed as the Sheriff of Montgomeryshire and the following year was awarded the C.B.E. He later moved to 'Bod Issa', Guilsfield, Welshpool, where he died, aged 88 years, on 20 October 1972. When probate was granted on 9 January 1973 his estate totalled £117,147.
