Florence Dugdale

Florence Emily Dugdale ( 12 January 1879, Enfield, Middlesex - 1937) was a writer of children's stories and the second wife of Thomas Hardy.

Biography

Dugdale was the of daughter school headmaster Edward Dugdale. Florence attended National Infants School in Enfield for two years until 1886, when she went to St Andrew's Girls School. At the age of 20 her parents paid ninepence a week for her to study at the Higher Grades School.

From 1895 onwards Florence's life would be centred around her teaching. She began training at St Andrew's Girls School, where she and her sister Ethel received prizes from the Diocesian Board of Education for "Religious Knowledge and a proficiency in secular subjects". In 1897 she became a fully qualified teacher at St Andrew's (her father's school).

Florence first met Thomas Hardy in 1905 aged 26. She became his passionate friend and helper, and eventually stopped teaching in 1908- both to assist Hardy and begin her writing career. In 1912 she published her first book- 'The Book of Baby Birds'- with Thomas' contribution. In the same year, Hardy's first wife Emma died, and she moved in to Max Gate in 1913. By 1914 they were married, despite the 32 year age difference..

During the marriage Florence found herself increasingly in the shadow of Emma (who, ironically, Thomas had ignored whilst she was alive). Thomas' frantic and subdued love poetry- obviously written with Emma in mind- was a cause of embarrassment and misery for Florence. Nevertheless in 1928, when Hardy finally died aged 87, she was so stricken with grief that a doctor was required. Florence died of cancer at the age of 58. She was cremated in Woking, and her ashes were buried with Hardy, along with Emma's.