Sarah Hebden was born in 1794. Her parents were John and Elisabeth. John was a cloth merchant. She had several sisters including Jane, Catherine and Mary Ann. The sisters had their own business, working as milliners and dress makers. They traded as S & J Hebden and advertised in the Halifax Guardian approximately twice a year, advising their customers that Sarah had been to London, and occasionally Paris, to select dresses that were available to view. They were initially based at Old Market but in 1842 moved to George Street.
Advert for S & J Hebden. Halifax Express 1st May 1834
There are several references in Anne Lister’s diary to Misses Hebden. She bought clothes and materials from them, mainly for her servants and also arranged for the daughter of one of her servants Charlotte Booth to work for them, learning dress making and milliniary. She also consulted them when she was looking for a new ladies maid and the Hebden sisters recommended someone. Ann Walker also references buying materials from them.
Anne Lister diary page, Jun 1833. West Yorkshire Archive Service Calderdale, SH:7/ML/E/16/0069
Anne Lister diary page, Jun 1833. West Yorkshire Archive Service Calderdale, SH:7/ML/E/16/0072
You can read the diary transcripts here:
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In 1836 one of the sisters, Mary Ann, was married; because of this, it seems she was no longer allowed to be a business partner and so the business was dissolved and re-launched with just the three sisters. In 1839 Sarah also got married and despite that fact that she was a partner in the business and the main buyer of clothing, she had to leave the business. An entry in Perry’s bankrupt states that the business was dissolved. It states “Hebden, Sarah, Jane and Catherine, Haberdashers and Milliners, Halifax 19th September, debts by J. and C. Hebden”. Following Sarah’s marriage, Catherine and Jane carried on the business trading as J & C Hebden. For more about Jane and Catherine see link below.
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Sarah married an Ironmonger called Thomas Perkington when she was approximately 45 years old. The marriage notice states that she is a milliner, even though she appears to have given it up when she got married. They did not have any children, but Thomas had three adult children from a previous marriage.
Following Thomas’s death in 1859, Sarah lived with her two step sons, Joshua and Thomas, for several years at Hazelwood in Skircoat. When Thomas Snr. died, Sarah renounced all rights to the administration of his personal estate and effects, meaning that it went to his sons, who actually left it unadministered, eventually passing to his daughter Catherine. Despite renouncing her rights to the estate it appears that Sarah paid the rates/taxes relating to the house which meant she was able to vote in local elections.
Sarah died in 1877 aged 83 years old.
To find out more about Sarah's family see below
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Researched by Susan Hawkes and Sarah Rose