Histfest - In Search of Mary Seacole
Channel: British Library
Date: 2022-05-13

Mary Seacole came to England in the 1850s and volunteered to help out during the Crimean War, but her services were turned down. Instead, she financed her own expedition and earned a reputation as a nurse. 

Popularly known as ‘Mother Seacole’, she became the most famous Black celebrity of her generation – an extraordinary achievement in Victorian Britain. 

For nearly 20 years, critically acclaimed historian Dr Helen Rappaport has been piecing together the life of Mary Seacole, culminating in a forthcoming biography In Search of Mary Seacole. 

In this talk, she shares the remarkable story with historian Dr Wanda Wyporska. From the truth about Seacole's personal life to her 'rivalry' with Florence Nightingale, along with much more.