W.E.N.
William Edward Nightingale was a university chum of one of Fanny's nine
siblings and as such they had known each other for some years before
their marriage. After their European honeymoon Frances said "Mr.
Nightingale was seldom in the melting mood," but whatever the reason the
couple did not birth another child after their move to Lea, after
Europe. He was tall and liked to read standing up. He had a special
desk made so he could stand up and read. He was Florence's teacher,
Latin, Greek, German, philosophy, on and on. He loved abstract
thought. He failed to "do" anything in the world but his education of
the "queen" of nurses and being her father was enough. The fighting of
the women over the nursing issue often chased him away from home and
literally to his London Club to reside until things blew over. He gave
FN an allowance which allowed her to live independently in an era where
that was impossible for upper class women, and the Nightingales were
millionaire upper class.
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