EDWARD DUDLEY was born in 1849 to Thomas H. Dudley and his wife, the former Emeline Matlack. His father was one of Camden's leading citizens and played a vital role in national politics and as a diplomat both during and after the Civil War. He served as Camden County Clerk, and authored Camden's first city charter. The "Dudley Charter" would serve Camden until 1871. An early member of the Republican party, he was a delegate to the Republican national convention in Chicago in 1860, and was instrumental in securing the presidential nomination for Abraham Lincoln.  He was the American consul in Liverpool from 1861 to 1872, during which time he settled the Alabama Claims.

Thomas Dudley owned a large estate along Federal Street in what is now East Camden, centered by his mansion and known as Dudley Grange.

Edward Dudley followed his father into the practice of law, beginning in 1874. He was was quite successful professionally. Personally his life did not go well. He married Mary Shaw, who appears to have died in childbirth in April of 1879 while giving birth to a son, also Edward Lawrence Dudley. On November 15, 1881 he married May T. Brooks of Boston, Massachusetts in Boston. This marriage produced a daughter, May Irene Dudley. Sadly, this marriage also ended, most likely again to the death of the then Mrs. Dudley. Professionally he was well respected and was promoted as a legislative candidate in the 1890s but decided that he was not interested in running for office.

In 1898 Edward Dudley married Mary Mulock in Naples, Italy. A socialite from Philadelphia, she was 25 years his junior and appears to have married entirely for money. By 1905 Edward Dudley had enough, and divorce proceedings were instituted. Mrs. Dudley counter-sued and the Dudleys were in and out of the courts and the newspapers even after Edward Dudley's passing. The notoriety and the time spent defending himself from frivolous legal action too up much of his time and in is own wordsm destroyed his legal practice. Edward Dudley died at The Grange on September 13, 1920.