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Appendix D: Florence Nightingale’s Last Will and Codicils Source: Probate Registry, York I, Florence Nightingale, spinster, declare this to be my last will revoking all wills by me heretofore executed. I appoint my cousins, Henry Bonham Carter, Samuel Shore Nightingale and Louis Hilary Shore Nightingale (sons of my late cousin, William Shore Nightingale) and Arthur Hugh Clough, to be the executors of this my will. I give my executors all my books, papers (whether manuscript or printed) and letters relating to my Indian work (together with the two stones for irrigation maps of India at Mr Standfords, Charing Cross and also the woodcut blocks for illustrations of those works at Messrs Spottiswoodes) upon trust in their absolute discretion or in that of the survivors or survivor of them to publish or prepare for publication such part if any as they or the majority of them for the time being may think fit and I give them a sum of £250 for those purposes. And without limiting the exercise of such discretion I should wish my executors to consult my friend, Sir William Wedderburn, in the matter of such publication. And I declare that if my executors within three years from my death have taken no or only partial steps to publish or before that time have decided not to publish anything the said sum of £250 or any unexpended part thereof shall fall into the residue of my estate. And subject to the foregoing I authorize my executors to destroy all or any of the above-mentioned books and papers, stones and blocks or otherwise to dispose of the same as they may think fit. I bequeath to the children of my late dear friend, Arthur Hugh Clough, and his widow my cousin, Blanche Mary Shore Clough, the sum of £7000 to be divided between them in the following proportions : to the said Arthur Hugh Clough £2000, to Blanche Athena Clough £2500 and to Florence Anne Mary Clough £2500. I bequeath to each of them, the said Samuel Shore Nightingale and Louis Hilary 852 / Shore Nightingale, the sum of £3500. To each of them, Rosalind Frances Mary Nash and Margaret Thyra Barbara Shore Nightingale (daughters of my said late cousin William Shore Nightingale), the sum of £1500. I bequeath £500 to the said Henry Bonham Carter as a tiny sign of my gratitude for his wise and unfailing exertions in connection with our training schools for nurses and also the portraits of Sir Bartle Frere, Mohl, Hallam, Bunsen and the Sidney Herberts. And I also give to him a further legacy of one £1300 for his objects and to Joanna Frances Bonham Carter a legacy of £100. I give to Francis Galton£2000 for certain purposes and I declare that the same shall be paid in priority to all other bequests given by my will for charitable or other purposes. I give £100 to Mary Ureth Frederica, the daughter of William Bachelor Coltman and Bertha Elizabeth Shore Coltman, his wife, and £50 to each of their sons, William Hew Coltman and Thomas Lister Coltman. I bequeath £300 to J.J. Frederick, Secretary of the Army Sanitary Commission; £300 to Sir Douglas Galton of Chester Street London. I bequeath £100 each to Mary and Emily, daughters of the late Dr William Farr of the General Register Office; £250 to Mother Stanislaus , Reverend Mother of the Hospital Sisters in Great Ormond Street, for her objects; £100 to John Croft, late Instructor of the Nightingale Training School at St Thomas’ Hospital and £250 to the Mother Superior at the time of my death of the Devonport Sisters of Mercy. I direct my executors to purchase out of my estate an annuity of£60 on the life of Miss Crossland, late ‘‘Home Sister’’ of the Nightingale Training School at St Thomas’ Hospital and also an annuity of£30 on the life of Miss Vincent, now Matron of St Marylebone Infirmary . And I bequeath to each of those ladies respectively the annuity so purchased on her life absolutely, each annuity to commence from the date of my decease. I bequeath £100 to Miss Styring, now Matron of Paddington Infirmary; £100 to Miss Spencer, now Lady Superintendent of Edinburgh Royal Infirmary; £100 to Mme Caroline Werckner who nursed the French prisoners in the Franco-German War at Breslau (now at Lymington); £100 to the daughters of Margaret, wife of Sir Edmund Verney, in equal shares; £100 to the daughters of Frederick...

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