"Mary Seacole Grant"(11 23,1805-May 14,1881)

Was born in Kingston, Jamaica;her daddy was a Scottish soldier,and her mama was a Jamaican.Mary learned her nursing skills from her mama,who kept a boarding house for invalid soldiers.technically "free" being of mixed race,Mary and her family had few civil rights-they could not vote,hold public office or enter the professions.In 1836,she married Edwin Seacole the marriage was short-lived as he died in 1844.Mary was a seasoned traveler,and before her marriage visited other parts of the Caribbean,including Cuba,Haiti,and the Bahamas,as well as Central America& Britain.On these trips she complemented her knowledge of traditional medicine with European medical ideas.In 1854,Mary traveled to England and approached the War Office,asking to be sent as an army nurse to the Crimea where there was known to be poor medical facilities for wounded soldiers refused.Mary funded her own trip to the Crimea where she established the British Hotel near Balaclava to provide ' a mess-table and comfortable quarters for sick and convalescent officers.' She also visited the battlefield,sometimes under fire,to nurse the wounded,and became known ` as "Mother Seacole.'Her reputation rivaled that of Florence Nightingale.After the war she returned to England destitute and in ill health.The press highlighted her plight and in July 1857 a benefit festival was organized  to raise money for her,attracting thousands of people.Later that year,Mary published her memoirs,'The Wonderful Adventures of Mrs Seacole in Many Lands.' She died in London and is buried in St.Mary's Catholic Cemetery,Kensal Green.