In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

Would you fix some day to dine here, either with or without Sam, and let me see you a little before, perhaps tomorrow (Wednesday). For I must not interfere with thy mother and Flossie, who, I believe, return Thursday, or perhaps after they are gone. God bless you. ever your affectionate Aunt Florence Source: Letter, Boston University 5/20/23 [printed address] 10 South Street Park Lane, W. 5 August 1890 I shan’t send you Burton’s letter, my dear Arthur, if you call him a ‘‘prig.’’ He is a pedant. So am I. But a prig is one who cannot believe in anything above his own level. Uncle Shore, who is severe, says that, though a ‘‘schoolmaster all over,’’ he (Burton) knows well how to tackle the flimsy, smart young ladies, and that there is an excellent tone ever between these and him. You see Fanny Burton is at Southlands. My books are gone to Whitelands . I am afraid they are not one and the same? What shall I do? Return me Mr Burton with your hints. I go to Claydon tomorrow. Come too. Louis goes as the guardian of youth with two Siamese princelings to Scotland for a month. ever your loving Aunt Florence Source: Letter to an unknown recipient, Woodward Biomedical Library A.72 13 May 1893 . . . Arthur Clough was married the other day to a delightful person, Miss Freshfield, daughter of the Traveller. I hope they have every prospect of happiness. His mother was delighted with the marriage. I have always seen a great deal of Arthur, but I have not seen him since his marriage engagement, for my doctor has strictly forbidden my seeing anybody I could help. . . . The Verney Family Editor: The letters here deal only with family and personal matters. Numerous others are included in Theology, Public Health Care, Society and Politics, Women and the volumes on war, nursing and hospital 560 / Florence Nightingale: Her Life and Family reform (an enormous number of letters and drafts or copies are extant). The largest number of Nightingale’s letters are to her brother-in-law, Harry Verney, a close collaborator on so much work. They show the slow development of good will over many years of collaboration that developed on Parthenope’s marriage to him in 1858 (see the biographical sketch in Appendix A). There is a small number to Emily Verney, daughter of Harry Verney, who became a close collaborator of Nightingale during the Franco-Prussian War. Emily Verney’s early death was another great loss for Nightingale, who saw her as the only person in the two families combined with the capacity and commitment to carry on her work. Nightingale took flowers to Emily’s grave regularly on the anniversary of her death. There is a small number of letters to Frederick Verney, the youngest son. He was also a collaborator of Nightingale ’s, notably on rural health missioners, for which correspondence see Public Health Care. There are also a few to the middle son, George Hope Verney, with whom there was less contact, although he pursued a military career and shared some interests with Nightingale. Many letters to the Verney heir, Edmund, and his wife, the ‘‘blessed’’ Margaret, will be introduced separately below. These are followed by a small number to Verney grandchildren: Lettice Verney, Ruth Florence , young Harry Verney, the fourth baronet, and Harry Lloyd Verney . (Ruth Florence and Harry Calvert were also godchildren so that correspondence concerning them appears with that of other godchildren later.) The letters reported here, only a small proportion of those extant, nonetheless reflect the range of subjects discussed and general emotional tone of the correspondence from frustration, exasperation and disappointment, through to joy, wonder and delight. This personal correspondence covers births, marriages, illnesses, accidents, deaths, the perils of raising children, their schooling, careers and marriages. While there will be much fuller reporting on Nightingale’s own illness elsewhere, it receives frequent mention here. The near-death of Harry Verney is extensively covered. Nightingale gave advice from time to time on the nursing her sister needed in her lengthy, terminal illness (a frequent subject also of letters to her sister above). These are very much family letters, with annoyance apparent in both directions. Nightingale’s fondness for adventure is evident now with the telling of cousin Ben’s Arctic adventures to a Verney grandchild below. There are reflections on reading and the news of the day. Deaths of old associates are noted...

Share