Biography revisits life of girl ‘gifted’ to Queen Victoria

In 1850, seven-year-old Aina from present-day Nigeria was brought to England by Captain Frederick Forbes after forces from Dahomey attacked her town and killed her family.

Forbes then presented her to Queen Victoria, who took responsibility for her care and education, renaming her Sarah Forbes Bonetta. A new biography, Becoming Sarah Forbes Bonetta, written by Professor Henry Lovejoy, examines the circumstances surrounding her arrival in England and the restrictions placed upon her, even while she enjoyed a privileged upbringing.

The book reveals that Forbes requested Bonetta be “the property of the crown”, effectively indenturing her until age 19, and questions whether her connections to the royal family allowed her true agency. Though Bonetta received an education and built a life for herself, the research suggests her story reflects a broader system where Africans freed from enslavement were often required to work for years to cover the cost of their freedom.

Bonetta later married James Pinson Labulo Davies and moved to Sierra Leone and Lagos, where she became known as a linguist, musician, and educator. Her great-great-grandson, Bayo Randle, reflects on her life and welcomes the new biography’s efforts to present a complete picture of his ancestor, acknowledging both the opportunities she received and the limitations imposed upon her. Randle hopes the full story of Bonetta’s life, including her accomplishments in Africa, will be told.