DEATH OF MISS FLORENCE COLVILLE.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3009, 16 February 1881, Page 3

DEATH OF MISS FLORENCE COLVILLE.

The Christchurch papers announce the death at Collingwood, Melbourne, on the 27th January last, of Miss Florence Colville (Mrs Hoskins.) Miss Colville was, -while a very young woman, a pupil of Mr Hoskins, and was " brought out" by him in Australia better known as Julia Harland. Tutor and pupil came to New Zealand in 1870, and the latter made her first appearance on the New Zealand stage in Dunedin shortly after her arrival. The impression she created was most favorable, and her admirers predicted for her a brilliant career —a prediction, alas, which was never to be realised. Together with Mr Hoskins, Miss Colville played for long seasons in all the leading towns of the colony, everywhere meeting with a favorable reception ; and on tbe death of Mrs Hoskins, in 1874, she became the wife of her celebrated instructor. Mr William Eoskins and Miss Florence Colville were married at St John's Church, Christchurch, with considerable ceremony, the brido being given away by Sir Cracroft Wilson; but tbe disparity in the ages of the bride and bridegroom—the former being about 26, and the latter upwards of 60 years of age —and other circumstances combined to make the match a very unhappy one. The newly-man-ied couple shortly afterwards went professionally to America, but me f , with no success however. They returned to New Zealand, and with the exception oF two short visits to Victoria, during which Miss Colville fulfilled brief engagements, she continued to reside in New Zealand till a few months ago, when she left with her husband for Melbourne. With all her early promise, Miss Colville never reached a very high place on the stage, and during the last five years of her residence in the colony she gradually sank in public favor, and went down-hill, she herself being her greatest enemy. Her last appearanco here was in an amateur performance when she essayed the role of Lady Gay Spanker. She was unable to go through her part satisfactorily, and the green curtain cut short her final performance on the boards of the New Zealand stage. We believo the deceased actress was 34 years of age at the time of her death.