Florence H. Suckling | |
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| Born | Florence Horatia Nelson Suckling (1848-10-08)8 October 1848 Romsey, England |
| Died | 10 December 1923(1923-12-10) (aged 75) Romsey, England |
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| Children | 1 |
Florence Horatia Nelson Suckling (8 October 1848 – 10 December 1923) was an English animal welfare activist, writer, humane educator, and local historian. She organised one of the earliestBands of Mercy in Britain, running classes andmagic lantern shows to teach children kindness to animals. An opponent ofvivisection, she was active in theRSPCA andRoyal Society for the Protection of Birds, and served as the English representative of theAmerican Humane Education Society. Suckling published books and storybooks for children on humane education andnatural history, contributed to the RSPCA'sAnimal World, and wrote historical articles on Hampshire for theHampshire Field Club & Archaeological Society.
Suckling was born atRomsey on 8 October 1848. She was the daughter of Admiral William Benjamin Suckling and resided atHighwood for many years.[1] She married her cousin Captain Thomas Suckling in 1876.[2][3] They had one son born 1877 but lived only two months due tocerebral meningitis.[2][4] In 1905, she donated a memorial window of Reverend Maurice Suckling (1676–1730), grandfather ofLord Nelson to Barsham church.[5][6]
Suckling was a devotedBands of Mercy worker to educate children.[7][8] From 1874 at her residence at Highwood House in Romsey she delivered humane classes and magic lantern shows to encourage kindness to animals.[7][9] During the classes she would read chapters from Caroline Bray'sOur Duty to Animals; the reading group was originally called the "Humanity Class". She also established a humane library.[7] Suckling's humanity class has been cited as the first Band of Mercy and was she referred to as the "Animals' Friend".[7][10][11] In the 1890s her humanity class became known as the "Army of Kindness".[12] She authored a series of "Lectures for Children" on insects and mammals that were published by theHumanitarian League.[13]
Suckling worked for the Romsey branch of theRSPCA of which she was honorary secretary.[1][14] She authored articles for the RSPCA'sAnimal World.[1][15] She was an opponent of vivisection and stabled old horses she had saved from slaughter.[4][9] Suckling was the English representative of theAmerican Humane Education Society.[16] She was a member of theAnimals' Friend Society and an honorary local secretary of theRoyal Society for the Protection of Birds.[17][18]
Suckling was ahistorian of Hampshire who did research from a variety of sources includingJohn Latham's manuscripts,Heywood Sumner's maps and wills.[9] She attended meetings and authored articles and pamphlets. Her work was published by theHampshire Field Club and archived by the Romsey Local History Society.[9]
Suckling died in Romsey on 10 December 1923, aged 75.[1] She was buried at St Mark's Church,Ampfield, next to her husband. An obituary noted that she had "devoted practically the whole of her life in the cause of animals".[1] In 1927,Edward G. Fairholme at the 50th annual meeting of the Winchester and Romsey Branch of the RSPCA proposed a memorial for Suckling.[19]
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