Letter from Florence Nightingale

One item that has been hidden away in a small cabinet in St Andrew’s is a handwritten letter from Florence Nightingale to Rev’d John Fawcett, who was vicar of St Andrew’s at the time. Unfortunately, with the atmosphere in the church the condition of the letter was degrading, so we have loaned it to the Craven Museum for safe keeping. We did, however, get a scan of the letter and we have managed to get it transcribed. Do see below.

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1855

10 March

Scutari

Hospital

Rev Sir

Many thanks for your collection of books and tracts received by Harlequin yesterday. They will be very valuable here, as about one in five of the patients read. We have still about 10,000 in

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all the hospitals, but many are now convalescent, and hence diminishing before fine weather and open windows.

The men are proud of reading, and are very grateful for attention. The great loss is, we trust, not likely to recur, having been

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those worn out and exhausted with labour and exposure, dysentery being only one of their complaints.

The French Emperor is expected in two days.

Your obedient, obliged servant, Florence Nightingale.

The Revd JTC Fawcett Kildwick

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To read more about Florence Nightingale, try https://www.nam.ac.uk/explore/florence-nightingale-lady-lamp