Kate Marsden

Nursing heroine

Kate Marsden (13 May 1859 – 26 May 1931) was a British missionary, explorer, writer and nurse.Supported by Queen Victoria and Empress Maria Feodorovna she investigated a cure for leprosy.

She set out on a round trip from Moscow to Siberia to find a cure, creating a leper treatment centre in Siberia.

She returned to England and helped to found Bexhill Museum, but she was obliged to retire as a trustee.Marsden's finances came under scrutiny as did her motives for the journey.

She was however elected a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.She has a large diamond named after her and is still celebrated in Siberia, where a large memorial statue was erected at Sosnovka village in 2014.