Florence Nightingale hair fetches more than £3,500 at auction

A lock of Florence Nightingale’s hair has sold for over £3,500 at an auction in North Yorkshire.

The hair, confirmed to be from the 19th-century nursing pioneer, was anticipated to fetch between £2,000 and £3,000. It was auctioned alongside a piece of paper bearing her signature.

According to Tennants Auctioneers, the items sold in Leyburn were from the collection of Nightingale’s sister’s descendants.

Auctioneer Jody Beighton had previously noted that the lock of hair was “quite a rarity.” Harriet Hunter-Smart from Tennants revealed that it was purchased by a private buyer in the UK for £3,606.

Nightingale, often regarded as the founder of modern nursing, earned the nickname “Lady with the Lamp” during the Crimean War.

The conflict broke out in 1853. Britain, France, Turkey and Sardinia joined forces to fight against Russia.

Nightingale was asked to bring together a team of 38 nurses who would go to support soldiers at a military hospital in Turkey.

This marked the first occasion women were permitted to serve in the Army.

Upon their arrival, Nightingale promptly assigned her team to clean the hospital and ensure the soldiers received proper care.

In 1860, she founded the Nightingale Training School at St Thomas’ Hospital in London. This pioneering institution was the first of its kind and trained nurses who went on to implement her principles across the UK.

Nightingale passed away in 1910 at the age of 90.