Mary Seacole (1805-1881) was a Jamaican business woman who set up the British Hotel behind the lines during the Crimean War. She acquired knowledge of herbal medicine in the Caribbean. When the Crimean War broke out, she applied to the War Office to assist but was refused. She travelled independently and set up her hotel and assisted battlefield wounded. She became extremely popular among service personnel, who raised money for her when she faced destitution after the war.