Florence Anne Lemon (Balcombe) Stoker (1858 - 1937)

Born 17 Jul 1858 in Falmouth, Cornwall, England

Ancestors

Wife of Abraham Stoker — married 4 Dec 1878 in Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland

Died 25 May 1937 at age 78 in Westminster, London, England

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Biography

Florence (Balcombe) Stoker is Notable.

Florence Balcombe was born on the 17th of July in 1858^[1] to Lieutenant Colonel James Balcombe and Phillippa Anne Marshall. She married Abraham "Bram" Stoker in 1878.^[2] and had only one child, Irving Noel Thornley Stoker. She outlived her husband by 25 years, his death being in 1912, and passed on the 25th of May in 1937.

Oscar Wilde was a former suitor until Florence's decision to marry Bram Stoker. Stoker and Wilde were able to resume an acquaintanceship years later.

Nosferatu Dispute

The 1922 film, Nosferatu, was based without attribution or permission on Stoker's novel, Dracula. She was unaware of the existence of Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau's Nosferatu until she received an anonymous letter from Berlin. The film was described as "freely adapted from Bram Stoker's Dracula". While the screenwriter, Henrik Galeen, changed the names of the main characters and made some liberal changes to certain key points, the resemblance to Stoker's novel is unmistakable.

Balcombe launched the lawsuit, being represented by the lawyers of the British Incorporated Society of Authors. The suit took time to resolve. At one point during the lawsuit, the German production company went bankrupt to avoid paying for the adaptation. In July 1925, Balcombe won the case and was stated that the company had to turn over the negatives and prints of the film to be destroyed. They never were and resurfaced in the late 1920's.

Death

Balcombe was cremated at Golders Green Crematorium. The original plan was to add her ashes to that of her husbands. However, her ashes were scattered at the Gardens of Rest. Their son's ashes were added to Bram's after his death in 1961.

Events

Sources

1. ↑ England and Wales Birth Registration Index, 1837-2008 Name: Florence Anne Lemon Balcombe Event Type: Birth Registration Registration Quarter: Jul-Aug-Sep Registration year: 1858 Registration District: Falmouth County: Cornwall Event Place: Falmouth, Cornwall, England
2. ↑ Ireland Civil Registration Indexes, 1845-1958 Name: Florence Anne L Balcombe Event Type: Marriage Event Date: Oct-Dec 1878 Event Place: Dublin South, Ireland Registration Quarter and Year: Oct-Dec 1878 Registration District: Dublin South
3. ↑ England and Wales Census, 1881 Name: Florence Stoker Event Type: Census Event Date: 1881 Event Place: Chelsea, London, Middlesex, England Registration District: Chelsea Residence Note: Cheyne Walk Gender: Female Age: 21 Marital Status: Married Occupation: Artist Relationship to Head of Household: Wife Birth Year (Estimated): 1860 Birthplace: Falmouth, Cornwall, England
4. ↑ England and Wales Census, 1901 Name: Florence A L Stoker Event Type: Census Event Date: 1901 Event Place: Chelsea, London, Middlesex, England County: London, Middlesex Civil Parish: Chelsea Ecclesiastical Parish: St Luke Sub District: Chelsea South Registration District: Chelsea Residence Note: St Leonard's Terrace Gender: Female Age: 39 Relationship to Head of Household: Wife Birth Year (Estimated): 1862 Birthplace: Falmouth, Cornwall

See Also

1. Wikipedia: Florence Balcombe
2. Bram Stoker Estate: Florence Anne Lemon Balcombe
3. Find a Grave: Florence Balcombe Stoker
4. 20 Things You Should Know About Bram Stoker's Wife