Edward Charles Close (Senior) (12 March 1790 – 7 May 1866)[2] was a British soldier, engineer, New South Wales colonial magistrate, member of the New South Wales Legislative Council, and early European settler in Morpeth.

[3][4] He was born at Rangamati, British India (in what is now Bangladesh) and was the only child of merchant Edward and Marianne Collinson, daughter of Michael Collinson.

They settled with Marianne's brother Charles Streynsham Collinson on his estate at the Chantry, Ipswich.

[6] Enlisted in the army in 1808, he served in the Peninsular War as lieutenant in the 48th Regiment.

[5] In 1822 he resigned from the army to settle in a 2,560 acre property in Morpeth.