Sarah* Forbes Bonetta is mother nine on my patchwork.
Originally named “Aina”, Sarah, a princess of the of the Yoruba, was born in 1843.
Her parents’ names are unknown, as are the names of her siblings who were all killed in the 1847 slave raid that made Sarah a captive.
It is believed she was intended for human sacrifice, but was saved by a British naval officer, Frederick Forbes. He took her back on his ship, the HMS Bonetta – hence her adoptive name.
She was ‘given’ to Queen Victoria as a gift.
Later, she married Captain James Pinson Labulo Davies, a wealthy Victorian Lagos philanthropist. They had three children, Victoria, Arthur and Stella.
She died, aged 37, from tuberculosis.
You can see the whole piece here, or follow my progress on Instagram.
Photograph by Camille Silvy, 1862. Taken from the NPG leaflet, shown below.
* In some accounts she is named Sarah, and in others, Sara.
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My goodness, how much was packed into her short life. Interesting and inspiring.
It’s a pretty long story, I couldn’t go into it all here, but you can find it all online x
What a beautiful and dignified woman she appears to be in that photo and what pain and anguish she experienced in her brief life.
I know, and she looks so defiant and strong