JEWELLERY, DECORATIVE & FINE ARTS AUCTION Tuesday, 23 July 2024 - 10:00 AM start

A rare Florence Nightingale (1820-1910). signed 'F Nightingale' hand written letter,

Lot Details

the blue paper folded sheet written in ink pen on three pages and headed '30 Burlington Street, London W (Burlington Hotel), and dated April 7/61. The letter written and detailed to Major General Sir John Carstairs McNeill VC, GCVO, KCB, KCMG (28 March 1831 – 25 May 1904).The letter from Nightingale in response to a letter from McNeill, mentions Mr Stewart and Dr. Johnson together with reference to the Navy. Includes the comment '... these would no doubt be the possibility of arranging the service according to stations and so saving much health and life.' Note: McNeill was a senior British Army officer and Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross (VC). Note: In1861 McNeill was transferred to the 107th Regiment of Foot (Bengal Light Infantry) – later The Royal Sussex Regiment. Shortly afterwards he travelled to New Zealand as a staff officer, and was promoted brevet lieutenant-colonel in March 1864. In that year McNeill was 33 years old, and while serving as an Aide-de-Camp to Lieutenant General Sir Duncan Cameron during the Invasion of Waikato (a campaign of the New Zealand Wars), when a deed took place for which he was awarded the VC. This lot is accompanied by three small photo prints, two of Florence's Derbyshire house and one of her Provenance: Inherited by our elderly Auckland vendor from his father.