She learnt a lot of her medicinal knowledge from her mother

Mary's mother, Mrs. Grant, was a traditional folk healer and operated Blundell Hall, a boarding house in Kingston. She was a doctor who was well-versed in common illnesses and tropical diseases and was frequently needed for other roles as well, such as nurse, midwife, and herbalist.

Long before their European counterparts, many of Jamaica's healers understood the value of sanitation in their profession.

One of Kingston's most upscale hotels, Blundell Hall, was managed by Mary's mother. An interesting fact about Mary Seacole is that she learned how to care for patients from her mother and from visiting doctors who stayed at the boarding house. As Mary grew older, she worked alongside her mother and occasionally went to Kingston's British Army Hospital to help out. As a youngster, she made two visits to England as a result of her intense desire to travel.

Mary picked up a lot from her mother. Her medical knowledge was also expanded by the fact that Blundell Hall served as a rehabilitation facility for military and navy personnel. In her book, Seacole revealed that she had always been fascinated by medicine and had grown up helping her mother care for patients and soldiers as well as seeing military doctors perform ward rounds.