Florence Eva Simpson (1865–1923), who wrote under the name of Elva Lorence, was a popular British composer and writer.

Work

Florence Simpson initially made a name for herself as a composer of songs and ballads – her first known published song being ''Her Childhood's Kingdom'', written in 1893. Many of her songs set poems written and published by her sister

Katherine Ashton Simpson Katherine Ashton Simpson (known as Kate A. Pearce Simpson; after marriage, Kate A. Pearce-Ellis; (1858–1951) was a British author, poet, and painter. Work Simpson published several books and poetry collections. A number of her poems were set t ...

, who became a well-known writer and artist. She also set a number of the poems of Fred G. Bowles, whose work she admired. By the mid-1890s Simpson was widely known and acclaimed for her songs, which were popular and extensively performed by amateur and professional singers. The dramatic contralto

Clara Butt Dame Clara Ellen Butt (1 February 1872 – 23 January 1936) was an English dramatic contralto and one of the most popular singers from the 1890s through to the 1920s. She had an exceptionally fine contralto voice and an agile singing technique, ...

regularly sang Simpson's song ''Old Donald's Lament'', while American contralto

Antoinette Sterling Jane Antoinette Sterling (January 23, 1841January 10, 1904) was an American contralto most known for singing sentimental ballads in Britain and the British Empire. Early life Sterling was born in Sterlingville], New York (state), New York, on ...

had Simpson's songs ''My ein Countrie'' and ''There is Rest is for the Weary'' in her repertoire. She performed ''There is Rest is for the Weary'' in a concert at

Prince's Hall Prince's Hall was a concert venue in Piccadilly, London. It was part of the premises of the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours, at 190–195 Piccadilly, situated behind the galleries where annual exhibitions of the Institute took place. ...

on Piccadilly, London, in May 1894, with the audience demanding an encoure. ''Colleen Alannah'' and ''Barnbima'' were performed by singer Alice Gomez, while ''A Window in Spain'' was a favourite of the singers Madame Belle Cole and Osborne Rayner. Florence Simpson and her sister

collaborated on several operettas, including the comic opera ''Nanette or The Mermaid's Bubble'' (1896), and ''A Peep into Flowerland or Terra Flora'' (1902). The works were extremely popular and were performed numerous times across the country. Another musical collaborator on both the operettas was George Kennedy Chrystie, Simpson's husband. Chrystie was a published composer in his own right, writing settings of a number of poems including those by his sister-in-law

. Simpson's creative partnership with

effectively came to an end in 1906 when Katherine married and moved to

Hartpury, Gloucestershire Hartpury is a Civil parishes in England, civil parish in Gloucestershire, England. It has an area of about . Hartpury Parish Council estimates 700 people live in around 270 houses. The population of the central village area within the parish was ...

. Simpson also published a number of short stories as well as plays, poetry and books. Her short stories were published in newspapers and were popular with readers. Most notable is perhaps her chilling Christmas ghost story, ''The Demon Motor: Story of New Year's Eve'', published in 1901. Like her sister,

, Simpson received painting tuition as a young woman. An oil painting of Henry Read Pridgeon (1817–1886), District Registrar of

Honiton Honiton () is a market town and civil parish in East Devon, situated close to the River Otter, Devon, River Otter, north east of Exeter in the county of Devon. Honiton has a population estimated at 12,154 (based on 2021 census). History The ...

Devon Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west ...

, signed 'Eva Simpson' and with the monogram 'FES', is attributed to her.

Private life

One of 14 children, Florence Simpson was born to the Reverend Michael Henry Simpson (1816–1888) and his wife Elizabeth, née Hendrick (1806–1905). On her mother's side, she was part of an old north country family, being a great-great-granddaughter of Lord Lever of Alkrington Hall. Her father went on to be Vicar of the Church of St Philip and St James, Tow Law,

County Durham County Durham, officially simply Durham, is a ceremonial county in North East England.UK General Acts 1997 c. 23Lieutenancies Act 1997 Schedule 1(3). From legislation.gov.uk, retrieved 6 April 2022. The county borders Northumberland and Tyne an ...

, between 1862 and 1888. Simpson and her siblings grew up at the Vicarage in

Tow Law Tow Law is a town and civil parish in County Durham, England. It is situated a few miles to the south of Consett and 5 miles to the north west of Crook. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 1,952, increasing to 2,138 at the ...

. Her youngest sister,

Alice Pickering Alice Mabel Pickering (1860–1939), née Simpson, was an English tennis player who twice reached the final of the Wimbledon Championship. Pickering played at the Wimbledon Championships from 1895 to 1901. In 1896, she won the all-comers-competi ...

(1860–1939), became a tennis player who twice reached the final of the

Wimbledon Championship The Wimbledon Championships, commonly called Wimbledon, is a tennis tournament organised by the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in collaboration with the Lawn Tennis Association annually in Wimbledon, London. It is chronologically the ...

. Following their father's death Simpson and her sister

lived at 7 Fern Road in

Jesmond Jesmond ( ) is a suburb of Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England, situated north of the city centre and to the east of the Town Moor. Jesmond is considered to be one of the most affluent suburbs of Newcastle upon Tyne, with higher aver ...

Newcastle-Upon-Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne, or simply Newcastle ( , Received Pronunciation, RP: ), is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is England's northernmost metropolitan borough, located o ...

. Following her marriage to George Kennedy Christie, she lived in

Darlington Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, County Durham, England. It lies on the River Skerne, west of Middlesbrough and south of Durham. Darlington had a population of 107,800 at the 2021 Census, making it a "large town" ...

in County Durham until her death in 1923.

Compositions and writing

Operettas & Pagents – ''Nanette or The Mermaid's Bubble'' (1896). Words by

. – ''A Peep into Flowerland or Terra Flora'' (1902) Music by Florence Simpson and George Kennedy Chrystie, and words by

. – ''Pegotty's Dream'' (1904). Music by Florence Simpson and George Kennedv Chrystie. Songs – ''Bambina''. Publication date unknown but pre-1895. – ''My ain Countrie''. Publication date unknown but pre-1895. – ''Coleen Alannah''.Publication date unknown but pre-1895. – ''Donna Dear''. Publication date unknown but pre-1896. – ''Her Childhood's Kingdom'' (1893). Words by

. – ''Old Donald's Lament'' (1894). Published by Ransford & Sons. – ''There is Rest for the Weary'' (1894). – ''A Window in Spain'' (1895). Published in London by Ascherberg & Co. Words by Fred G. Bowles (1895). – ''Hips & Haws'' (1895). Published in London by Ascherberg & Co. Words by Fred G. Bowles. – ''Thelma'' (1896). Words by

. – ''O’er the Water: Vesper Hymn of the Nuns'' (1896). – ''Sailor Boy Blue'' (1898). Published in London by Evans & Co. Words by Fred G. Bowles. – ''Flowerland'' (1904). Published by Novello & Co. Selected Other Writing – ''Sunday's Child'' (1898). Short story serialised in the Newcastle Chronicle. – ''The Lass of Craigarrich'' (1900). Story serialised in the Weekly Record. – ''The Demon Motor: Story of New Year's Eve'' (1901). Short ghost story published by the Buckingham Advertiser & Free Press. – ''A Corner in Japan'' (1902). A one act comedy play.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Simpson, Florence Eva 1865 births 1923 deaths 19th-century British women writers 20th-century British women writers British dramatists and playwrights British opera composers British poets British women dramatists and playwrights British women poets Ghost story writers