In about the year 1848, an Egbado town was raided by the Dahomey (modern day Benin Republic) Army, in the time of King Gezo. Among the captives was a girl of about 7 years old. Though very young and of royal blood, the little girl later revealed that her family lived in Oke-Adan part of Egbado area. King Gezo consequently gave the little girl away as a “present” to Queen Victoria through Commander Forbes, an English Naval Commander who was in Dahomey at the time. Eventually, Sarah was taken to England on a British navy warship called “HMS Bonetta.” She was baptized in the church and given the name of Sarah and last name Forbes Bonetta (Forbes from the name of Captain Forbes who rescued her and Bonetta from the warship she boarded to England).

Upon arriving at England in July of 1850, Sarah went to live with the Forbes family where she learned English very quickly and her gift of music was soon noticed as she was often found singing to herself. At 11 o’clock on Saturday 9th November, 1850, Sarah was invited to Windsor Castle where she met Queen Victoria. Sarah soon became a regular visitor to Windsor Castle .She also became close friends with Queen Victoria’s children, especially Princess Alice. Henceforth, Queen Victoria decided to take Sarah under her protection and to pay all her expenses. Sarah was in an exceptional position, with her connection to the Royal family she experienced what most people in England at the time could only dream about.

Queen Victoria was the most powerful emperor in the world, and it was very uncommon for anyone to visit her at her palace, however she enjoyed Sarah’s company whom she described as “brilliant and beautiful.” During the winter of 1850, Sarah was repeatedly ill until the Queen became worried about her health and decided that she should be educated in Sierra Leone, West Africa, where she would probably cope better with the weather. Meanwhile, she had been distraught to learn of Commander Forbes’ death from an illness while he was in Africa. Sarah arrived in Freetown, Sierra Leone, on 19th June 1851, 33 days after leaving England. Here, she enjoyed the privilege of being accorded as the Queen’s godchild. The Queen would always ship Sarah’s school and personal supplies to Freetown from England.

Queen Victoria would later declare a school holiday in England after Sarah’s daughter, Victoria, excelled in her music exams. On Thursday August 14th, 1862, 18 months after he had first proposed to her and she refused, Sarah and James Labulo Davies were married in St Nicholas Church, Brighton. Mr. Davies was a Yoruba missionary and businessman who was working and living in England at the time. The Queen had introduced the two to each other about two years earlier in England. Captain Forbes, brother of Commander Forbes who had rescued Sarah, gave her away on her wedding day. The wedding was a grand affair and was well-attended. There were ten carriages and sixteen bridesmaids, both African and British ladies; and groomsmen in likewise manner.

It was later decided that Sarah was to teach at the school where she had once been a pupil so she returned to Freetown as a teacher. Sarah and her husband Labulo had three children together: Victoria, Arthur, and Stella who were all educated in England and Europe.Q Victoria who was named after the Queen continued to visit her Royal godmother throughout her life and was given an annuity as financial allowance. Victoria Davies was one of Queen Victoria’s last visitors until the Queen’s demise in 1901. Sarah finally moved to Lagos (in today’s Nigeria) where she worked as a teacher and helped the missionaries. She was a close companion of Bishop Ajayi Crowther in Lagos.

Unknown to many, Sarah had never forgotten the name given to her by her biological parents, she later added “Aina” as her official first name. Mrs. Aina Sarah Forbes Bonetta Davies died in August, 1880, in Madeira, an Island off the coast of Portugal where she had gone to seek treatment for tuberculosis. She was buried in Funchal, Madeira. She was about 37 years old.

By: Adegolu AD

http://www.oblongmedia.net

#oblongmediaunltd