Are you teaching the right things about Mary Seacole to your children?
10 things to be sure to teach:
1. Mary was not a nurse as pupils would understand the term
She learned about holistic medicine from her mother who was a ‘doctress’ who understood the healing properties of plants. She also gained experience of military life, as her father was an army officer.
2. She travelled a lot within and beyond her native Kingston Jamaica
Mary travelled a lot, buying and selling goods she could trade in the markets in Jamaica.
3. She married an Englishman
Together they ran a general store and later she up a hotel on her own When running several hotels, she was often called upon to help deal with the sick and knew the importance of keeping up the patients’ fluids and keeping the sickroom clean and well-ventilated
