The life of Mary Seacole
Born Mary Jane Grant in 1805 to a free-black Jamaican, her mother ran a boarding house for British soldiers and sailors in the capital city of Kingston. Mary related in her bestselling autobiography 'Wonderful Adventures of Mrs Mary Seacole in Many Lands' how her mother, known as doctress, passed onto her the arts of Creole medicine. Hardly anything is known about her father except that he was a Scottish army officer who had been posted to Jamaica.
In 1936, Mary married Edwin Horatio Hamilton Seacole, godson of the British naval hero, Lord Nelson but after 8 short years, the marriage was cut short by his early death. After travelling to many countries Mary, now reaching 50 years of age, was concerned about the welfare of soldiers she had known in Jamaica who were now serving in the Crimean was. Armed with glowing testimonials from high-ranking British military personnel, Mary traveled to the recruitment offices in London an endeavour to support the nursing efforts of Florence Nightingale who by that time was in Turkey. She was rejected at least 4 times and Mary was shocked and was aware that this was due to racial discrimination.
A lesser woman would have given up and gone home with bitterness but Mary made her own way to Turkey where she set up the British Hotel at her own cost. Here she provided nourishment and care to her beloved soldiers whom she referred to as 'my sons'. The hospitals set up by the British, under Florence Nightingale, were three days sailing away from Crimea, but Mary did her work under the heat and danger of battle. She often went into the actual battlefield, and her courage and nursing skills were reported in the Times newspaper and Punch magazine. As a result she became as well known to the British as Florence. When the Crimean War ended abruptly, I left Mary bankrupt. Her supporters, in Britain, from all backgrounds ranging from ordinary soldiers to the Prince of Wales rallied to her aid with fundraising events in her honour.
After the war, Mary was awarded several medals for bravery. Count Gleichen, the nephew of Queen Victoria and a famous sculpture, carved a bust of her. Mary spent her last years in London and amongst other activities, acted as a confidante to some members of the Royal family. Mary Seacole died at the age of 76 in 1881 and is buried in St Mary's Catholic Cemetery, Kensal Green in North-west London.
For more information about Mary Seacole, please visit www.maryseacole.com
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