Mary Jane Seacole (23 November 1805 – 14 May 1881)

Mary Jane Seacole, born Mary Jane Grant, was a British-Jamaican nurse and entrepreneur who made significant contributions during the Crimean War.

She established the "British Hotel" behind the battle lines, which she described as "a mess-table and comfortable quarters for sick and convalescent officers", and provided aid and care to wounded soldiers on the battlefield.

Seacole, who came from a family of Jamaican and West African "doctresses", used herbal remedies to treat the soldiers and displayed great compassion, skill, and bravery.

Around 1821, Seacole visited London for a year and stayed with her relatives, the merchant Henriques family. While London had a significant black population, Seacole noted instances of racism during her time there. She recounted an incident where a West Indian companion with darker skin than her own was taunted by children, highlighting the prevalent discrimination against people of colour during that time.

Upon returning to her home island after her first London visit, Mary Seacole became well-known among European military visitors to Jamaica, who often stayed at Blundell Hall. During the cholera epidemic of 1850, which claimed the lives of approximately 32,000 Jamaicans.

The Crimean War lasted for over two years, from October 1853 to April 1856, and was fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of several countries, including the United Kingdom, France, the Kingdom of Sardinia, and the Ottoman Empire. The majority of the fighting took place on the Crimean peninsula, which is located in the Black Sea and Turkey.

The area was quickly plagued with disease, and many soldiers died from cholera shortly after arriving. Those who survived the voyage often arrived at overcrowded and unsanitary hospitals with little hope of recovery. Florence Nightingale famously arrived in Turkey on 21 October 1853, to begin her work as a nurse during the war.

Mary Seacole had been in England after travelling from Panama and attempted to join the second contingent of nurses being sent to the Crimea. However, her applications to the War Office and the Crimean Fund were rejected.

Despite these setbacks, Seacole did not give up. She tried to join the group of nurses again, but was once more denied. She even approached the Secretary-at-War's wife, Elizabeth Herbert, but was told that all positions had already been filled.


Mary Seacole (click image to enlarge)


Seacole decided to take matters into her own hands and fund her own trip to Crimea to open the British Hotel. She had business cards printed and sent ahead to advertise her hotel, which would provide a place for sick and recovering officers to eat and rest comfortably.  The 'Hotel' lasted over two years.

After the Treaty of Paris was signed on 30 March 1856, the soldiers departed from Crimea, leaving Seacole in a precarious financial situation. Her business was filled with unsellable provisions and she was receiving new goods daily while creditors demanded payment. Seacole tried to sell as much as she could before the soldiers left, but she was eventually forced to auction off expensive items at lower prices to returning Russians.

After returning from the war, Seacole faced financial difficulties and poor health.  She attended a dinner celebrating soldiers where Nightingale was the guest of honour. Reports indicate that Seacole was also celebrated by the crowds, but her creditors were pursuing her due to debts incurred during her time in Crimea. She moved to Tavistock Street in Covent Garden and was declared bankrupt on 7 November 1856.

Her plight was highlighted in the British press, leading to the establishment of a fund to support her. Many prominent people donated to the fund, which eventually enabled her to be discharged from bankruptcy on 30 January 1857.

Seacole remained in a precarious financial situation. She moved to cheaper lodgings at 14 Soho Square in early 1857, prompting a plea for subscriptions from Punch on 2 May.

Seacole continued to work on her autobiography and attempted to generate interest in her story. In 1859, she published The Wonderful Adventures of Mrs. Seacole in Many Lands with the help of a ghost-writer, although the book was not a commercial success. Hers was the first autobiography written by a black woman in Britain.

She also spoke at public events, including at the Royal Surrey Gardens in 1859, where she gave a lecture on her experiences during the Crimean War. Despite her efforts, she struggled to make ends meet and was often in debt.

In 1867, a benefit festival was held for Seacole at the Royal Surrey Gardens, which was attended by over 4000 people and raised over £1000 for her. However, her health was declining, and she suffered a stroke in 1870, which left her partially paralyzed. Seacole died on 14 May 1881, and was buried in St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery in Kensal Green, London.

Mary Jane Seacole was forgotten for almost a century after her death.

She was awarded the Jamaican Order of Merit posthumously in 1991 and was voted the 'Greatest Black Briton' in a 2003 survey conducted by the black heritage website Every Generation.

Seacole's contributions to nursing and her bravery during the Crimean War were finally recognized in 2016 with the erection of a statue in her honour at St Thomas' Hospital in London, where she had previously worked.

 


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