Sarah Forbes Bonetta died of tuberculosis on the island of Madeira at the age of 37. Tuberculosis, or consumption, held a certain fascination as an almost fashionable disease amongst the European upper class. As Charlotte Bronte wrote, “Consumption, I am aware, is a flattering malady.” In her letters, Forbes Bonetta clearly struggled to fit within the ideals of her time, particularly within the stringent boundaries of class and gender. Ironically, in her death, she approaches some part of the Victorian ideal.

Madeira as an island is also notable. It lies nearly equidistant between Africa and Europe. It was known as a place that had a favorable climate for recovery. Like the baths in other parts of Europe, Madeira was a destination for an early version of medical tourism, which is why Forbes Bonetta traveled there to convalesce. The majority of the island’s flora, including its famed Jacaranda trees, an imported product of its role as a way station for merchants and shippers.