Sarah was the first child born to Thomas and Alice Hope, on 31 March 1833 at Southdean, Roxburgh, Scotland, at the home of her maternal grandparents.
The 1851 Census Return, recorded Sarah's occupation as Dressmaker. On the Immigration Form, when the family arrived in Australia, it indicated that Sarah went with her friend, Mrs Redden. At this time, Sarah was about 22 years of age and could have found a posting with or via Mrs Redden. Her name never appeared on any documents or papers that have been held with the various branches of the family, until her mother's death in 1890, where Sarah is listed as "Deceased". Although I have checked the Death and Marriage records in Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales for the period 1856 to 1890, I haven't been able to locate anything that confirms this. She virtually disappeared.
It was thought amongst some fellow family historians that Sarah may have returned to Scotland to pave the way for her father's return, although there are no emigration records to confirm this story. It was common knowledge within older members of the Hope family that he was a very unhappy man in Australia and had made arrangements to return to Scotland, when ill-health forced his stay in this country.
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