Frances Parthenope Verney

Frances Parthenope Verney, Lady Verney (née Nightingale; 19 April 1819 – 12 May 1890), was an English writer and journalist. Life Parthenope was born in Naples, Italy, and was named after its Greek predecessor, Parthenope. She was the oldest daughter and child of William Nightingale and his wife, Frances Smith. After her parents' three-year tour in Italy, Parthenope and her sister Florence moved to Embley Park, their father's estate in Hampshire, England. Parthenope and her sister were educated at home by a governess, although their father later taught them Greek, Latin, German, French, Italian, history and philosophy. Despite being less scholarly than her sister, Parthenope was fluent in French and developed a love for literature and art. Although at first opposed to her sister becoming a nurse, Parthenope became an active supporter of Florence's work during the Crimean War. Marriage and career On 24 June 1858, Parthenope married Harry Verney, 2nd Baronet, MP for Buckingham, a supporter of liberal causes and possessor of the family seat, Claydon House. After marriage, the new Lady Verney was able to develop her own talents independent of the shadow of her more famous sister; she soon turned Claydon House into a salon for interesting people, and was responsible for extensively remodelling and restoring Claydon House. She preserved and catalogued the family papers, and began scholarly research into the Verney family.