Francis Fosbery was a landowner in County Limerick, Ireland and he and his wife Sarah had nine daughters. Sarah died, aged only 39, and Francis married again.
Perhaps in resentment, even embarrassment, at having a stepmother not much older than themselves the nine daughters immigrated; eight to New Zealand and one to USA.
At least three of the sisters signed the 1893 Suffrage petition: Laura Ronalds (sheet 183), Emma Kettle (sheet 477) and Sarah Mills (sheet 168). In June 1870 the Ramsey had arrived in Lyttelton with Mary 18, Philippa 17 and Sarah (Sadie) 14.
While the other ‘handsome sisters’ married between the ages of 19 and 24 Sadie did not marry until she was 36. She married James Mills a widower with three children. They also had three children together; James who lived just 6 weeks, Geraldine, and Henry.
At the wedding of her stepdaughter Florence in 1899 Sadie wore ‘a handsome heliotrope costume en suite, profusely trimmed with lace.’ James and Sadie gave the couple a ‘Steinway grand piano’ as a wedding present. In 1902 Sadie gave a party for her niece Olive Kettle at her Mount Lodge residence. There were 20-30 guests and the evening ‘passed off very pleasantly in games and music and finally wound up with one or two dances’.
James went on to found the Union Steam Ship Company, was the Member of Parliament for Port Chalmers and was knighted in 1907.
In 1908, now Lady Mills, Sadie attended a garden party put on by the Primate (Bishop Samuel Nevill) and Mrs Nevill. Sadie wore ‘black crepe de chine, bodice much trimmed with cream lace and insertion, white ostrich boa, large black picture hat.’ Later that year the couple moved to England where Sadie died in 1924 aged 68 and Sir James died in 1936 aged 89.
Biography contributed by Robert Wynn-Williams
Sources
- Obituary. New Zealand Herald, 25 September 1936
- This afternoon’s wedding. Evening Star, 25 October 1899 p 2
- Fashionable Dunedin Wedding. New Zealand Times, 28 October 1899 p.5
- Table Talk. Otago Witness, 28 May 1902 p 61George Ranald Macdonald, Retired Farmer, Kaiapoi R.D.
- Table Talk. Otago Witness, 19 February 1908 p72
Image
Sarah (Sadie) Gertrude. Lady Mills.
Click on sheet number to see the 1893 petition sheet this signature appeared on. Digital copies of the sheets supplied by Archives New Zealand.
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