Mary Seacole
Mary Seacole, born Mary Jane Grant in 1805 in Kingston, Jamaica, was a pioneering nurse and an important figure in medical history, particularly during the Crimean War. She was of mixed heritage, with a Scottish father and a Jamaican mother, and faced significant social restrictions due to her background, which affected her ability to pursue a formal career. Seacole was educated in traditional Jamaican healing by her mother and later blended these practices with British medical knowledge, gaining experience by caring for soldiers at her mother’s boarding house.
In 1855, after being denied the opportunity to serve as a nurse for the British Army, Seacole took the initiative to travel to Crimea independently. There, she established the British Hotel, providing medical care and support to wounded soldiers. Her courage and compassion earned her the affectionate nickname "Mother Seacole." Despite facing financial difficulties after the war, she gained public recognition, leading to fundraising efforts that helped support her later life.
Seacole published her autobiography, which became a bestseller, and received several accolades for her contributions, including a medal from Turkey for her bravery. Although her legacy faded for many years, interest in her life story revived in the late 20th century, leading to honors such as the Jamaican Order of Merit and various memorials in her name. Seacole passed away in 1881, leaving a lasting impact as a trailblazer for women and nurses in healthcare.
Mary Seacole
Businesswoman and nurse
- Born: 1805
- Birthplace: Kingston, Jamaica
- Died: May 14, 1881
- Place of death: Paddington, London
Also known as: Mary Jane Grant
Significance: Mary Seacole was a Jamaican nurse and businesswoman known for her many acts of courage as a nurse and caretaker during the Crimean War (1853–1856). Seacole authored an autobiography about her life and work. She received multiple honors during and after her lifetime for her contributions to the British Army.
Background
Mary Seacole was born Mary Jane Grant in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1805. Her father was a Scottish soldier and her mother was a native of Jamaica who owned a boarding house for officers and their families. Jamaica was part of the British Empire and had a steady influx of infantry regiments during this time. British rule also meant fewer rights for Jamaican natives, however. These restrictions extended to the mixed-race children of Jamaican women and white soldiers. Seacole and her mother could not vote, hold public office, or enter into a profession.
Seacole's mother was knowledgeable in traditional Jamaican healing practices and taught her daughter everything she knew. As a result, Seacole took an interest in nursing and medicine from a young age. For part of her childhood, she was cared for and mentored by a wealthy older woman who Seacole often referred to as her patroness. At fifteen, Seacole visited London with relatives and remained there for a year. She grew to love travel and visited many places over the next few years. She continued to study medicine, blending her mother's traditional healing practices with more advanced British medical knowledge. She was able to advance her nursing skills at her mother's boarding house, where she regularly treated soldiers recovering from illness.
In 1836, she married Edwin Seacole and the two ran a store together. Edwin grew sick, however, and died in 1844. The widowed Seacole decided to return to work at her family's boarding house. A fire had destroyed much of her mother's boarding house the year prior and a new structure was built in its place. She worked at her mother's hotel for several years before relocating to Panama and opening her own hotel in 1853. Seacole helped treat many Panamanian cholera patients after an epidemic broke out. When the Crimean War began, Seacole decided to put her medical skills to use in an area known for its substandard medical facilities.
Life's Work
The Crimean War, which pitted the Russian Empire against the United Kingdom, broke out in 1853. In 1854, Seacole traveled to England to volunteer as a nurse for the British Army so she could help treat the soldiers wounded near the Crimean peninsula. Her request to volunteer was denied. She decided to take matters into her own hands and traveled to Crimea with her own money in 1855. During her travels, she was introduced to fellow nurse Florence Nightingale, who later came to be known as the founder of modern nursing. Upon arriving in Crimea, Seacole established the British Hotel where she intended to provide comfort and accommodations to sick and recovering British soldiers. She found the medical attention many soldiers received to be extremely inadequate, however, and took it upon herself to provide medical care, food, and clothing for the men. She also has a store stocked with items such as blankets, boots, and horse saddles.
Seacole nursed soldiers at her hotel and on the battlefield. Her reputation as a kind and caring nurse earned her the nickname "Mother Seacole" among soldiers. She also earned praise for her bravery on the front lines, where she was known to tend to soldiers during active fire. She was present during the siege of Sebastopol, a Russian town captured by British and French soldiers in 1855. The war ended in 1856 following peace talks, leading to the closure of Seacole's hotel. She returned to England very poor since many soldiers had not paid their hotel debts. Her efforts were recognized by the British public, however, as many British soldiers wrote in to newspapers detailing Seacole's compassion and courage. The newspapers initiated a public campaign to raise money for Seacole's living. A benefit festival was held in her honor in 1857, attracting thousands of guests and contributions, including donations from royalty and the British Army. A special fund was later established to allow further contributions for Seacole's benefit.
Seacole also published her autobiography, Wonderful Adventures of Mrs. Seacole in Many Lands, in 1857. The book became a best seller, and its success led to further donations to the Seacole Fund. Turkey awarded her a medal for her bravery. Throughout the remainder of her life, Seacole divided her time between England and Jamaica, spending winters in her native country to avoid the bitter cold in England. She lived a quiet life throughout the 1870s. Seacole died on May 14, 1881, at the age of seventy-six. She was buried in London and left what remained of her funds to her relatives and a charity for orphaned children of soldiers.
Impact
Seacole's contributions to the Crimean War were largely forgotten over the century after her death. Her life story regained public interest in the late twentieth century, with Jamaican nurses comparing her actions to those of renowned nurse Florence Nightingale. The Jamaican Nurses Association renamed its headquarters the Mary Seacole House in 1954, the one hundredth anniversary of the Crimean War. Several other medical facilities named buildings and wards after her in the years to follow. Jamaica later posthumously awarded her the Jamaican Order of Merit in 1990. A painting of Seacole was hung in London's National Portrait Gallery in 2003. In 2016, a statue of Seacole was erected outside of St. Thomas' Hospital in London.
Personal Life
Seacole was married to Edwin Seacole from 1836 to 1844, the time of his death. The couple did not have children. Seacole never remarried.
Bibliography
Gander, Kashmira. "Mary Seacole Statue: Why Florence Nightingale Fans Are Angry the Crimean War Nurse Is Being Commemorated." Independent, www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/florence-vs-mary-the-big-nurse-off-a7100676.html. Accessed 25 Feb. 2017.
"Mary Seacole." BBC, www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistory/famouspeople/mary‗seacole/. Accessed 25 Feb. 2017.
"Mary Seacole." National Geographic, 27 Nov. 2013, www.nationalgeographic.org/news/mary-seacole/. Accessed 25 Feb. 2017.
"Mary Seacole (1805–1881)." BBC, www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic‗figures/seacole‗mary.shtml. Accessed 25 Feb. 2017.
"Mary Seacole (1805–81)." Science Museum, www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/broughttolife/people/maryseacole. Accessed 25 Feb. 2017.