Queer Places:
The Pleasaunce, Harbord Rd, Overstrand, Cromer NR27 0PN, UK
St. Martin's Churchyard, 61 Cromer Rd, Overstrand, Cromer NR27 0NT, United Kingdom
Constance Flower, Baroness Battersea (April 29, 1843 – November 22, 1931), born Constance de Rothschild, was a prominent London society hostess, philanthropist, and social
activist. Constance Flower recalled seeing the Empress of Austria at a dinner and finding her “the most graceful, attractive vision that eyes could desire to rest upon.”
Born into the wealthy and influential Rothschild banking family, she was the elder daughter of Sir Anthony and Lady Louise de Rothschild.
She was deeply committed to social reform. She was active in the temperance movement, women’s suffrage, and the reform of women’s prisons.
In 1885, she founded the Jewish Association for the Protection of Girls and Women (JAPGW) to address the exploitation of Jewish women and girls. She remained its leader until the early 1920s.
In 1877, she married Cyril Flower, later the 1st Baron Battersea. Their marriage was childless.
Historical research indicates that Cyril Flower was a man who preferred men. He had close relationships with several men, including psychical researcher Frederic W. H. Myers.
In 1902, Lord Battersea was at the center of a major homosexual scandal involving the procurement of youths for aristocratic men. The British government, under Arthur Balfour, suppressed the case and granted Lord Battersea immunity from prosecution.
While it is unclear if she was aware of his sexual orientation before their marriage, there are indications in her memoirs that she felt a sense of unease regarding some of his "ardent and sudden likings" for certain individuals, which she felt could lead to "misplaced friendship."
References:
 Between Women: Friendship, Desire, and Marriage in Victorian England by Sharon Marcus |
Other references:
Support this project
This website is a passion project researched, developed, and funded entirely by me. If you find the content valuable and would like to help support the ongoing research and hosting costs, any contribution is deeply appreciated.
Thank you for keeping this independent resource alive!
My books on Amazon: Elisa Rolle's books