Florence Nightingale letters

This collection contains letters from Florence Nightingale to William Rathbone the MP for Caernarfonshire, concerning public health issues and the typhoid epidemic at Bangor in 1882.

Florence Nightingale, (1820-1910), nursing pioneer and reformer, is regarded as the founder of modern nursing. Born in Florence, Italy, she dedicated her life to the care of the sick and war wounded. In 1844, she began to visit hospitals; in 1850, she spent some time with the nursing Sisters of St. Vincent de Paul in Alexandria and a year later studied at the institute for Protestant deaconesses in Kaiserswerth, Germany. In 1854, she organized a unit of 38 nurses for service in the Crimean War. In 1860, she established the Nightingale School for nurse training at St. Thomas's Hospital, London and in 1907 became the first woman to be given the British Order of Merit. Her written works include Notes on Hospital Administration (1857), Notes on Hospitals (1859), Notes on Nursing (1860), and Notes on Nursing for the Labouring Classes (1861). After her death the Crimean Monument at Waterloo Place, London, was erected in her honour and in 1934 the Florence Nightingale International Foundation was inaugurated.

William Rathbone (1818-1902), philanthropist, merchant, ship owner and radical politician was first elected as Member of Parliament for Caernarfonshire in 1880. He retired as MP in 1895.

Material has been arranged chronologically and incorporated into the General Collection of Bangor Manuscripts .

Open to all users

Presented by Reverend Peter Gledhill and Mrs Gledhill of Llanedwen, Anglesey.

Description compiled by Anne Lenaghan, August 2001

Item level word processed list is available at the Department of Manuscripts at the University of Wales, Bangor. Reference numbers: General Collection of Bangor Manuscripts: 37616-37620

Usual copyright conditions apply. Reprographics are made at the discretion of the Archivist.