Edward John Harris was born in Southampton, Hampshire, England in late 1883.

He was the son of Charles Fitzgerald Harris (1861-1948), a bricklayer, and Eliza Jane Wheeler (b. 1859), Southampton natives who had married in 1880.

Edward was one of twelve children, his siblings being: Alice (b. 1879), William Charles (b. 1882), Ada Jane (b. 1886), Annie (b. 1890), Eliza (b. 1891), Herbert Edward (b. 1893), Harry (b. 1895), twins Kate and Grace (b. 1897), Charles Victor (b. 1899) and Frederick (b. 1900).

Edward first appears on the 1891 census and at the time he and his family were living at 8 Ivy Road, South Stoneham. Edward and his brother, it seems initially, became a bricklayer's labourer like his father and would be listed as such on the 1901 census when he was still living with his family at 68 Northcote Road, Portswood, Southampton. He later went to sea and would be absent from the 1911 census when his family were living at 6 Kingsbury Road, Bevois Valley, Southampton.

When he signed on to the Titanic, on 6 April 1912, he gave his address as 83 Belgrave Road, (Southampton). His previous ship had been the Oceanic. As a fireman he could expect monthly wages of £6.

Edward Harris died in the sinking. His body, if recovered, was never identified.