Assuming age 21 at completion of apprenticeship

FLOWER, EDMUND. Theorbo; violin; wind instruments, 1670 - 1712 (a) Theorbo in Private Musick, without fee; sworn 30 June 1670. (b) Violin; replaced Ambrose Beeland; sworn 19 Mar 1671/2; 20d p.d. and £16 2s 6d p.a. livery (TC), from 19 Jan 1671/2. (c) Wind instruments; replaced William Howes; sworn 3 May 1676; 20d p.d. and £16 2s 6d p. a. livery (E), from 25 Mar 1676. (d) Private Musick; replaced John Lilly (shared with Isaac Staggins); £40 p.a. and £16 2s 6d p. a. livery; patent (GtS), 12 June 1679; from 29 Sep 1678. (e) [replacing a-d] Private Musick; £40 p.a. (TC), from 25 Mar 16S5. On 30 Dec 1645 Flower was apprenticed to John Yockney of the Farrier's Company for nine years; he is entered as the son of Christopher Flower of Chirwell, Wiltshire, yeoman. He was sworn on 30 June 1670 as theorbo or lute in the Private Musick, without fee, and on 19 Mar 1671/2 as violinist in place of Ambrose Beeland, who had surrendered. He spent £12 on a tenor violin, reimbursed by warrant of 23 Apr 1672. A further warrant of 19 Apr 1673 was for £15 spent on a theorbo bought by him for service in the Chapel Royal. He regularly played with the violins during summer progresses: As violinist he played in Calisto in February 1674/5. On 17 Jan 1676/7 Flower was one of twelve violins ordered to attend 'to practise Mons. Grabu's musick'. Later that year (8 May) he was one of five violinists who petitioned against Charles Killigrew, Master of the Revels, 'for dismissing them their attendance at the play house.' A double sack but costing £15 was provided by him, with the warrant for payment dated 5 Mar 1677/8. Flower was evidently in high favour, for on 8 June 1678 a warrant was issued to swear him as musician in ordinary for the Private Musick without fee, to come in ordinary with fee upon the first vacancy. This materialised with the death of John Lilly and Flower was sworn in his place on 8 Nov 1678. A note explains that Lilly's place was given to Flower and Isaac Staggins jointly, and although Flower alone was sworn, he was required to return half the emoluments to Staggins; should the latter survive Flower, lie was to be admitted to full wages. Another theorbo was provided by him and a warrant to pay £14 for it was issued on 22 Nov 1679. Flower seems to have been one of the lucky survivors from the shipwreck of the Gloucester off the coast of Norfolk on 6 May 1682; when the household of James II was being formed a particular note was made of six musicians 'at sea' who are listed first in the new establishment. On 15 Feb 1683/4 Rebecca Flower petitioned against him 'upon promise of marriage'. Flower was one of several musicians ordered on 26 Jan 1684/5 to attend at the Theatre Royal to practise for a ball to be held before the king there. A week later Charles II was taken ill, dying on 6 February. Following the accession of James II, Flower was re-appointed in the Private Musick and attended the king's coronation on 23 Apr 1685. He is portrayed in the coronation procession as one of two musicians playing the flat trumpet (Sandford). Again the summers at Windsor Castle were part of the routine: 1686: 14 May to 1 October; 1687: 19 May to 16 August and 13 September to 11 October; 1688: 24 July to 20 September. This last duty was as instrumentalist in the king's Catholic Chapel. Meanwhile arrears due from Charles II' s reign were outstanding and on 2 Apr 1687 Brockwell* and Flower petitioned for £111 6s 8d due to them. This is curious, since James II had already begun clearing the debts left by his brother; Flower had already received three instalments and was paid the rest intermittently between 11 Oct 1686 and 12 Mar 1691/2. He attended the coronation of William and Mary on 11 Apr 1689 and was re-appointed to their service. Originally he was among the 'Musick that went into Holland' with William III from 1 January to 13 Apr 1691, but a letter of 27 Feb 1691/2 puts him among the musicians who remained behind. Perhaps old age was beginning to tell, for on 6 Oct 1691 he appointed William Browne, servant to the court musicians, as his attorney. On 4 June 1698 (when he wrote a similar letter) he was in Corsham, Wiltshire. On the 10th of the month a warrant was issued to pay which 'he has bargained for at the said price for his Majesty's service.' Further letters of attorney from Corsham are dated 2 Aug 1700 and 26 Dec 1702. Flower made his will on 25 Nov 1701, when he was lodging in the house of Robert Sornner, draper, of Corsham. He signed for his livery due at St Andrew 1702 and kept his place until his death in 1712. It is unlikely that he spent much time in London in Queen Anne's reign. Peter Randall was sworn as his replacement on 12 Sep 1712.

In the Name of God Amen I Edmund Flower Gent Sojourner in the house of Robert Somner of Corsham in the County of Wilts draper being weak of body but through the blessing of Almighty God of sound and perfect mind and memory and knowing that it is appointed for all Men sure to die and nothing more sure than death but being uncertain of the time when I do make constitute and ordain this only present last Will and Testament in manner and form following (that is to say) Impris I commend my Soul into the hands of Almighty God hoping through the meritorious death and passion of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to have full and free pardon and forgiveness of all my Sins and transgressions and at my death to inherit everlasting life and as for my Body I commit to the Earth from whence it was taken to be decently buried at the discretion of my Executor herein after named and appointed And as touching the disposition of all such temporal Estate as it hath pleased God to bestow upon me I doo order give and dispose the same in manner and form following Item my Will and desire is that my debts and Funeral charges and expenses shall be first paid and discharged Item I give and bequeath to each of my Brothers and Sister's Children one Shilling a piece only except to my Nephew William Flower my Executor hereinafter mentioned Item I give and bequeath to Sarah Somner wife of the above named Robert Somner the sum of Five pounds of lawfull English money for her care to be paid by my Executor hereinafter named within three months next after my decease Item my Will is to nominate and appoint Mr William Browne Servant to her Majesties Band of Violins who hath received my Salary for me these many years (a Man whom I know to be upright and just) to be continued in the same business after my decease as formerly by Letter of Attorney and besides his pension or Wages due to the said William Browne which is fourteen Shillings a year and for his care and diligens & therein Impris give and bequeath to the said William Browne one Shilling out of every pound of money that he shall receive out of her Majesties Chamber of the Treasury for the household I give and bequeath unto him the said William Browne the sume of Five pounds thereof Item in a paper or Schedule annexed to this my last Will and Testament written with my own hand I have therein sett down some things which perhaps may be performed before I dye if not fail not to perform them Item all the rest and residue of my personal Estate Goods and Chattles whatsoever not before given and bequeathed I give and bequeath unto my loving Nephew before mentioned William Flower the Elder of Cherhill in the said County of Wilts Yeoman being my eldest Brothers Son whom I doo make constitute and appoint my Sole and whole Executor of this my last Will and Testament In witness whereof I have hereunto sett my hand and Seal the twenty Fiff day of Novemberin the First year the Reign of our Sovereign Lady Queen Anne over England die Anno dom 1702, Edmund Flower Signed Sealed published and declared to be the last Will and testament of the above said Edmund Flower in the presence of Jonathan Mitchell Thos howse Edmund Flower 1699 Febu ye 24 at London to avoid the trouble of Items and a tedious Will I have presented the Children of my Brothers and Sisters (except the Son of my Eldest Brother) what I did intend to leave them at my death so that now they are sure of it without further trouble -- that is -- To the Children of William my eldest Brother his Son William Flower Executor London Katherine Price - one pound - paid Mary Castill - one pound Elizabeth Castill - one pound To the Children of my Brother Thomas and his Widow Joan Flower Widow - one pound four shillings - paid of London) Elizabeth Burwell - one poun - paid Orile sic) Ann Woodmansun - one poun - paid ) Jone Radbourn - one poun - paid ) Ann Cooke - one poun - paid To the Children of my Sister Elizabeth and her Widow orile sic (John Stils Widow - one pound Ten Shillings) Crossed out at Corsham John Stils junior- one pound ten shillings - paid Joan Catchmo? - one pound At London Peter Stiles - one pound ten Shillings - paid Give to those thet are not paid each of them a pair of Cordivant Gloves and twenty Shillings those that have it already I have writt paid Let this Company have [] enough Give Gloves to those at Corsham of the best Cordivant to Mr Curtis? Mr Tho hulbert to Mr Thriff Mr Bose Mr Mirhill Mr John Stump John Sumner Mr Filpott Tho Irons Rob Somner to Parson Green a pair and 10s to the Clark Tho Wilfox? a pair and 5s to the Sexton 2s 6d no Gloves To those Women of the best kid to Mrs Voake Mrs Orrill Mrs Michill Mrs Anne Silvathorn Mrs Ann Somnar Mrs Sarah Somnar give no more at Corsham and for Cherrill doo as you think fitt To the Poor at Corsham give 40 Shillings and let Mrs Sarah Somnar dispose of it for she knows them best and as much to the Poor at Cherrill you know them best. [Note orile sic means as in original where d is missing from end of pound and John Stils widow entry is crossed out]