Mary Seacole

By Ron Ramdin

Mary Seacole was born in Jamaica in 1805. She came to England in the hope of serving as a nurse in the Crimean War. Through sheer tenacity she eventually travelled to the Crimea with a letter of introduction from an English doctor to Florence Nightingale. After reading this letter, 'the Lady with the Lamp' said she would be very happy to do all she could to help. Amidst many dangers, and against all odds, the unknown Jamaican nurse won deserved praise for devoted service to the British soldiers she 'mothered' during the Crimean campaign.

‘Ramdin tells it as it is. He rightly reports she was a plain-speaking woman who lived an adventurous life. . . . This account contains important lessons for those of us who care, and demonstrates why she was voted the greatest black Briton in 2004.’

Sarah Mullaly, Church Times

Ron Ramdin is the author of several books including Reimaging Britain: 500 Years of Black and Asian History, The Making of the Black Working Class in Britain, Paul Robeson: The Man and His Mission.