Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 04.djvu/145

 FLORENCE

FLOWER

FLORENCE, William Jermyn, actor, was bom at Albany, N.Y., July 0(i. 1S51, His family name was Couliu. His father tlieil in 1S46 and he was obliged to leave school in order to contrib- ute to the support of the family. He entered a newspajjer office in Albany and shortly afterward found employment as bookkeeper in New York citj-. At this time he joined the Murdocli dramatic association and as Adam Winterton in a performance of " ' The Iron Chest." he at- tracted the attention of Thomas S. Ham- blin, who offered him an engagement at the Bowery theatre. This offer he declined be- cause of ill-health, but he afterward joined William H. Chippen- dale'scompany at Richmond, Va., whereon Dec. 6, 1849, he made his professional dlhnt as Peter in '■ The Stranger. ■■ He made his first appearance in New York city on May 13, ISoO, at Niblo's Garden as Hallago in " Home. " He was then engaged for the opening of Brougham's Lyceum tlieatre on Dec. 23, 18.j0, and appeared in an afterpiece called " The Light Guards, or Woman's Rights." At this house he rose to popularity in light comedy parts and was engaged for the old Broad- way theatre stock company in the season of 1852-53, opening on Aug. 3, 1852, in " The Hunchback." playing Lord Tinsel to the Master Walter of F. B. C'ouwaj- and to the Julia of Julia Dean. Later he supported Edwin Forrest, Mr. and Jlrs. Barney Williams, and Sirs. Mowatt. On Jan. 1, 1853, he was married to Mrs. Malvina (Pray) Littell, a dansenite at Wallack's theatre and a sister of Mrs. Barney Williams. On June 13 following Mr. and Mrs. Florence began their first tour as joint stars at the National theatre. New Y'ork city, in " The Irish Boy and Y'ankee Girl." They travelled in America until April 2, 1856, when they went to England. Opening at the Drury Lane theatre, London, they performed there for fifty nights and after a tour of the English provinces returned to the United States, Aug. 17, 1856, and continued to star together, making their greatest success at this period as Captain Cuttle and Susan Nipper in " Dombey and Son." They again visited England in the summer of 1862. and on Nov. 30, 1863. produced at the Winter Garden theatre. New Y'ork city, for the first time in America, " The Ticket-of- Leave Man," with Mr. F'lorence as Bob Brierlv

and Mrs. Florence as Emily St. Evremonde, which ran for 125 nights. Upon another visit to England Florence secured a copy of " Caste " and produced that piece for the first time in the United States, on Aug. 5, 1867, at the Broadway theatre, playing George D'Alroy to Mrs. Flor- ence's Polly Eccles. This was followed at the same house on Sept. 21, 1868, by " No Thorough- fare," Mr. Florence playing Obenreizer. On Sept. 6, 1875, at the Park theatre. New Y'ork city, he created Bardwell Slote in the " Mighty Dollar, " with Mrs. Florence as Mrs. General Gilflory. They starred in this piece for nearly twelve years, occasionally adding to their rei^ertoiy. In 1889 Mrs. Florence retired and Mr. Florence joined Joseph Jefferson, playing Sir Lucius OTrigger in "The Rivals," and Ezekiel Home- spun in " The Heir-atLaw." His' final appear- ance was in the latter role on Nov. 14, 1891, at the Arch Street theatre, Philadelphia, Pa., in which city he died, Nov. 19, 1S91.

FLOWER, Benjamin Orange, author, was born in Albion. 111., Oct. 19, 1858; son of the Rev. Alfred and Elizabeth (Orange) Flower; and grandson of George Flower, who in 1818 fotmded an English settlement at Albion, 111. He was educated in the public scliools of Evansville, Ind., and at Kentucky universit}', Lexington, Ky. He was editor of the American Sentinel, a social and literary weekly, at Albion, 111., 1878- 80. He removed to Pliiladelphia in the summer of 1880, and to Boston in 1881, where he estab- lished the American SperUitor, which was merged into the Arena, which he founded and of which he was sole editor from 1889 to 1896. He was one of the editors of The Xew Time, a Chicago maga- zine, in 1896-97, and in 1897 became editor of the newly established Coming Aye, Boston. He is the author of: Lessons Learned from Other Lives (1890); Civilization's Inferno (1892); The Xew Time (1893); Tlie Centimj of Sir Thomas More (1896); rersoris, Places and Ideas (1895); Gerald Massey, Prophet and Mystic (1895); and Wndttier (1896); besides many contributions to the leading periodicals.

FLOWER, Roswell Pettibone, governor of New Y'ork, was born in There.sa, N.Y'. , Aug. 7, 1835; fourtli son of Nathan M. and Mary Aim (Boyle) Flower. His father was a native of Greene county, N.Y'., and his mother of Cherry Valley, Otsego county. His paternal ancestors were from England, and settled in Hartford, Conn., in 1696, while on his mother's side he was descended from Scotch -Irish ancestors. His father was a wool-carder and cloth-dresser, and when he died in 1843 his wife and sons continued the business. Roswell jiaid his own way at school by working on a farm, in a brick-yard and at odd jobs about the village store. He was craduated at the Theresa high .school in 1851, and