MOBERLY, Sarah Jane
As Sarah Jane Ransome, she was born at Ipswich in 1855, only child of Robert Charles Ransome (1 June 1830-5 March 1886), engineer and iron founder, and his first wife Sarah Jane née Baker (24 March 1830-4 February 1856), daughter of Richard Westbrook Baker, who married at Cottesmore, Oakham, Rutland 24 October 1854. Sarah's mother died at Ipswich in 1856, aged 25, and in 1861, she was a five-year-old, living at 14 Fonnereau Road, Ipswich with two cousins, her father was absent. Her father Robert married secondly at Brixton, Surrey on 10 December 1864, Elizabeth Gibb and had further issue. Sarah was educated at Hill House School, Sprites Lane, Belstead, near Ipswich and on 2 January 1879 she married at St Matthias', Richmond, Surrey, George Ernest Moberly (1 May 1846-3 August 1905), an agricultural engineer, son of William Moberley of Whitby, Yorkshire and they had two sons, Hugh Ernest who died in infancy and Charles Noel. In 1891, a 35-year-old, living at 'Cottesmore', Tuddenham Road, Ipswich with her 45-year-old husband George and retained three indoor servants. As Miss S. J. Ransome, a member of the Ipswich Art Club in 1878 and exhibited 'Wild Flowers' and as Mrs G. E. Moberly, a member of the Club 1894-1898 exhibiting from Cottesmore, Tuddenham Road, Ipswich in 1896, two watercolours 'Autumn' and 'Scarborough Harbour' and two in 1898 'Evening' and 'Pin Mill, On the Hard'. Sarah Jane Moberly died at Upton-upon-Severn, Worcestershire on 29 August 1899, aged 44 and buried in Ipswich Cemetery. Her husband was still living in Tuddenham Road, Ipswich in 1901 and married secondly in London on 18 October 1902, Mary Frances Rose Penny and he died at Tuddenham Road, Ipswich on 8 August 1905 and buried beside his first wife Sarah.
There is another Sarah Jane Ransome (12 May 1834-4 November 1893) daughter of Robert Charles Ransome and Sarah Coleby. This Sarah Jane Ransome married at Ipswich on 12 October 1854, John Eliot Hodgkin in 1854 with whom our artist Sarah Jane is often conflated.