William Kean Seymour was the son of an English father and an American mother whose ancestors had come to England in the 16th century. He was born in 1835 in Washington, D.C., but spent most of his youth in England. His railway career spanned over forty years, during which he rose to the position of General Superintendent of the London & North-Western Railway (LNWR). His innovative ideas were responsible for the introduction of electric lighting, telephone communication between stations, and his skill in handling public relations led to increased traffic on his trains
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His personal life was equally remarkable. A Victorian adventurer with a taste for mystery and romance, he was linked romantically with many women including, most famously, actress Florence Farr (Farr's Biographical Dictionary). In 1881 he married Lady Louisa Robinson who became a famous archeologist and later a noted author of books for children.
At the time of his death in 1908 she was writing a biography of her husband under the title The Life and Times of William Kean Seymour.