He was born enslaved in Greene County, Alabama in May 1840[2] and obtained his freedom in 1863.[3]Eric Foner documented him as Edmond Scarborough[3] and another newspaper listed him as Edward Scarborough.[4]
He was married to Martha in 1857, with whom he was listed as living with in Holmes County in both the 1900 and 1910 census.[2]
In 1866, he built, along with his brother-in-law, the first "negro" Methodist church in the county.[2]
He served in the Mississippi House with William B. Williams and Cicero Mitchell from Holmes County.[5]
At the 1875 Holmes County Republican Convention, he was assigned the position of Cotton Weigher.[6]
After his service to the legislature, he was a Deacon Elder of his church in which position he was reported to have baptised 500 people.[2]
He died sometime after 1912, at which point he was recorded as owning multiple urban lots and other property.[3]