Joseph Edwards

Who was Joseph Edwards?

Joseph Edwards was a Welsh sculptor.

Edwards was born in Merthyr Tydfil, the son of a stonemason, and went to school in Merthyr. At the age of seventeen, he saw the collection of Celtic stone crosses at Margam Abbey and decided to become a sculptor. Apprenticed to a memorial mason in Swansea, he was quickly promoted, and in 1835 he went to London to work for William Behnes. In 1837 he became a student at the Royal Academy, where he won several prizes for his work. His early works include a memorial to Sir John Bernard Bosanquet. Another memorial monument, entitled "Religion", was shown at an international exhibition in 1862. His work can be seen in churches throughout England and Wales. He made busts of many contemporary figures. In 1881, sponsored by George Frederic Watts, he was awarded a pension under the Turner bequest, but he died shortly after receiving it. He was buried in Highgate Cemetery.