Sara Forbes Bonetta - Socialite

Sara was born during the early 1840s in southwestern Nigeria she was a Yoruba princess from the Egbado clan – she was named Aina. Although born into royalty, Aina endured hardship, she was orphaned when her parents were killed during warfare and was held captive by the ruler King Gezo of Dahomey who was known for brutality.

British naval officer Captain Frederick Forbes visited the Dahomey court in 1850 and was given Aina as a ‘gift’ for Queen Victoria - a symbolic gesture to seal diplomatic relations.

Captain Forbes accepted the child and renamed her after himself and the ship HMS Bonetta in which he sailed to Africa. Aina was renamed, she became Sara Forbes Bonetta.

When Sara was presented to Queen Victoria, the Queen was immediately impressed by her intelligence and the way she carried herself.

The Queen took Sara under her protection and became her godmother. Sara attended elite schools and excelled academically, particularly in music and literature. Sara lived an extraordinary life for a young Black women in 1800 Britain - moving in circles others who look like her could never imagine being in in their wildest dreams.

In 1862 Sara married a wealthy Yoruba business man Captain James Pinson Labulo Davies. Sara and James returned to West Africa where she became a respected social figure in Lagos society. They had three children one, Victoria Davies, became Queen Victoria’s god daughter.
Sara was in her mid 30s when she died of tuberculosis in 1880.

Captain James and Sara

15th September 1862