Cyril Flower, 1st Baron Battersea (30 August 1843 – 27 November 1907) was a British Liberal politician and patron of art.




Background and education

Flower was the son of Philip William Flower, of Furze Down, Streatham, Surrey, and his wife Mary, daughter of Jonathan Flower. His father had earlier established a successful merchant house in Sydney, Australia. He was educated at Harrow and Trinity College, Cambridge, and was called to the Bar, Inner Temple, in 1870.[1]

Political career

In 1880 he entered Parliament for Breconshire, a seat he held until 1885 when the constituency was abolished, and then represented Luton until 1892. He served briefly as a Junior Lord of the Treasury from February to July 1886 in the third Liberal administration of William Ewart Gladstone. In 1892 Flower was raised to the peerage as Baron Battersea, of Battersea in the County of London and of Overstrand in the County of Norfolk.[2]

Patron of the art

Apart from his political career he was also a great collector and patron of art. He was a patron of James McNeill Whistler and was involved with the Pre-Raphaelite set.

Personal life

Lord Battersea married Constance, daughter of Sir Anthony de Rothschild, 1st Baronet, in 1877. The marriage was childless. He died from pneumonia in November 1907, aged 64, when the barony became extinct. Lady Battersea died in November 1931.

References

   1. ^ Flower, Cyril (post Baron Battersea) in Venn, J. & J. A., Alumni Cantabrigienses, Cambridge University Press, 10 vols, 1922–1958.
   2. ^ London Gazette: no. 26323, p. 5090, 6 September 1892.

    * Leigh Rayment's Peerage Pages
    * Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs
    * www.thepeerage.com

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