TV Documentary About Florence Nightingale

Press, Volume C, Issue 29633, 2 October 1961, Page 2

TV Documentary About Florence Nightingale

The life of Florence Nightingale was recently brought to the screen again by the British Broadcasting Corpora, tion in a television documentary in the series They Made History.” "Ae programme opened at the time of Florence Nightingale's return as a heroine from the Crimea, in 1856. and traced her life and work until her death 54 years later in »10. During these years, Miss Nightingale carried on a ceaseless and often singlehanded struggle against apathy, prejudice and opposition from authorities, as well as her o<wn ill-health, to effect a much-needed revolution in nursing techniques. Her refusal to marry Sir Harry Verney. a Liberal mentoer <rf Parliament for

• Buckinghamshire for more t than 30 years, did not affect s their close friendship. A . pioneer of improvements in - rural housing and an auth* r ority on the Poor Law, Sir Harry Verney remained one tof her closest and most - valued friends until his • death in 1894, when he was 1 93 t In 1858 Sir Harry Verney r had married a second time to Miss Nightingale’s sister, s Parthenope. The ties between i the Verney family and Miss - Nightingale became closer. It t was to Claydon, the family • seat of the Verney’s, that 1 Miss Nightingale went for t rest and convalescence. i One of the few photographs Miss Nightingale allowed to ■ be taken of herself, shows her I sitting in the garden at Clay* ■ don with Sir Harry Verney.