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b.1844-d.1912
(With thanks to family member Alan Stewart who produced the first draft of this story, to which I have added very little.)
Sarah’s family
Sarah was born Sarah Mary Stewart on March 23, 1844, at 21 Old Change, London, to Robert Henry Stewart and his wife Mary Kemp. She grew up in a bustling household with her many siblings Martha Ann, Elizabeth Susannah, Robert Frederick, Thomas William, Robert Frederick (#2), William George, George Henry, Emily, Alfred Walter, and Hannah Eleanor.
Tragedy struck the family early on, with the loss of several siblings in infancy due to various illnesses such as fever, malnutrition, pneumonia, and measles. Despite the sorrow, Sarah’s family persevered, moving from place to place within Lambeth, Surrey, trying to make ends meet.
Marriage
On June 21, 1868, Sarah married John Alder. They started their own family, welcoming their first child, John Robert William Alder, on January 8, 1869, followed by Ada Sarah Alder on October 13, 1870. However, their joy was short-lived as Ada passed away from pneumonia at the tender age of one.
Undeterred, Sarah and John welcomed daughters Eliza Sarah Martha on October 11, 1872, and Sarah Mary Ann Elizabeth on June 14, 1874. Their family continued to grow with the birth of Charles Alfred Frederick on July 8, 1876 and Edward George Henry on September 26, 1878.
Death of her husband, and of her remaining children
Sarah’s husband John Alder died in 1878. Despite the hardships, Sarah worked as an office cleaner and charwoman to support her family, residing in various Peabody Buildings in Southwark St. Saviour, London.
There is some evidence (from newspaper inquest reports in 1887 and 1888) that Sarah also worked occasionally at the local mortuary, washing and laying out bodies.
However, tragedy seemed to follow her, as she experienced the heartache of losing Edward to measles and pneumonia in 1881, Eliza to acute bronchitis in 1892, and Sarah to pulmonary tuberculosis in 1898.
Her son John Robert William died in 1902 and her last surviving child Charles Alfred Frederick died in 1907. But they had both married, and there were several grandchildren.
Admission to Horton Asylum and death
As the years passed, Sarah found herself grappling with mental health challenges.
By August 1910 she was in the care of Newington workhouse where she was examined by doctors who ordered her to be admitted to Horton Asylum. They recorded that: “She is quite incoherent; she cannot give a correct answer to anything. She says that Peabody’s Buildings is the only place in London. She has no idea of looking after herself and requires constant supervision.” Her next of kin was her daughter-in-law Sarah, widow of her deceased son Charles.
Sarah’s journey came to an end on February 12, 1912, when she died at Horton Asylum. The causes of her death were listed as senility, general arteriosclerosis and valvular heart disease.
Author’s comment
Sarah’s life was marked by resilience in the face of adversity, enduring loss, and striving to provide for her family amidst life’s trials and tribulations. Though her story may be marked by hardship, her strength and determination serve as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit.
