Mary Seacole

Mary Jane Seacole (née Grant; November 23, 1805 - May 14, 1881) was born in Jamaica to a Creole mother who managed a boarding house and had herbalist talents as a "doctress." In a poll conducted in 2003 by the black heritage website Every Generation, she was chosen the greatest black Briton in 2004. In 1855, Seacole travelled to the Crimean War with the intention of establishing the "British Hotel," which would serve as "a mess-table and comfortable quarters for sick and convalescent officers."...See more

Mary Jane Seacole (née Grant; November 23, 1805 - May 14, 1881) was born in Jamaica to a Creole mother who managed a boarding house and had herbalist talents as a "doctress." In a poll conducted in 2003 by the black heritage website Every Generation, she was chosen the greatest black Briton in 2004. In 1855, Seacole travelled to the Crimean War with the intention of establishing the "British Hotel," which would serve as "a mess-table and comfortable quarters for sick and convalescent officers." It was a big hit, and she and her business partner, a relative of her late husband, fared well with it until the war ended. Her excellent book, Adventures of Mrs Seacole in Many Lands, published in 1857, includes three chapters about the cuisine she served and her interactions with commanders, some of whom were high-ranking, including the commander of the Turkish soldiers. See less