Florence Marryat, novelist, public reader and singer, and daughter of Captain Frederick Marrayat, was born in 1838 in Brighton, England. Her first two novels appeared in 1861, entitled "Love's Conflict" and "Too Good for Him." These were followed by some seventy-five others, mostly love stories, but the last four dealt with spiritualism, in which she was a firm believer. From 1872 to 1876 she was editor of London Society, but she also contributed to many other periodicals. She was twice married; first to Col. Ross Church, of the Madras Staff Corps, with whom she traveled over much of India, and second to Col. Francis Lean, of the Royal Marine Light Infantry. She died in London October 27, 1899. Both of the novels reprinted by Beadle were originally published in 1871.

REFERENCE: Helen C. Black, Notable Women Authors of the Day, Glasgow, 1893, 81—95, with portrait; obituary in Publishers' Weekly, LVI, 1899, 843

Fireside Library. No. 138
Waverley Library (quarto). No. 80