47 Facts About Florence Bravo

Florence Bravo, previously known as Florence Ricardo, was an Australian-born British heiress and widow who was linked to the unsolved murder of her second husband, Charles Bravo.

Florence Bravo herself lived for only two years after Charles' death and died at the age of 33.

Florence Bravo was born Florience Campbell on 5 September 1845 in the settlement of Darlinghurst in what was then the Colony of New South Wales.

Florence Bravo was the eldest daughter of land speculator, merchant and future politician Robert "Tertius" Campbell and his wife Ann.

Florence Bravo's father had made a considerable fortune buying and selling gold.

Whilst growing up in England, Florence Bravo took elocution lessons, learned French and some German and did needlework.

On 21 September 1864, at the age of nineteen, Florence Bravo married Ricardo at Buscot Park, following a brief courtship.

Seven months into their marriage, Florence Bravo informed her father that she and Ricardo were having problems.

Florence Bravo finally prevailed, and in the spring of 1868 Ricardo received an honourable discharge and left the service with the rank of captain.

Florence Bravo had a mistress who lived in the West End of London, and had been seen with women in hotels in Sussex and in the West Country.

Florence Bravo became an alcoholic, and his health started to deteriorate.

Florence Bravo herself became ill and eventually found herself on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

In 1870, Florence Bravo became the patient of 62-year-old Dr Gully, who had once treated her for a throat infection when she was aged 12.

Florence Bravo went ahead with the separation, with help from Gully, despite her father's threat to cut her off financially.

Florence Bravo's parents disapproved of her "infatuation" with Gully and insisted that she cut all ties with him.

Florence Bravo refused and became estranged from them, but because of the inheritance from her late husband, she was now independently wealthy.

Florence Bravo moved to South London and leased a large mansion called The Priory in Balham, where she could keep two horses and a garden.

Author James Ruddick states that the relationship was exposed in May 1872 when Florence Bravo was invited to stay at the family home of her solicitor, Henry Brookes, in Surrey.

In 1873, Florence Bravo traveled with Gully to Bad Kissingen, a spa town in rural Bavaria.

Florence Bravo became seriously ill, and later stated that Jane Cannon Cox, her "lady's companion", had saved her life by attending to her around the clock for six days and six nights.

Florence Bravo refused to see him for two weeks, ended their physical relationship and started to distance herself.

Weary of social ostracism and longing for reconciliation with her parents, Florence Bravo started to seek a way out of the relationship.

When she was moving into the Priory, Florence Bravo had decided to hire Cox to oversee day-to-day management of the household, including her large staff.

Florence Bravo wrote a letter to Gully from Brighton that their relationship had to end because she wanted to reconcile with her family.

Gully went to Brighton, where they met in a hotel dining room, and Florence Bravo admitted that she was expecting a marriage proposal from Charles.

Florence Bravo ultimately agreed to a compromise: she would allow Charles to take over the lease to the Priory, as well as all furnishings, and put him in her will, while she retained control of her money.

Florence Bravo had a butler, a footman, a "lady's maid", two housemaids, a cook, a kitchenmaid, three gardeners, a coachman, a groom and a stable boy, in addition to Cox.

Charles developed a jealous "obsession" with Gully, who continued to live nearby, despite Florence Bravo's offer to buy out his lease.

Sadly, shortly after returning to Balham, Florence Bravo suffered a miscarriage.

Florence Bravo became very weak, was bedridden and grew depressed.

On 18 April 1876, he and Florence Bravo went into town together, briefly quarrelling when their carriage passed Orwell Lodge.

Florence Bravo was resting in the morning room when Charles returned to the Priory.

Florence Bravo decided to go riding, ignoring the groom's warning not to take any of the horses out since they had already exercised that day.

Florence Bravo fainted, but Cox stayed with him and rubbed his chest, sending Mary Ann downstairs for mustard and hot water.

Florence Bravo suggested sending for Royes Bell, Charles' cousin and best friend, who was an assistant surgeon at King's College Hospital in London, with his own practice on Harley Street.

Florence Bravo pushed Charles repeatedly to reveal the name of the poison he had taken, but until the end, Charles insisted that he had only applied laudanum in his mouth, on his lower jaw, for neuralgia.

On 8 May 1876, Florence Bravo, who was staying in Brighton, consented to Clarke's search of the Priory.

Florence Bravo suffered a collapse and "brain fever", while Cox abruptly left for the Priory to collect her belongings and move to other accommodations in London.

Florence Bravo received a torrent of anonymous hate mail through her letter box in Brighton, and could no longer look out the window toward the Promenade without seeing passersby gazing up at her window.

Florence Bravo paid her servants a month's wages and left Brighton for Buscot Park before returning to the Priory.

Florence Bravo stated that Charles "did not behave like a man who thought he was being murdered" and that "he had showed no surprise" that he was dying of poison.

Interest in the case reached its peak when Florence Bravo testified for three days starting 3 August 1876.

Florence Bravo had not prepared food or given medicine to her husband, and had not signed for any poison in her name.

Cox was the first to pack her bags and leave the Priory, followed by her other servants, and Florence Bravo received notice that the landlord was taking steps to evict her.

Florence Bravo changed her name to Florence Turner and left London permanently on 3 April 1877.

Florence Bravo settled in Southsea, Hampshire, where she bought a property called Lumps Villa, which she renamed Coombe Lodge, and hired a housekeeper, two maids and a coachman.

Florence Bravo rarely went out and eventually drank herself to death, much like her first husband, and died on 17 September 1878 at the age of 33.