Mary Seacole  is not a name which many now remember although at the time of the Crimean War (1854-56) few British households would not have been talking about her. A grand military festival was held at the Royal Surrey Gardens for her benefit over 4 nights in 1857 attracting thousands of people and supported by titled persons, military commanders and almost a thousand artistes. Yet despite such fame in her lifetime, she failed to capture a place in the history books such as that held by her contemporary Florence Nightingale, despite the overlapping of their work in the same arena of war.

A black British woman, Mary Seacole was born in Kingston, Jamaica, at that time a slave society. Although technically 'free' being of mixed race, Mary's family had few civil rights - they could not vote, hold public office or enter the professions. Of course, many of these restrictions were long to haunt women of all races in the West for years to come. However, the ban on women in the medical profession did not prevent many from practising their traditional skills outside of the mainstream, as did Mary's mother. She was well known in her home town as a healer and she taught this Creole medicine to her daughter - covering the treatment of wounds, diseases and minor ailments.

Fired by a passion for travel, Mary as soon as she was able took off on an extensive journey round other islands visiting Cuba, Haiti and the Bahamas, as well as mainland America and England. On these travels she expanded her knowledge to include European medical ideas which she added to her traditional repertoire. She has recounted her exploits in a book still available and well worth reading - The Wonderful Adventures of Mrs Seacole in Many Lands published by Falling Walls Press.

Mary Seacole left her healing touch on many areas affected by epidemics such as cholera and yellow fever which few medical professionals could even attempt to cure. She was able through her common sense approach and gentle herbal remedies to recover more people than the scientifically trained medical men. Hygiene, sanitation, warmth and isolation as well as nourishing food were at the basis of her treatments together with herbs, poultices and mustard plasters.

T he Crimean War offered a fertile ground for her talents but Mary Seacole faced racism in her attempt to join the official group of nurses under the supervision of Florence Nightingale. Fed up with the barriers being put in her way, Mary decided to fund the 3,000 mile journey herself  and made her own way to the Crimea where she set up a 'British Hotel' to provide clean, nourishing food for both soldiers and officers, to raise the money to enable her to continue her medical work. In contrast to Florence Nightingale's outstanding administrative and statistical achievements, Mary Seacole's contribution was very much at the forefront of hands on healing out on the field of combat and at the docks among the wounded and sick. The war correspondent, William Russell was among many who commented on her efforts to save the lives of the wounded there:

Her hut was surrounded every morning by the rough navvies and Land Transport men, who had a faith in her proficiency in the healing art, which she justified by many cures and by removing obstinate cases of diarrhoea, dysentery and similar camp maladies. 

Mary Seacole was awarded medals in commemoration of her work with the soldiers of all nationalities by medals from Britain, Turkey and France.

After the Crimean war, Mary Seacole lived on, dividing her time between Jamaica and England, and reached the good age of 76 years by the time of her death in London. Sadly, after her death, her name was all too quickly forgotten by the establishment- reflecting an all too deeply held racism, sexism and classism in its choice of individuals felt worthy of a place in history.

Not until 1954 (the anniversary of the outbreak of the Crimean War) was her name resurrected by the Jamaican Nurses Association who wished to name their proposed headquarters in Kingston 'Mary Seacole House'. Further such memorials followed in Jamaica but it took until 1973, in England before her memory was recalled. Through the efforts of the British Commonwealth Nurses Memorial Fund and a Jamaican Women's group in London, there was a re-consecration of Mary Seacole's grave in the Catholic cemetery at Kensal Rise, London Then, just under twenty years ago, in 1981, a memorial service was held to mark the centenary of her death and a biographical pamphlet brought her name back into the public eye.

Let us hope Mary Seacole and her 'wonderful adventures are not allowed to slip into oblivion again.

For more Mary Seacole Info try the following links:-

The Mary Seacole Resource Page - Lots of useful links for more research

The BBC Mary Seacole Page - Since we first developed this page about 5 years ago, Black history month has "discovered" Mary Seacole

The Mary Seacole Foundation