14 Facts About Florence Baker

Florence, Lady Baker, or Florence Barbara Marie Finnian: or Florica Maria Sas; or Maria Freiin von Sas; or Barbara Maria Szasz was a Transylvanian-born ethnic Hungarian British explorer.

Florence Baker fled with the remnants of the Hungarian army to the Ottoman Empire, settling in Vidin.

Years later, Samuel Baker encountered her during a visit to the Vidin white slave auction.

Some sources say that Florence Baker began life in 1841 in Nagyenyed, Principality of Transylvania as Barbara Maria von Sas.

The story handed down in the Florence Baker family is that she was the daughter of a Szekely officer from a Hungarian noble family, who had estates in Transylvania, called von Sas and whilst she was young, during the Hungarian Revolution of 1848 "her father and brothers had been killed before her eyes".

Florence Baker may have been fourteen when she was being sold as a slave in Vidin, a town and fortified port on the River Danube in what was then the Ottoman Empire and is in Bulgaria, in January 1859.

Samuel Baker bribed the guards and Florence was allowed to escape into his ownership.

Samuel Florence Baker took her to Africa where he was leading an expedition to find the source of the River Nile.

Florence Baker was able to intercede and find some common agreement.

Florence and Samuel Baker discovered Murchison Falls and Lake Albert in what is Uganda.

Florence Baker served as the medic and when they were defeated at Bunyoro she was there carrying rifles and brandy in addition to two umbrellas and a pistol.

Florence Baker was still living at Sandford, Orleigh, Highweek, and her age was stated as 58, her place of birth as Hungary.

Florence Baker was living with Ethel L Baker, a 46-year-old step-daughter and eight servants, including a cook and a footman.

Florence Baker died in Devon of a heart attack, and was buried with the remains of her husband in the family vault at Grimley, near Worcester.