George Flower family papers, 1812-1974

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  • Creator Names Flower, George, 1788-1862.
  • Title George Flower family papers [manuscript], 1812-1974, bulk 1812-1862.
  • Physical description
    • 1 item (6 v., 730 p.); 1 item (355 p.); 37 items (178 p.)
    • 1 folder (unbound originals)
    • 1 microfilm reel : 35 mm. (Reader-use copy of most of collection).
    • 1 microfilm reel : neg. ; 35 mm. (Camera negative of most of collection).
    • 1 CD-R. (Images of Geo. Flower diaries v. 2 & 3).
  • Access and usage restrictions Advance appointment with special permission required to view original materials. Please allow at least one week for response to requests for an appointment. Microfilm is available for research use for most of these items.
  • Collection summary
    • Correspondence, diaries, and manuscripts of the Flower family of Illinois, mostly of George Flower, who was the founder of Albion (Ill.). His diaries describe travels in France and the U.S., meeting many of his future correspondents. The diaries are vol. 1: 1814 July 7-Sept. 9, 212p.; vol. 2: 1816 June 11-Dec. 14, 211p.; vol. 3: 1817 Oct. 15-July 3, 150p. Also present in the collection are his manuscripts of The History of the English Settlement in Edwards County, Illinois (later published in part) and the History of the Harmony Society (unpublished, unfinished). Also present in the Flower family collection are letters sent to relatives in England by George, his sisters and father (2 v., 1824-1846), several letters to the Chicago Historical Society by George's son Alfred, a genealogy by Janet Flower (1963), and a speech by Sir Fordham Flower (1964).
    • George's father, Richard Flower, brokered the land sale of the Rappite community at New Harmony, Indiana, to Robert Owen. An essay by Karl Arndt (written circa 1974) is filed with the earlier, unpublished History of the Harmony Society in this collection.
    • The manuscript History of the English Settlement includes more text than was published in the edited version of 1882, including items on the 1823 movement to amend the Illinois state constitution, the introduction of slavery into Illinois, and an account of the first emigration of free African Americans to Haiti.
    • Many of the letters mounted in the 2 volumes of family correspondence are by the women of the family and discuss family matters. Letters also show the continuing interest of the Flowers in anti-slavery matters and political freedom. Many letters are cross-written. Also included in the volumes of letters are a George Flower silhouette cut from life by Auguste Edouart, 2 photographs of Edward F. Flower, and newspaper clippings on the death of Edward F. Flower.
  • Acquisition information The manuscript in this collection of Flower's History of the English Settlement in Edwards County, Illinois, is a copy that he made for his family. It was given to Chicago Historical Society in the early 1880s by Alfred Flower after the original draft, given to Chicago Historical Society by George Flower in the 1860s, was destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. The diaries were a gift of Mrs. Beatrice Flower Pollock in 1926. The Flower family genealogy was a gift of Janet Flower in 1963.
  • Finding Aids Note Descriptive inventory available online.
  • Location of Other Archival Materials Note
    • There are two published editions of the History of the English Settlement, cataloged individually in the Research Center, Chicago History Museum. The 1882 edition and the 1909 edition were published by the Fergus Printing Company of Chicago. They do not include some material in the manuscript of the History.
    • Related materials at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library (Springfield, Ill.) include a George Flower journal (1816) and other items of the Flower family.
  • Names
    • Flower, George, 1788-1862 Archives.
    • Birkbeck, Morris, 1764-1825.
    • Flower, Alfred.
    • Flower, B. O. (Benjamin Orange), 1858-1918.
    • Flower, Elizabeth, d. 1846.
    • Flower, Edward Fordham, 1805-1883.
    • Flower, Fordham, Sir, 1904-
    • Flower, George, 1788-1862. History of the English Settlement in Edwards County, Illinois.
    • Flower, George, 1788-1862. History of the Harmony Society.
    • Flower, Henry Corwin.
    • Flower, Janet Marie, 1924-
    • Flower, Richard, 1761?-1829.
    • Pickering, Martha Flower, 1800-1838.
    • Ronalds, Mary Katherine Flower.
    • Jefferson, Thomas, 1743-1826. Geo. Flower diary, v.2, p.209.
    • Rapp, George, 1757-1847. 1817 Aug 28.
    • Shelby, Isaac, 1750-1826. Geo. Flower diary, v.2, p.145.
    • Washburne, E. B. (Elihu Benjamin), 1816-1887.
    • Washington, George, 1732-1799. Geo. Flower diary, v.2, p.209.
    • Flowers family.
    • Harmony Society.
    • Flower, Alfred. 1881 Jun 9; 1882: Nov 1, Dec 24; 1883 Apr 11.
    • Flower, B. O. (Benjamin Orange), 1858-1918. 1881 Jun 7.
    • Flower, Elizabeth, d. 1846.
    • Flower, Edward Fordham, 1805-1883. 2 photos & newclippings in letters v.
    • Flower, Fordham, Sir, 1904- 1964 Aug 13.
    • Flower, George, 1788-1862. History of the English Settlement in Edwards County, Illinois.
    • Flower, George, 1788-1862. History of the Harmony Society.
    • Flower, Henry Corwin. 1885 Jan 8.
    • Flower, Janet Marie, 1924- Flower family genealogy (1963)
    • Flower, Richard, 1761?-1829. 1825 Dec 9; 1828: May 18, Sept 25, Oct 23; 1829 Feb 18 (Flower family vols)
    • Arndt, Karl John Richard. 1970 Aug 2; article ca. 1974.
    • Cobbett, William, 1763-1835. 1812 May 12; 1817 Sept 9.
    • Forten, James, 1766-1842. 1824 Sept 25.
    • Gaultier, abbé (Aloisius Edouard Camille), 1746?-1818. 1814 Sept 30.
    • Granville, Mr. 1824: Jun 21, [Oct?] 23; subject, Jul 29 (Flower family v.)
    • Houdville, J. 1815 Sept 4.
    • Jay, Peter A. (Peter Augustus), 1776-1843. 1815 Sept 4.
    • Jones, Joel, 1795-1860. 1823 Jun.
    • Lafayette, Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert Du Motier, marquis de, 1757-1834. 1814 Nov 3; 1815 Aug 28; 1816 Apr 16.
    • Lasteyrie, C. de (Charles), 1759-1849. 1814: Aug 24, Oct 8; 1815: Jan 19, Apr 24.
    • Macdonald, Donald, 1791-1872 1825 May 12.
    • O'Connor, C., b.1790. 1815 Apr 6.
    • Owen, William, 1802-1842. 1825 Apr 13.
    • Peters, Richard, 1743-1828. 1817 Aug 15.
    • Pickering, Martha Flower, 1800-1838.
    • Pickering, William T., 1798-1873.
    • Priestley, Joseph R. 1820 Feb 20.
    • Ronalds, Mary Katherine Flower.
    • Rotch, Thomas, 1792-1840. 1817 Apr 10.
    • Tessier, M. (Alexandre-Henri), 1741-1837. 1815 Aug 23.
    • Warder, Jeremiah, 1780-1849. J.W. Jr. 1817: Aug 28, Sept 9; 1824 Oct 18.
    • Washburne, E. B. (Elihu Benjamin), 1816-1887.
  • Subjects
    • African Americans Colonization Haiti.
    • African Americans Religion. Geo. Flower diary, v.2, p.17.
    • Agriculture France 19th century. Geo. Flower diary, v.1, pp.35-36.
    • Antislavery movements Illinois.
    • British Americans Illinois 19th century.
    • Cattle breeders Kentucky 19th century. Geo. Flower diary, v.2, p.123.
    • Collective settlements Indiana New Harmony 19th century.
    • Education France 19th century. 1814: Oct 8, Nov 30; 1815 Jan 19.
    • Education Great Britain 19th century. 1814 Oct 8; 1815 Jan 19.
    • English Illinois 19th century.
    • Frontier and pioneer life Illinois.
    • Frontier and pioneer life Missouri. Geo. Flower diary v.2,p.148.
    • Frontier and pioneer life Tennessee. Geo. Flower diary, v.2, p.185.
    • Irish Americans Pennsylvania 19th century. Geo. Flower diary, v.2, p.69.
    • Justice, Administration of Pennsylvania Sudbury 19th century. Geo. Flower diary, v.2, p.44.
    • Lithography France 19th century. 1815: Jan 19, Apr 6.
    • Pennsylvania Dutch 19th century. Geo. Flower diary, v.2, p.80.
    • Prisons Pennsylvania Philadelphia 19th century. Geo. Flower diary, v.2, p.35.
    • Sheep Breeding France 19th century. Geo. Flower diary, v.1.
    • Slavery Illinois. History of English settlement.
    • Slavery Kentucky. Geo. Flower diary, v.2, p.127.
    • Slavery Virginia. Geo. Flower diary, v.2, p.201.
    • Society of Friends Ohio 19th century. 1817 Apr 10.
    • Women Employment France 19th century. Geo. Flower diary, v.1, pp.24-25.
    • Working class France 19th century. Geo. Flower diary, v.1, pp.24-25.
  • Geographic coverage
    • Albion (Ill.) Description and travel 19th century.
    • Edwards County (Ill.) Description and travel 19th century.
    • Cincinnati (Ohio) Description and travel 19th century. Geo. Flower diary, v.2, p.117.
    • France History Invasion of 1814. Geo. Flower diary, v.1, pp. 42, 49 & 95.
    • France Politics and government 1814-1830. 1814 Aug 24.
    • France Description and travel 19th century. Geo. Flower diary, v.1.
    • Great Britain Politics and government 1800-1837. 1817 Aug 15.
    • Haiti History 1804-1844. 1823 Jun; 1824: Jun 21, Aug 18, Sept 25, [Oct?] 23.
    • Kentucky Description and travel 19th century. Geo. Flower diary, v.2, p.152.
    • New Harmony (Ind.) 1817 Aug 28; 1825 Jan 2 (Flower family v.); 1860 Oct 2.
    • Ohio History 1787-1865. 1817 Apr 10.
    • Pittsburgh (Pa.) Description and travel 19th century. Geo. Flower diary, v.2, p.77.
    • Reading (Pa.) Description and travel 19th century. Geo. Flower diary, v.2, p.40.
    • United States Race relations 19th century. 1824 Jul 29 (Flower family v.)
  • Genre
    • Correspondence. aat
    • Cross-written letters. chs
    • Diaries. aat
    • French language items. chs
    • Genealogies. aat
    • Histories. aat
    • Manuscripts for publication. aat
    • Silhouettes. aat
  • Geographic name
    • France Paris.
    • Great Britain England Middlesex London.
    • Haiti Port-au-Prince.
    • United States Illinois Edwards County Albion.
    • United States Indiana Posey New Harmony.
    • United States Ohio Stark County Kendal.
    • United States Pennsylvania Northumberland Northumberland.
    • United States Pennsylvania Philadelphia Philadelphia.
  • Finding aid URL Finding aid available online http://chsmedia.org/media/fa/fa/M-F/Flowerfamily.htm