Mary SeacoleMary Seacole must have been a fascinating woman. She is now often referred to as the black Florence Nightingale, but feisty as she undoubtedly was, she would certainly not have wanted to be known as anything other than herself.
Born in Jamaica in 1805, of a Jamaican mother and Scottish father, Mary quickly amassed a wide experience of herbal healing to which, over the years, she added a passion for cleanliness, fresh air and good food. Like Florence Nightingale she was ahead of her time in these matters, and like her, she nursed in the Crimea, (having previously nursed and run a boarding house in Central America). Unlike Florence Nightingale though, Mary Seacole was to be seen in the front line, donning a brightly coloured scarf to cheer the soldiers and carrying a basket full of provisions, bandages and medicines for them.
She was a realist – running boarding houses and shops wherever she went to raise money – and while self-sufficient was not above using contacts to help in her cause. Above all she loved nursing and her ‘boys’ in the army and was, undoubtedly, loved in return.
Suitable for: Key Stage 1 and 2 Curriculum: In addition to contributing directly to a greater understanding of Black History, this piece also supports Citizenship, Units 5, 7, 8.
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