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1854: Lottie Lane – From a chambermaid in London to a nurse in the Crimea
The Swan Maid
What you need to know before your trail
Lottie Lane is all alone in the world. As a chambermaid at one of London’s busiest inns, condemned to a life of drudgery and at the mercy of a vicious landlady, Lottie is too worn out to even dream of a better life.
Until one night an injured soldier is brought to The Swan. Lottie nurses him back from the dead and suddenly everything changes. She finds herself following the drum of the soldiers, all the way from the docks of Chatham to the darkness and despair of a far flung battlefield.
When tragedy strikes, Lottie is alone once more and thrown back into the jaws of London’s streets. With the threat of destitution nipping at her heels, Lottie is in dire need of a miracle .
Travel Guide
London to the Crimea
From the busiest inn in London where carts and carriages come and leave at all hours of the day and night, this is the London of Lottie Lane who works as a chambermaid. Her life is one of drudgery and hard work. When soldiers come to stay she is put in charge of looking after one and she becomes fascinated with the stories he tells her. These men depend on her and the staff for food and good will before they head of to war.
She is too shiny a gem to stay in Cheapside and so is soon living in Chatham with Lady Aurelia. From here she heads off to the Crimea as during her time in London she’s seen what medicine and nursing can do and her experience with the solider makes her want to do her duty. Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole are working their magic out in the field and Lottie wants to play her part. Their work in the Crimea is becoming well known and Lottie knows the meaning of the phrase “Following the Drum”. Lottie’s bravery shines through this period and the horrors of war are starkly evoked.
Streetview Maps
A) London - Cheapside/Gresham Street
D) London - Florence Nightingale Museum
Booktrail Boarding Pass Information: The Swan Maid
Author/Guide: Dilly Court Destination: London, Balaklava, The Crimea Departure Time: 1854 onwards
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