Mary Jane Seacole

[anteros_lmc]

In memory of Jamaican born Scottish Creole nursing pioneer, Mary Jane Seacole, born 1805, died 14th May 1881, 132 years ago today. You can download Mary's own autobiography, Wonderful Adventures of Mrs. Seacole in Many Lands, from Project Guttenburg here. And here's Horrible Histories own inimitable tribute to the inspirational Mary, as performed by the fabulous Dominique Moore and some rather nifty military gentlemen.

Comments

[eglantine-br.livejournal.com]

Hark A Vagrant has several cartoons about her. I am sorry to say i had never heard of her until last year!

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

She seems to have been an amazing woman, I really must read her autobiography sometime. Her legacy and reputation still cause considerable controversy in the UK. The loathsome Tory Education Secretary recently proposed removing Seacole from the English national schools curriculum, which caused a bit of a furore. It you're brave enough to read the comments on this typical press report here you'll get an idea of the controversy. (There are also some hilariously ill informed comments there.)

[eglantine-br.livejournal.com]

It will not let me see the comments. However the stupid comments in the NYTimes over just about everything, give me a clue. Some people have nasty things to say about everything.

F. Nightengale was a complex person herself. She was not all hand patting and kindness. I have always liked that she cleaned up all the dirt and sewage, and then proved her results with math. When asked what she was like, some contemporary-- a man-- said 'violent.' I have forgotten who he was. But it sounds intriguing and somehow right.

I don't know much about Miss Seacole's personality. She was obviously smart and stubborn, but the rest is a blank.

Do you know about Clara Barton? She set up hospitals in the Civil War. And she went on to found the Red Cross. When asked about her, years later, General Grant said simply, 'She ranks me.'

Clara Barton did her work a little later. The war was 1861-65. But I can just imagine the the stories they could have swapped.

I imagine them sitting under a tree, with gin and tonics. (medicinal, of course.)

I always look askance at people who want to remove historical figures from school curriculum. I think teaching history is more important then almost anything else. Science, and reading, and art, and even math flow from history if you do it right. It should be put in the center.

History can save your life!

[vespican.livejournal.com]

And history should be taught with warts and all. Trying to mold it to fit a desired image does more harm than good.
Dave

[stevie-carroll.livejournal.com]

Always good to be reminded of Mary.

[mylodon.livejournal.com]

Horrible Histories Rool. Those songs are never less than brilliant.

[kittycallum.livejournal.com]

Ah! Fascinating woman! :) I found myself in the middle of a Mary Seacole vs Florence Nightingale argument between a married couple visiting the fort last year -- they were both pretty remarkable people, I couldn't take a side.

Thank you for the link to that autobiography, I can't wait to read it!