Edward Henry Bagley was born to Edward Bagley and his wife Lucy Bagley (nee Longhurst) on the 4th March 1879. The family lived at 17 Wightman Street, Plaistow, London. His father worked as a labourer at a soap works, and by the time of the boy's baptism on the 29th October at St John the Evangelist Church, the family moved to 15 York Street, North Woolwich.
A brother was born in 1881, but by the time of the next census in 1891, Lucy had died. Edward Henry and his father were then living with the elderly grandmother Mary Bagley at 75 Elizabeth Street, North Woolwich.
The father Edward Bagley, a fireman, died in 1898, so his son stayed living with his grandmother and found work as a labourer. He then went to live with his aunt Priscilla Susannah Rogers and her family at 11 Southchurch Gardens, East Ham.
On the 22nd August 1909, Edward Henry married local girl Edith Lily Inward at St Bartholomew's Church, East Ham. His occupation was given as a ship's bedroom steward. They had at least one child, a daughter Gladys in early 1910.