American horticulturist. Born into a wealthy family in Boston, Edward Rand graduated from Harvard in 1855. He thereafter devoted his life to the study and cultivation of tropical plants at his home in Glen Ridge near Boston, especially collecting orchids and rhododendrons. Rand made several trips to Brazil to collect plants and wrote a number of books on the orchids of South America and on cultivating plants in greenhouses. He died while in Brazil.

Sources:
Anon., 1897, Gardeners' Chronicle, ser. 3, 22: 315.
References
Brummitt, R. K. & Powell, C. E., Authors Pl. Names (1992): 519; Jackson, B. D., Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew (1901): 54; Vegter, H. I., Index Herb. Coll. N-R (1983): 732;

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Edward Sprague Rand III was a lawyer, botanist and author. His horticultural passion led him to fame and disgrace in the United States, but his fame continued for many years after his exile to Brazil. Present day archivists wonder if he would be diagnosed as bi-polar in the 21st Century.

Father: Edward Sprague Rand II (3/15/1810-1/18/1884)
Mother: Elizabeth Arnold (1810-1/18/1884)
Birth Date: October 20, 1837 – recorded and sworn to by ESP on his passport as 1837
Born at: Boston, Massachusetts

The Rand family had been well-to-do for several generations. When Edward Sprague Rand III's grandfather, Edward Sprague Rand (6/23/1782-10/22/1863), died in 1863 his estate was estimated to be worth $125,000 to $150,000.

Significant Education:
1855: Graduated Harvard
Member: Hasty Pudding Club
1857: Graduated Harvard Law School

Spouse Name: Jane Augusta Lathrop Rand (11/17/1837-10/5/1918)
Spouse Parents: Maria Margaretta Long and Rev. John Pierce Lathrop (4/8/1796-12/29/1843)
Wedding Date: November 23, 1858 by Samuel B. Babcock, Rector of St. Paul's Church
Wedding Place: Dedham, Massachusetts

Four Children:
Edward Sprague Rand IV (8/22/1859-10/9/1924) – later Edward Lothrop
Henry Lathrop Rand (1/1/1862-5/24/1945)
Margaret Arnold Rand (10/21/1868-3/17/1930)
Percy Arnold Rand (8/20/1872-10/27/1887)

Occupation:
Lawyer – Botanist
1857: Admitted to the Bar
1858-1876: 30 Court Street – law office with his father

Childhood Home:
1853-1871: 68 Beacon Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02108
house left of Charles Street – still standing

Home:
1877: Lived with his brother, Arnold Augustus Rand, at 53 Tremont Street, Boston, Massachusetts

Summer Home:
1866: Edward Sprague Rand III and family spent their summer vacation boarding with the Higgins family at Harbor House in Bar Harbor, Maine

Home:
Circa 1867 to 1877:
Edward Sprague Rand III Estate
12670 Glen Ridge, Dedham, Massachusetts – High and Common

Death Date: September 28, 1897 - from self inflicted strychnine poisoning
Death Place: Pará, Brazil
Cemetery: Unknown. Possibly buried in his garden in Brazil.

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1866-First-Edition-GARDEN-FLOWERS-Plants-Trees-Shrubs-Gardening-Edward-S-Rand

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New York Passenger Arrival Lists (Ellis Island)
Name: Edward S. Rand
Event Type: Immigration
Event Date: 06 Dec 1892
Event Place: Ellis Island, New York City, New York, United States
Residence: Place Para
Gender: Male
Age: 56
Nationality: US Citizen
Birth Year: 1836
Departure: Port Para
Ship Name: Origen
Page Number: 1871
Affiliate Line: Number 0001