Isabella Gilmore was born in London in 1842. Her mother was Emma Morris née Shelton, daughter of Joseph Shelton, a teacher of music in Worcester. Her father was William Morris, a partner in the firm of Sanderson & Co., bill brokers in the City of London. She was robbed of a Victorian Father Figure in her life, as he died when she was 5 years old. She did have five brothers with whom she was close, one of the older ones was William Morris. In adulthood, she had a happy marriage to a naval officer, Arthur Gilmore. Her middle class life took a turn when she was widowed at the age of 40. Childless, she began training as a nurse at Guy's Hospital in London. Two years later in 1884, she took on as her own eight orphaned nieces and nephews from her late brother Randall.