Main Collection
Crimean Heroes
During the Crimean War which raged for three years from 1853 – 1856, Britain fought alongside France, Sardinia and Turkey against Russia.
Collection Overview
Today this war is remembered for the appalling living and fighting conditions the soldiers had to endure and not least because of our awareness of the work of Florence Nightingale- the lady with the lamp – and a fellow nurse Mary Seacole (nee Grant, daughter of a Scottish soldier and a Jamaican woman).
The war was fully reported in newspapers of the time. It prompted one unnamed Biggar ‘heroine’ to head for Crimea where she faced the same horrific experiences as the men – at one point she was actually arrested as a Russian spy! You can read about her experiences in the displays.
Collection Highlights
Detail of Menzie Moffat’s 19th Century patchwork, known as the Royal Crimean tablecover 
Newspaper report 15 June 1855 reporting a Biggar Soldier’s experience in Crimea
Location of collection
