Celebrating Hampshire Historians

Suckling, Florence Horatia Nelson

December 1848 – December 1923

Florence was the daughter of Vice-Admiral Suckling, a midshipman at the Battle of Trafalgar.  In 1838 he bought property at Highwood from Lord Palmerston to build a house, the family home.  He died when Florence was 15 years old. The Sucklings had family connections on the mother's side with Admiral Nelson after whom Florence was named. In 1876, Florence, married her cousin, Thomas Suckling, a naval captain.  They made their home at Highwood.  Their only child, a son lived only two months.

The house held many portraits which encouraged Florence's research into local history and genealogy of family trees of the lords of nearby manors, Farley Chamberlain, Hursley, North Baddesley and Stanbridge Earls.

Florence enjoyed giving time and money to animal welfare, founding the local RSPCA and League of Mercy.  She encouraged children to respect animals and Captain Suckling accompanied his wife, setting up magic lantern shows.  Florence held meetings at Highwood and stabled old horses she had saved from slaughter. She wrote a weekly column for children in the local paper promoting an Army of Kindness.

Florence continued historical research from a variety of sources, including : Heywood Sumner's maps, wills, Dr Latham's manuscripts, The Hampshire Field Club and Southampton Rambling Club. She presented her work to well-attended meetings, and much was published in local papers and pamphlets. Her work is cited in the Hampshire VCH.

Sources

• Spinney, J (with acknowledgements to Rod Hoyle) (1984) Florence Horatia Nelson Suckling of Highwood, Romsey Hampshire Field Club and Archaeological Society Newsletter No1, Spring 1984, Page 12

• Merrick, P (2011) Florence Horatia Nelson Suckling of Highwood, Romsey Hampshire Field Club and Archaeological Society Newsletter No55, pp20-21

Portrait

Contribution to county’s history

Unique information towards Hampshire's History particularly in the Romsey area.  She gave talks relevant to local places visited on Hampshire Field Club outings. She and her husband bequeathed the town a magnificent set of photographs they had taken before the First World War, of churches and other places in the neighbourhood.

Relevant published works

• Most of her work was published in the Hampshire Chronicle. She had copies of it bound into books which can be found at Hampshire Archives and Local Studies, several under the title ‘Bygone Hampshire’.

• Suckling, F H N (1906) Some Notes on Broadlands in the Parish of Romsy Infra Hampshire Field Club Proceedings 1906, Vol 5, Part 3, pp. 327-349

• Transcriptions of most of her writings are held by Romsey Local History Society

Critical Comments

Generally very reliable, but many of her articles are very discursive.

Other Comments

Contributor

Sybil Warner, 29th October 2021; revised by Phoebe Merrick, 12th February 2024, Romsey Local History Society

Key Words

Romsey, Hampshire, local history, genealogy

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