Sarah Greenwood

Sarah Greenwood (née Field; 13 December 1889) was a New Zealand artist, letter-writer and teacher. Her letters and drawings of her experiences depict pioneer life in Nelson, where she lived for 46 years.

Biography

Greenwood was born in Lambeth, Surrey, England, in about 1809; she was the daughter of Mary Ann Jones and John Field. Her father was a wax chandler.

Greenwood's early education included the study of drawing, music, and languages, and she was later described by her friend Mary Hobhouse as "a clever active well educated woman".

She married John Danforth Greenwood (1803–1890), a physician and educationist originally from Sussex, in 1831. The family lived in London, England, and Charenton-le-Pont, near Paris, France, before emigrating to New Zealand in 1843.

In the 1850s, Greenwood became involved in political and academic interests in Nelson and Wellington. Her daughter, Frances Mary Greenwood, married William Pharazyn (1842–1872), the son of politician Charles Johnson Pharazyn.

Greenwood became an artist, known for landscapes and portraits. She died in Motueka on 13 December 1889, aged 80. Her husband died six months later.