Edward Adie

Edward was born into a large family, the seven child of eleven who survived into adulthood. His grandfather, Thomas, had founded a business in Voe which was still operating as Edward came of age to work. The business originally began as a general merchants, it expanded into fish curing during the Faroese fishing boom, and exported salt fish to Europe. The arrival of steamships and changing fortunes in the fishing trade saw the company pivot into woolen goods.

Edward did not immediately join the family business. Instead, he and brother Douglas emigrated to Canada where they bought land and began lumberjacking. At the outbreak of WWI, Edward joined the Canadian Scottish Infantry and reached the rank of Captain. His foot was severely wounded in France and he received a Military Cross.

He returned to Canada for four years after the war, before returning to Shetland to take over the family business, after the retiral of James Adie. Edward grew the businesses woolen trade considerably, and the company was among the first in Shetland to deploy knitting machines. The company's produce was used by adventurers in the 1953 British Everest Expedition.

During WWII, Edward not only continued to run the business with a reduced number of staff, he was also County Convener, and second in command to the Home Guard to Arthur Nicolson.