OBITUARY. 



SIR W. H. FLOWER, K.C.B. (1831-1899). 



It is with sincere regret that we have to record the death of Sir William 

 Henry Flower, which took place at his residence in Stanhope Gardens, on the 

 afternoon of Saturday, July 1, after a protracted period of failing health. It 

 was owing to this ill-health that he resigned, in August last, the Directorship of 

 the Natural History Branch of the British Museum ; and although a residence 

 during the past winter in the Riviera led to a temporary improvement, on his 

 return to Stanhope Gardens in May it was but too evident that no permanent 

 benefit had taken place in his condition, and that the end could not be far 

 distant. After a short rally, a serious relapse occurred on the Thursday pre- 

 ceding his demise, wdiich resulted in a fatal attack of pneumonia. 



Sir William was the second son of the late Edward Fordham Flower, of 

 Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, by his wife, Celina, daughter of the late 

 John Greaves, of Radford, Warwickshire, and was born on November 30, 

 1831, at his father's residence, The Hill, Stratford-upon-Avon. The latter part 

 of his education was conducted at University College, London, where he went 

 through the ordinary course of medical study, eventually qualifying as a surgeon. 

 We believe we are right in saying that the career of an army-surgeon was not 

 his original intention, but that the need of additional surgeons for the army 

 induced him to volunteer at the outbreak of the war for service in the Crimea. 

 At any rate, he was at that time attached, in the capacity of assistant-surgeon, 

 to the 63rd regiment, with which he served throughout the long campaign, 

 receiving at its close the Crimean medal, with the Alma, Inkerman, 

 Balaclava, and Sebastopol clasps, and also the Turkish medal. With the close 

 of the war his services as an army-surgeon also came to an end ; and after his 

 return to England he was appointed in 1859 Assistant - Surgeon and 

 Demonstrator in Anatomy at the Middlesex Hospital. Mr. Flower (as he 

 then was) did not, however, long retain this post, which he vacated in 

 1861 to take up the more congenial duties of Conservator of the Museum 

 of the Royal College of Surgeons, a position which he occupied till his trans- 

 ference to the British Museum in 1884. In the meantime (1870) he was, 

 however, chosen to succeed Owen as Hunterian Professor of Comparative 

 Anatomy and Physiology to the College — a post which he likewise held till the 

 severance of his official connection with the College. The resignation in 

 1884 of Sir Richard Owen caused the Directorship of the Natural History 

 Branch of the British Museum to become vacant; and to this important 

 position Professor Flower was shortly afterwards appointed. During his 

 tenure of the Directorship, he was successively gazetted C.B. in 1887, and 

 K.C.B. in 1892. In the ordinary course of events, Sir William's connection 

 with the Museum would have terminated on his attaining the age of sixty-five 

 in 1896. But, on the earnest recommendation of the Trustees, the Treasury 

 was induced to waive the age-disqualification in his case ; and it was during this 

 unexpired period of extension of service that Sir William was compelled by ill- 

 health to tender his resignation. 



In addition to the distinctions conferred by his Sovereign, Sir William 

 Flower w T as the recipient of numerous other honours from academic and 

 scientific bodies. In 1864, he was elected to the Fellowship of the Royal 

 Society, from whom, in company with Lord Rayleigh, he received the award of 

 a Royal medal in 1882. He served on the Council of the same Society for 

 three separate periods, namely 1868-1870, 1876-1878, and 1884-1886 ; and from 

 1884 to 1885 filled the office of a vice-president. He was a Fellow of the 

 Royal College of Surgeons of London. The degrees of D.C.L. and LL.D. were 



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