Researching Edward Wilkinson

As a priest he had the curacies of two consecutive parishes, then spent six years with his wife and children in South Africa as the inaugural Bishop of Zululand. Following a Cornwall incumbency, he was concurrently the rector of St Katherine Coleman, London, and coadjutor bishop of London for north and central Europe. Within this diocese he had the oversight of missions across ten nations. To reach all of his European chaplaincies meant a journey of over 14,000 miles; he made 82 of these episcopal tours.

He published several books, including a Zulu hymn book, an edition of his wife's Zululand journals, and his own travel book relating to his years in Europe. In his Who's Who entry, Wilkinson listed his recreation as "work".

Wilkinson was educated at Eton College and at Trinity College, Cambridge, though he appears to have left Cambridge University without taking a degree. As a right-handed lower-order batsman and wicketkeeper, he played in the Eton v Harrow match in both 1871 and 1872, captaining the side in the second year. At Cambridge, he was given three matches for the University side, and was wicketkeeper in at least one of them, perhaps all three, but made little impression as a batsman. His only innings of any length was an unbeaten 22 for the Gentlemen of the MCC against Kent in 1873: he also played in the same 12-a-side fixture in 1875.

Wilkinson left Cambridge University in the summer of 1873 after only a year and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the 60th King's Royal Rifle Corps, being promoted to lieutenant later the same year. He was adjutant of the 3rd battalion from 1875 and fought at the Battle of Gingindlovu in the Anglo-Zulu War in South Africa in 1879. Less than two years later, he was back fighting in South Africa and died in the aftermath of the Battle of Schuinshoogte; the newspaper report of the battle indicated that he was attempting to cross the flooded river to bring aid to wounded men from his battalion when he drowned.

Wilkinson's uncle, Charles Wilkinson, was also a first-class cricketer for Cambridge University.