Sir Archibald Dennis Flower (31 October 1865 – 23 November 1950) was an English public servant who was Chairman of the Trustees and Guardians of Shakespeare's birthplace and of the Council of the

Shakespeare Memorial Theatre The Royal Shakespeare Theatre (RST) (originally called the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre) is a grade II* listed 1,040+ seat thrust stage theatre owned by the Royal Shakespeare Company dedicated to the English playwright and poet William Shakespea ...

Early life

Flower was born in 1865, the son of Edgar Flower and his wife, Isabella Sophia. He was the grandson of

Edward Fordham Flower Edward Fordham Flower (1805–1883) was an English brewer and author who campaigned for a Shakespeare memorial theatre and against cruelty to animals. Origins Born at Marden Hill in Hertfordshire on 31 January 1805, he was the younger surviving ...

. He was educated at

Bedford Modern School Bedford Modern School (often called BMS) is a Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference independent school in Bedford, England. The school has its origins in Bedford Charity, The Harpur Trust, born from the financial endowment, endowments le ...

and

Clare College, Cambridge Clare College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. The college was founded in 1326 as University Hall, making it the second-oldest surviving college of the University after Peterhouse. It was refounded ...

where he took part in the 1886 Boat Race.

Career

Flower was elected to Warwickshire County Council in 1892. In 1900 he became Chairman of the Trustees and Guardians of Shakespeare’s birthplace and of the Council of the

. He was Mayor of

Stratford-upon-Avon Stratford-upon-Avon (), commonly known as just Stratford, is a market town and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon district, in the county of Warwickshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It is situated on the River Avon, north-we ...

1900–02, 1915–18 and 1931. He was made a

Knight Bachelor The title of Knight Bachelor is the basic rank granted to a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not inducted as a member of one of the organised orders of chivalry; it is a part of the British honours system. Knights Bachelor are the ...

in 1930.

Family life

Flower married Florence, daughter of Sir Richard Keane, 4th Baronet. They had two sons and one daughter. Lady Flower predeceased her husband in 1947. He died three years later at his home in Stratford.''Who Was Who'', Published by A&C Black Limited, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920-2014; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2014; online edn, April 2014

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Flower, Sir Archibald Dennis 1865 births 1950 deaths People educated at Bedford Modern School Alumni of Clare College, Cambridge Cambridge University Boat Club rowers People associated with Shakespeare Knights Bachelor