Born: 22 December 1861, Canada
Died: 22 July 1922
Country most active: Canada, United States, India, United Kingdom
Also known as: Mrs. Everard Cotes, Sarah Jeannette Cotes, Garth Grafton, Sarah Janet Duncan
The following is excerpted from “400 Outstanding Women of the World and the Costumology of Their Time” by Minna Moscherosch Schmidt, published in 1933.
She was the eldest daughter of Charles Duncan, Brantford, Ontario, and was born in that city in 1862. She was educated at the College Institute there, she fitted herself for a public school teacher but gave up the occupation after a short trial. From her Irish mother she inherited both wit and brilliancy and a keen sense of humor. Her first venture in the journalistic field was a series of letters descriptive of the Cotton Centennial in New Orleans, written for the Toronto Globe and the Memphis Appeal. After this she became a member of the editorial staff of the Washington Post, but later returned to the Toronto Globe, where she wrote under the nom de plume of Garth Grajton, After serving as parliamentary correspondent for the Montreal Star at Ottawa in 1888, she and a very dear lady friend went on a journey around the world. She wrote letters during her absence for a syndicate in the American and Canadian Press. Her books and travels entitled, A Social Departure: or, How Orthodocia and I Went Around the World by Ourselves, published 1890 gained her immediate notice. She wrote The American Girl In London and several stories of Anglo-Indian life. In 1896 she became a member of the staff of the daily news in Calcutta. She married Charles Cotes of the Indian Museum, Calcutta.