Nightingale letters show ‘kindness and compassion’ of nurse
FRESHLY DISCOVERED letters written by Florence Nightingale demonstrating her “boundless kindness and compassion” are set to be sold at auction.
Seven missives penned by the nursing pioneer between 1892 and 1894 were found inside a Victorian desk in Holloway in Derbyshire and are expected to fetch thousands of pounds when they go up for sale tomorrow.
The Lady with the Lamp was in her 70s and in poor health when she wrote the letters to the carer of a woman named Hannah Allen, inquiring after her well-being. Ms Allen lived in Holloway near Nightingale’s former family home and the health pioneer refers to her as “Sister Hannah Allen” and a “good old friend”.
In one letter, Nightingale mentions her poor physical state, saying: “You will excuse my short pencil note for I am as usual overwhelmed with work and illness and very unequal to writing a single unnecessary line.”
The letters are due to be sold in Hansons Antiques and Collectors Auction, and each has an estimate of £1,000 to £1,500.
Hansons expert Jim Spencer said: “They epitomise all that Nightingale stood for – boundless kindness and compassion and the importance of gaining the right care.
“They demonstrate her dogged determination to ensure the welfare of others.
“Despite being overworked and ill, Nightingale continually looked out for Hannah.”
The seller inherited the letters in 1986 and recently discovered them in the Victorian desk where they had lain for decades.