Statue of Mary Seacole facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Statue of Mary Seacole |
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The statue in 2016
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| Artist | Martin Jennings |
| Completion date | 2016 |
| Type | Sculpture |
| Medium | bronze |
| Subject | Mary Seacole |
| Dimensions | 4.9 m (16 ft) |
| Location | Lambeth, London |
| 51°30′01″N 0°07′08″W / 51.5002°N 0.1189°W | |
The statue of Mary Seacole stands in the gardens of St Thomas' Hospital in Lambeth, London. This impressive sculpture was created in 2016 by Martin Jennings. It honors Mary Seacole, a brave British-Jamaican nurse. She set up a "British Hotel" to help soldiers during the Crimean War. Mary Seacole was later voted first in a public poll of "100 Great Black Britons".
Who Was Mary Seacole?
Mary Seacole (born Grant, 1805–1881) was born in Jamaica. Her father was Scottish, and her mother was Jamaican. Mary learned traditional herbal medicine from her mother, who was a "doctress." She also learned about running a hotel.
During the Crimean War, Mary Seacole traveled to the Crimea. She wanted to join the official nursing group led by Florence Nightingale, but she was not accepted. So, Mary decided to go on her own. She opened a place called the "British Hotel" in Balaklava. This hotel was a place where officers and soldiers could relax and recover. The soldiers lovingly called her "Mother Seacole."
After the war, Mary returned to England in 1856. The next year, she wrote her life story, called Wonderful Adventures of Mrs. Seacole in Many Lands. She faced hard times and became poor. However, many famous people helped raise money for her. These supporters included the Duke of Wellington and a war reporter from The Times, William Howard Russell.
After Mary Seacole died in 1881, people mostly forgot about her for a while. But around 100 years later, interest in her began to grow again. The Mary Seacole Memorial Association was started in 1980. An English Heritage blue plaque was placed on her former home in George Street, Westminster. In 2004, Mary Seacole was voted the greatest among "100 Great Black Britons." The head of the Royal College of Nursing then suggested building a statue to remember her. After more than ten years, and some debate, the statue was finally revealed. Floella Benjamin unveiled it on June 30, 2016, in the gardens of St Thomas' Hospital.
What Does the Statue Look Like?
The statue is located in the gardens of St Thomas' Hospital. It faces the Palace of Westminster. The figure of Mary Seacole is made from bronze. The sculptor, Martin Jennings, showed her in motion. He wanted her to look like she was "marching bravely forward into a strong wind." This represents how she faced and overcame many challenges in her life.
The sculpture stands on a base made of Cumbrian slate. It has Portland stone decorations. Behind Mary Seacole is a large bronze disc. This disc has a lighter color to make the details stand out. It shows the land where Mary Seacole built her "British Hotel" in the Crimea. Jennings designed the disc to show both the actual place where she became famous and to symbolize the difficulties she faced.
The base of the statue has two messages carved into it. On the front, you can read Mary Seacole's name, what she did, and her birth and death dates. It also includes words from her autobiography: "Wherever the need arises on whatever distant shore I ask no higher or greater privilege than to minister to it." On the back, the carving explains the meaning of the disc. It also features words from William Howard Russell, the newspaper reporter who covered the Crimean War. He wrote about Mary Seacole's help: "I trust that England will not forget one who nursed her sick, who sought out her wounded to aid and succour them, and who performed the last offices for some of her illustrious dead."
In 2017, the statue was nominated for the Marsh Award for Excellence in Public Sculpture. This award recognizes great public sculptures in Britain. Mary Seacole's statue is generally seen as the first in Britain to honor a specific black woman.
How Was the Statue Built?
The idea for a statue to honor Mary Seacole first came up in 2004. This was when she won an online poll for "100 Great Black Britons." After her win, Sylvia Denton, who was then the head of the Royal College of Nursing, called for a statue to be built.
The idea was supported by Clive Soley, a London M.P.. He became interested in Mary Seacole when a group of black women from his area, who had worked in the Royal Voluntary Service, asked for his help. They wanted to find and fix Mary Seacole's grave in St Mary's Catholic Cemetery, Kensal Green. Clive Soley later became the leader of the Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal. This group worked for twelve years to raise the money needed for the statue.
They raised over £500,000 from private donations. The government also helped. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, gave £240,000. This money came from fines paid by banks involved in a financial scandal. It was used to prepare the site for the statue.
Building the statue caused some debate. The Nightingale Society and its co-founder, Lynn McDonald, were against it. They felt that Mary Seacole's work was being made to seem more important than it was, which they thought took away from Florence Nightingale's achievements. The chosen location for the statue, the grounds of St Thomas' Hospital, was also a point of disagreement. Mary Seacole had no direct connection to the hospital, but Florence Nightingale had started her nursing school there in 1860.
The sculptor, Martin Jennings, mentioned how long it took to raise the money. He said it usually takes about two years for such projects. In an interview in The Guardian newspaper in 2016, he wondered if there would have been so much resistance if the person being honored was white.
By 2016, the statue was finished. It was made at the Pangolin Editions foundry in Gloucestershire. The site for the statue was also ready. Floella Benjamin officially unveiled the statue on June 30, 2016. At the unveiling, Elizabeth Anionwu, a nursing professor and vice-chair of the appeal committee, spoke about the importance of the statue and its location. She said, "There are not enough statues of women, let alone of black women. St Thomas’ are proud to host the statue of Mary Seacole both in recognition of the work done by their black and minority ethnic healthcare staff, and also because of the diverse community they serve."
