Cubah Cornwallis facts for kids

Cubah Cornwallis (died 1848), also known as Coubah, Couba, Cooba, or Cuba, was a famous nurse and healer in Jamaica during the late 1700s and early 1800s. She was also known as an Obeah woman, meaning she used traditional African healing practices.

Early Life of Cubah Cornwallis

We don't know much about when Cubah was born. Records show that she was originally a slave belonging to Captain William Cornwallis. He was the brother of a very important person, Charles, Earl Cornwallis.

Cubah later became a free woman. After she was freed, Captain Cornwallis asked her to be his housekeeper while he was in Jamaica. When he left the island, Cubah decided to stay in Port Royal. This is where she started her career helping sailors who were sick or injured. She bought a small house and turned it into a place where people could rest, stay, and get medical care.

Famous Patients and Their Gratitude

Cubah became very well known for her amazing ability to treat the sick. In 1780, a young captain named Horatio Nelson became very ill with dysentery during a trip to Nicaragua. Admiral Parker, who was the top naval commander in Jamaica, made sure Nelson was taken to Cubah for treatment.

Later, Cubah also cared for Prince William Henry, who would later become King William IV. He was stationed in the West Indies at the time. The Prince was so thankful for Cubah's help that many years later, he told his wife, Queen Adelaide, about her. The Queen was so grateful that she sent Cubah a beautiful and expensive dress. Cubah treasured this dress so much that she only wore it once, in 1848, as her special dress for her funeral.

According to Richard Hill, a writer from Jamaica, Nelson also wrote to his friends and family about how much he owed Cubah. Whenever a friend or colleague was going to Jamaica, Nelson would ask them to send his good wishes to her.

Cubah Cornwallis's Healing Methods

Cubah and other nurses in the West Indies during this time used traditional home remedies to treat their patients. People often misunderstood these practices, sometimes thinking they were magic or witchcraft. However, these healers often used simple but effective methods. Their "magic" was really about good hygiene, providing healthier food than what sailors usually ate on ships, and having a positive attitude.

Another nurse like Cubah was Sarah Adams, who also worked in Port Royal. She used good hygiene and herbal remedies throughout her long career and died in 1849. Other Jamaican nurses in the 1700s included Mrs. Grant, who was the mother of the famous nurse Mary Seacole, and Grace Donne, who cared for a very wealthy planter named Simon Taylor.

Cubah Cornwallis, Mrs. Grant, Grace Donne, and Sarah Adams all used clean practices long before Florence Nightingale made hygiene a key part of nursing reforms in her famous book, Notes on Nursing, in 1859.

Death

Although we don't know her exact birth year, Cubah must have lived a very long life. She helped Nelson recover in 1780, and by then, she was already a respected healer on the island. Her death in 1848, 68 years later, shows just how long she lived and continued her important work.