A WELL-KNOWN Abingdon character who fostered more than 100 boys has died aged 96.

Frederick Mombassa Edwards was born on May 20, 1916, five minutes after his identical twin brother Albert Kitchener Edwards.

He died on Sunday, May 27, at Abingdon Community Hospital after suffering a heart attack following a hip replacement.

The twin brothers were known for serving in the Special Constabulary and Frederick served the town for 44 years. They also acted as town council mace bearers.

Son Michael Edwards, 62 of Champs Close, said: “Frederick and Bert were often known as “Mr Abingdon”. So many were the duties they performed between them, people forgot they were two people.

“Frederick’s passing brings an end to a colourful period in Abingdon’s history.”

One of Mr Edwards’ first jobs was driving a milk wagon aged 15 for George Gerring’s Vineyard Dairy which was owned by his mother’s family.

He served in the First Battalion Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry during the Second World War.

He married Kathleen Pabst in 1939 and in 1950 they had a son, Michael.

After the war he worked as a storeman and clerk with brother Bert as deputy.

When the Bury Street Precinct was built in the 1960s he was appointed warden. He became a civic warden when Abingdon became part of Oxfordshire in 1974.

He rose to chief inspector of the Special Constabulary and received both a long service award and the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Medal. He also served as a governor at Bessels Leigh School for 30 years and St Nicolas Primary School in Abingdon for 43 years.

In all he and his wife fostered 75 boys on a long term basis and another 50 for shorter periods –a role he cherished as the most rewarding of his life.

He also leaves behind two grandchildren – Nicole and Stephen, and two great granddaughters – Amelia, seven, and Imogen, three, as well as foster children Robert Edwards, Chris and Tony Hook, who became permanent members of the family. Frederick’s wife Kathleen and brother Albert passed away in the 1990s.