Mary Seacole (Mary Jane Grant) (b. Kingston, Colony of Jamaica 23 November 1805 – d. 14 May 1881 London, England) was a British-Jamaican nurse who became known for helping wounded soldiers during the Crimean War (1853-1856). She combined the practices of military doctors with her knowledge of the West African herbal remedies, which she learnt from her mother. She nursed victims of cholera in Panama and yellow fever in Jamaica. In Crimea, she opened the British Hotel and provided help to the wounded on the battlefield. In 1991, she was posthumously awarded the Jamaican Order of Merit and in 2004 voted the greatest black Briton.
The statue of Mary Seacole is on the grounds of St Thomas’ Hospital. It was sculpted by Martin Jennings and unveiled in 2016. Mary Seacole’s statue is generally considered to be the first statue in Britain to honour a named black woman.
More on Wikipedia here and here, and on the Marie Seacole website.
Address: Westminster Bridge, The Queen’s Walk, London SE1 7GA, United Kingdom