Sarah Ellen O'Brien was born in 1874 in the Ilford/Rylstone district of New South Wales. She was one of the 8 children of Thomas O'Brien and Ellen Roberts.
As a young adult Sarah lived in the police station in Peak Hill and assisted her father writing up police reports. She was an active member of society, organising balls for the Catholic community.
She married Henry Sampson, a police colleague of her father's. The ceremony was held at 260 Falcon Street, North Sydney, NSW on 30 April 1898. Soon after that Sarah and Henry lived in Perth, WA.
Henry and Sarah Sampson had two children:
- Arthur John (Jim) Sampson (born 17 July 1899; died 14 June 1982)
- Noel Edgar Sampson (born 1902)
Little is known of Sarah throughout these years. Women's domestic lives were rarely reported in the news. Sarah's husband, Henry Sampson, lived a busy life as a police officer and died on 20 April 1945, aged 76. Sara lived another twenty years and died on 15 June 1965 at the age of 91.
1894
Most of the information we have about the early life of Sarah Ellen O'Brien comes from a letter she wrote to Eugene O’Connell in 1894. The families had known each other since the O'Connell's days in Black Willow while Thomas O'Brien was the police sergeant for the Hargraves district. From Terence O'Brien's death certificate we know that Thomas O'Brien was the witness at his burial in 1879.
The families appear to have stayed in touch despite the O'Briens' move to Peak Hill and the O'Connells' relocation to a property called Goodiman (12 miles from the gold rush town of Gulgong NSW).
Patrick O'Connell visited the family in Peak Hill and Sarah Ellen knew Eugene well enough to write a quite personal (even flirtatious) letter detailing her social engagements and rumoured attachment to her father's friend Henry (which she claimed as merely a friendship).
Ironically it was Sarah's brother (John Michael) who married an O'Connell (Eugene's sister, Julia). This was 11 years after John Michael's father (Thomas O'Brien) had buried Julia's father (Terence O'Connell). Some years later, Sarah married the "friend", Henry Sampson.
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1898 - Peak Hill (from a correspondent.)A social was held here on Friday evening last, as a send-off to Miss O'Brien, daughter of Sergeant O'Brien. The young lady in question is leaving the district for the West. The social was all that could be desired, and did great credit to Miss O'Brien's friends, and unmistakably showed the esteem in which she is held. Subjoined is a description of the dresses worn by the ladies present:— Mrs Taylor, blue silk bodice and black skirt; Mrs Mead, black with white trimmings; Mrs Hand, black with gimp trimmings; Mrs Bridie, black with green trimmings; Mrs PeLacy, black and pink silk; Mrs Gibson, cream bodice and black skirt; Mrs Hogan, pink bodice and black, skirt; Mrs Wilkinson, white chiffon bodice blue velvet skirt; Mrs Wynne, grey with gimp trimmings ; Mrs Doyle, cream silk bodice and black skirt; Mrs Litchfield, prune dress and gimp trimmings; Mrs Oxley, navy blue serge dress; Mrs Holmes, black; Mrs O'Brien, blue silk bodice and grey shirt; Mrs Davy, brown dress and shot silk trimmings; Mrs Cleary, pink bodice and black skirt; Miss M. O'Brien, fawn dress and pink trimmings; Miss Davis, cream silk bodice and red satin skirt; Miss M. McAuliffe, brown silk ; Miss G. McAuliffe, black crepon dress and gimp trimmings; Miss A. McAuliffe, cream cashmere; Miss Doyle, cream cashmere; Miss Hand, tartan silk bodice and grey skirt; Miss Wallace, black; Miss T. O'Brien, blue bodice and black skirt; Miss Swain, cream silk; Miss Tyler, heliotrope silk bodice and black skirt; Miss Mulqueeny, maroon dress and tartan trimmings; Miss Dewar, fawn dress and pink trimmings; Miss Thomas (Forbes), blue bodice and black skirt; Miss E. Morris, fawn dress and green trimmings; Miss A. Morris, red dress and black trimmings; Miss McAstel, red dress and black trimmings. Several songs were sung during the evening. Dancing was kept up until 3 o'clock, and after singing "Auld Lang Syne" the company dispersed for home sweet home, after having spent a very enjoyable" evening. The gentlemen presented Miss O'Brien, with a purse of sovereigns, while the ladies' gift to the guest of the evening was a very handsome biscuit barrel.
Source: Western Champion (Parkes, NSW : 1898 - 1934) Fri 19 Aug 1898 Page 11
1898 - CHARITY CONCERT AT THE FEDERATION HALL.A social was held at Peak Hill on Friday week, as a send-off to Miss O'Brien, daughter of Sergeant O'Brien. The young lady in question is leaving the district for the West.
Source: Freeman's Journal (Sydney, NSW : 1850 - 1932) Sat 27 Aug 1898 Page 15
1945 - DEATHS.SAMPSON. - On April 20. 1945, at his residence, 200 Bulwer-street. Perth, Henry Charles, the dearly loved husband of Sarah Sampson, and devoted father of Arthur and Noel; aged 76 years. Privately interred in the Anglican portion of the Karrakatta Cemetery on Saturday, April 21. 1945. Arthur J. Purslowe and Co.
Source: The West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954) Mon 23 Apr 1945 Page 1
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On 30 April 1898, Sarah Ellen married Henry Charles Sampson at No 260 Falcon Street, North Sydney "according to the rites of the Presbyterian Church". (NSW BDM 4124/1898). This location appears to be the private home of Frank and Helen Louisa Farncomb who were witnesses to the wedding. [NB: Helen Louisa was Henry Sampson's older sister].
Sampson had been a friend and work colleague of Sarah Ellen’s father (Thomas O’Brien) in Peak Hill before he married Sara but at the time of the wedding, Sampson is listed as a Police Constable residing in Perth.
It seems peculiar that the Peak Hill socialite had a wedding so far from her home town, especially since her partner was also a well known local man. There doesn't seem to be a newspaper announcement of the engagement nor any article about the wedding. The ceremony also predates the article of Miss O'Brien's departure from Peak Hill suggesting that the wedding was being kept a secret.
The fact that Henry Sampson was ultimately buried in an Anglican portion of the Karrakatta cemetery and that the O’Brien’s were Irish Catholics hints at a marriage that was disapproved of, and perhaps a reason for the relocation to Perth.
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