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Mary Seacole; introduction

60 second histories

This video covers:  Introduction into the life of Mary Seacole, her family and her early years.

Let me introduce myself, I am Mary Seacole. I was born in eighteen o five in Kingston, Jamaica, which is in the Caribbean. My mother was a free Jamaican woman and my father was a Scottish officer in the British army. I am very proud of my bloodline and am just as proud of my black ancestry. Back in Jamaica my mother ran Blundell Hall, a boarding house, which was regarded as one of the best hotels in all of Kingston. It was here I learned my skills as a nurse from my mother who was a healer and a great believer in herbal medicine. My parents were well off and I was privileged as a young woman. I visited London a few times, the first when I was only 16 and I stayed for a year visiting relatives. On my trip I noticed that, whilst there were a number of black people in London, I found it odd my companion, whose skin was much darker than mine, was cruelly taunted by children when they saw her.
Eras: 
Medicine & Health
Victorian Reformers
Victorian
Topics: 
Black History
Key people
Victorian Reformers
Medicine & health
Character: 
Mary Seacole
Key words: 
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