Bayo Randle’s great-great-grandmother Sarah Forbes Bonetta was presented to Queen Victoria at Windsor Castle at age seven as a “diplomatic gift” from an African king, according to a newly published biography. Prof Henry Lovejoy’s book, Becoming Sarah Forbes Bonetta: A Yorùbá Woman in Queen Victoria’s Court, examines how Bonetta was brought to England by Frederick Forbes of the Royal Navy’s West Africa Squadron.
From Captured Child to Royal Protege
Born in 1843 in Òkè-Òdàn, south-west Nigeria, Bonetta was originally called Àìná. Her family was killed in 1848 when her town was attacked by King Ghezo of Dahomey’s forces. Bonetta, then five, is believed to have been captured by the agodjié, an all-female regiment, and held at King Ghezo’s court in Dahomey, which is now Benin. In 1850, Frederick Forbes went to Dahomey to petition Ghezo to sign an anti-slavery treaty. While that mission failed, Forbes asked Ghezo if he could take Bonetta to England.
Before Forbes arrived in England with her, he petitioned for her to be “the property of the crown”. This legal maneuver meant Bonetta was effectively indentured to Queen Victoria until age 19 under post-abolition legal structures, according to Lovejoy. Bonetta was later married off to James Pinson Labulo Davies, a merchant and philanthropist, of whom she would write: “I don’t feel a particle of love for him.”
Did You Know? Bonetta was given the name Forbes and named after the Royal Navy ship Bonetta before arriving in England.
The Reality of Bonded Labour and Imperial Iconography
Lovejoy’s research for liberatedafricans.org, developed with Kartikay Chadha, documents how, after abolition, more than 700,000 Africans “liberated” from enslavers were forced into indentures of up to 14 years to pay for the cost of their own freedom by governments including Britain’s. Lovejoy claims Bonetta was at the elite end of this bonded labour system, “educated to be a missionary who would Christianise Africa”. During her lifetime, her image was exploited as imperial iconography to promote the idea that British colonialism of Africa was a “civilising mission”.
Lovejoy stated that Sarah’s imagery was used to project the idea of the queen’s benevolence at a time when “liberated” Africans were being forced into indentures. Nonetheless, when Bonetta attended the 1858 wedding of Queen Victoria’s daughter, the Princess Royal, American abolitionists saw it as proof that Victoria believed in equality.
Expert Insight: Historical biographies examining colonial-era figures often reveal a stark contrast between personal philanthropy and systemic exploitation, demonstrating how individual acts of royal patronage served broader political and imperial agendas.
Descendant Views Ancestral Bust Sculpted by Pistrucci
For Randle, a plaster bust of Bonetta sculpted in 1851 by Benedetto Pistrucci, the Royal Mint’s chief engraver, symbolises the story’s “duality”. Randle saw the bust last year after Lovejoy tracked it down to a private family collection. Randle remarked that while it is amazing to see what his great ancestor looked like as a child and view the cultural markings on her face, the bust was prepared for phrenological purposes within a racist framework where she was shown as an “excellent specimen”.
Randle first learned his family history from his father, Adekunle Randle, a retired lawyer. The family still possesses the engraved goblet and plate that Queen Victoria gave to Bonetta’s daughter, Victoria, who was educated at Cheltenham ladies’ college with the queen’s help. Lovejoy’s book challenges myths that Bonetta was a Yoruba princess, that she herself was Queen Victoria’s goddaughter, and that she spent most of her life in England. Bonetta died from tuberculosis in Madeira in 1880 at age 37, having lived as a gifted linguist, musician, travel writer, educator, and leading woman in 19th-century Lagos.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Sarah Forbes Bonetta?
Sarah Forbes Bonetta, originally named Àìná, was born in 1843 in Òkè-Òdàn, south-west Nigeria. She was brought to England in 1850 by Royal Navy officer Frederick Forbes and became a famous figure, educator, and writer in 19th-century Lagos until her death in 1880.
How is Bayo Randle related to Sarah Forbes Bonetta?
Bayo Randle is the great-great-grandson of Sarah Forbes Bonetta. Randle is a 37-year-old barrister living in London who maintains his family’s ancestral ties with Òkè-Òdàn.
What does the new research reveal about Bonetta’s legal status in England?
According to research by academic Prof Henry Lovejoy, Frederick Forbes petitioned for Bonetta to be “the property of the crown” before bringing her to England. This arrangement meant she was effectively indentured to Queen Victoria until age 19 under post-abolition legal structures.
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