1 SARAH FORBES BONETTA
“Sarah Forbes Bonetta (born Omoba Aina) was an Egbado princess from Nigeria in the mid-19th century, orphaned during a war with the Kingdom of Dahomey and brought to its court as a slave. She’s important because she shows that, historically, there were clear institutions and systems in place in Nigeria. She was brought to the UK and was favoured because of her etiquette and mannerisms. [Bonetta was offered to Queen Victoria as ‘a gift’ when Captain Frederick E Forbes arrived at the Kingdom of Dahomey to negotiate its withdrawal from the Atlantic slave trade, and was later raised as a goddaughter by the queen, who was impressed
