Anyone with knowledge of Victorian-era (and earlier) floor finishing techniques?

[ljm2002]

3. I don't know much about floor finishes in particular...

...but I do have one wood finish recommendation you might want to look at. We used it for a high chair that we bought new and unfinished. That high chair was used for 3 children and in spite of all the spills and punishment, it never needed refinishing and never got stained.

The finish consisted of equal parts linseed oil, turpentine and beeswax. It left the natural wood color, had a nice soft smooth feeling surface, and just stood up to all sorts of punishment.

Sounds like you may have some issues with the glue discoloration though. Hopefully it did not soak in too deep, and a sanding will reveal wood without the glue soaked into it.