Florence Vere O'Brien
Florence Vere O'Brien born Florence Mary Arnold became Florence Arnold-Forster was a British diarist, philanthropist, and craftswoman. She set up The Limerick Lace School and Clare Embroidery.
Early life
Florence Vere O'Brien was born Florence Mary Arnold in Bayswater, London, on 3 July 1854. She was the second of four children of William Delafield Arnold and Frances Anne Arnold. Her father was the son of Thomas Arnold and brother of the poet Matthew Arnold. He served in the Indian army from 1850, later being appointed in the civil service becoming director of public instruction in Punjab in 1856. When Frances Anne Arnold died in India in March 1858, the children were sent back to England in January 1859 by ship by their father. He intended on joining them in England, but during the journey overland he became seriously ill and died in Gibraltar on 9 April 1859. The children were raised by their aunt Jane and William Edward Forster, becoming so close that the children formally decided to adopt the name Arnold-Forster when the youngest sister, Frances, came of age in 1878.[file:1881-sketch-mr-and-mrs-forster-2-florence-a-f-david-a-f orig.jpg|thumb|left|Her 1881 sketch of Mr and Mrs Forster]
From a young age, O'Brien was an avid letter writer, diarist and artist, who travelled from age 14 around continental Europe with her stepfather. She had a keen interest in European and British politics, in particular following the fortunes of the liberal party. After visiting Budapest in 1876, she researched and wrote a biography of Ferenc Deák which she published anonymously in 1881 in English and Hungarian. O'Brien visited Ireland for the first time in 1878 on holiday. In May 1880 she returned during William Forster's first official visit as chief secretary for Ireland. During the two years of his service in this position, O'Brien spent most of her time in Dublin, whilst there she became part of numerous political and social circles. From her journals, she shows an interest in political developments in Ireland as well as a distrust of the Land League and Irish nationalism. The journal covers all elements of her interests including the politics, family life, and society of Victorian Britain and Ireland. Later published as Florence Arnold-Forster's Irish Journal, the journal offers a rare account of the everyday experience of Irish administration at a critical period in the Irish Land War. The book received a number of reviews in major publications.
She moved to Ireland permanently after her marriage to Robert Vere O'Brien on 10 July 1883 and lived at Newhall House and Estate. Her husband, who was from Oldchurch, County Limerick, served as a clerk of the peace at Ennis Courthouse, and as an agent to the Inchiquin and de Vere estates. The couple had two daughters, Jane Elinor and Florence Margaret, and two sons, Aubrey William and Hugh Murrough. The couple lived with Robert's mother and sister at Oldchurch where three of their children were born, before moving to County Clare.