Fletcher

Fletcher, Andrew, 1655-1716, Scottish politician, known as Fletcher of Saltoun. An opponent of the policies of the duke of Lauderdale and the duke of York (later James II) in Scotland, he fled to Holland in 1682. He joined the rebellion (1685) of the duke of Monmouth but abandoned it as a result of a private quarrel. Returning to Scotland at the time of the Glorious Revolution (1688), Fletcher and others formed a party to work for greater independence for Scotland. They were responsible for the Act of Security (1704), which provided that at the death of Queen Anne the Scottish Parliament would nominate a separate monarch unless Scotland's civil and religious liberties were guaranteed. After the passage of the Act of Union (1707), which he vehemently opposed, Fletcher devoted himself to agricultural experiments and to writing on Scottish affairs.

Fletcher, Giles, the elder, 1548?-1611, English writer and diplomat. He became a member of Parliament and later treasurer of St. Paul's. An envoy to Russia in 1588, he published an account of his experiences, Of the Russe Common Wealth (1591). His principal poetic work is a sonnet sequence, Licia (1593).

His younger son, Giles Fletcher, the younger, b. 1585 or 1586, d. 1623, was also a poet. Educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, he served as a reader in Greek until 1618, when he took holy orders; he became rector at Alderton, Suffolk, in 1619. His best poem, Christ's Victory and Triumph (1610), an example of baroque devotional poetry, owed much to Spenser.

Giles Fletcher the elder's first son, Phineas Fletcher, 1582-1650, was a poet also. Educated at Eton and Cambridge, he was ordained in 1611. Although he was called the Spenser of his age and had an influence on the writing of Milton, he is chiefly remembered for The Purple Island (1633), a belabored allegorical poem on the human body and mind. His other works include The Locusts or Apollyonists (1627), Britain's Ida (1628), and A Father's Testament (1670).

Fletcher, John, 1579-1625, English dramatist, b. Rye, Sussex, educated at Cambridge. A member of a prominent literary family, he began writing for the stage about 1606, first with Francis Beaumont, with whom his name is inseparably linked, later with Massinger and others. Fletcher may have collaborated with Shakespeare on Henry VIII and The Two Noble Kinsmen. Though there is great uncertainty in dating the plays of Beaumont and Fletcher, their chief works appeared between 1607 and 1613. In Philaster, A Maid's Tragedy, A King and No King, and The Scornful Lady, they developed the form of the romance tragicomedy, which came to characterize a whole generation of later plays. In these plays a potentially tragic situation is developed until, at the end, through a twist of plot a happy solution is effected. A prolific writer, he enjoyed great success in many genres because of his entertaining and accessible poetry, masterful use of sexual intrigue, and the refined composition of his work.

Fletcher, John Gould, 1886-1950, American poet, b. Little Rock, Ark., educated (1903-7) at Harvard. After traveling throughout Europe, he became a leader of the imagists in England. His early collections of poetry are Irradiations: Sand and Spray (1915) and Goblins and Pagodas (1916). In later works Fletcher turned from free verse to more traditional forms. These include The Black Rock (1928), Selected Poems (1938, Pulitzer Prize), and The Burning Mountain (1946). Many of his poems reflect his youth in the Southwest.

Fletcher, Thomas Clement, 1827-99, governor of Missouri (1865-69), b. Herculaneum, Mo. A Democrat opposed to slavery, he became a Republican in 1856 and supported Lincoln for the presidential nomination in 1860. In the Civil War, Fletcher commanded a Missouri regiment and served in the Vicksburg, Chattanooga, and Atlanta campaigns. He was brevetted brigadier general of volunteers for his service in repulsing Sterling Price at Pilot Knob, Mo. (Oct., 1864). As governor in the difficult postwar period, he proved an exceptionally able administrator.

Henderson, Fletcher (James Fletcher "Smack" Henderson), 1898-1952, American jazz composer, arranger, and pianist, b. Cuthbert, Ga. Henderson played piano from childhood. Short of funds after coming to New York City in 1920 to study graduate chemistry, he took a job with W. C. Handy's music company. During the 1920s and 30s, Henderson led superbly dynamic jazz orchestras. The hallmarks of his arrangements include two- and four-bar repetitions, bursting section choruses, and solo showcasing. He is considered the creator of "swing" and influenced many musicians, notably Benny Goodman.

orig. James Fletcher Henderson

(born Dec. 18, 1898, Cuthbert, Ga., U.S.—died Dec. 29, 1952, New York, N.Y.) U.S. pianist, arranger, and leader of one of the most influential big bands in jazz. Henderson formed a dance band in New York in 1923. The band soon distinguished itself in two ways: the engagement of Louis Armstrong as principal soloist placed greater emphasis on swinging improvisation and the arrangements by Henderson and Don Redman (1900–64) codified the roles of the sections within the ensemble to replace the collective improvisation of early jazz groups. Nearly all big bands subsequently followed their example. A poor businessman, he was forced to dissolve his band several times, but his arrangements played a key role in the success of Benny Goodman in the late 1930s and provided a template for much of the music of the swing era.

Learn more about Henderson, Fletcher (Hamilton, Jr.) with a free trial on Britannica.com.

orig. James Fletcher Henderson

(born Dec. 18, 1898, Cuthbert, Ga., U.S.—died Dec. 29, 1952, New York, N.Y.) U.S. pianist, arranger, and leader of one of the most influential big bands in jazz. Henderson formed a dance band in New York in 1923. The band soon distinguished itself in two ways: the engagement of Louis Armstrong as principal soloist placed greater emphasis on swinging improvisation and the arrangements by Henderson and Don Redman (1900–64) codified the roles of the sections within the ensemble to replace the collective improvisation of early jazz groups. Nearly all big bands subsequently followed their example. A poor businessman, he was forced to dissolve his band several times, but his arrangements played a key role in the success of Benny Goodman in the late 1930s and provided a template for much of the music of the swing era.

Learn more about Henderson, Fletcher (Hamilton, Jr.) with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Fletcher is a town in Henderson and Buncombe Counties, North Carolina, United States. The population was 4,185 at the 2000 census. Fletcher is home to Asheville Regional Airport, which serves Asheville and Western North Carolina. It is part of the Asheville Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

Fletcher is located at (35.432840, -82.506648).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 5.3 square miles (13.7 km²), all of it land.

Politics

The city of Fletcher was incorporated in 1989 by way of an activist movement spearheaded by local politician Sara Waechter. Sara Waechter then became the first interim mayor of Fletcher until the election in 1990 when she ran for election and was succeeded by Robert Parish by a single number of votes.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 4,185 people, 1,744 households, and 1,248 families residing in the town. The population density was 791.1 people per square mile (305.5/km²). There were 1,816 housing units at an average density of 343.3/sq mi (132.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 93.60% White, 3.30% African American, 0.12% Native American, 1.27% Asian, 0.50% from other races, and 1.22% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.55% of the population.

There were 1,744 households out of which 33.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.3% were married couples living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.4% were non-families. 23.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.85.

In the town the population was spread out with 23.8% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 35.8% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 10.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 97.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $45,426, and the median income for a family was $51,688. Males had a median income of $35,976 versus $26,176 for females. The per capita income for the town was $20,607. About 4.6% of families and 7.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.5% of those under age 18 and 10.7% of those age 65 or over.

Reference list

External links

• Henderson County Republican Party
• Henderson County Democratic Party