Mary Seacole

...St Thomas' Hospital

...A new statue honouring the Crimean War nurse Mary Seacole was unveiled in the gardens of St Thomas’ Hospital in June 2016.  Sculptor Martin Jennings’ striking work is believed to be the first statue in the UK dedicated to a named black woman.

...“Mary Seacole is an unsung heroine,” says Baroness Amos, director of the School of Oriental and African Studies and a member of the committee that selected Jennings. “A Jamaican businesswoman, traveller and healer who wanted to go to Crimea to help treat the wounded and save lives, but was refused by the authorities. Rather than accept defeat, she went independently using her own money.”