Sarah Grubb (1756–90) was the eldest daughter of William Tuke, founder of the York Retreat. The Tukes were early members of The Society of Friends, or Quakers, and in 1779 Sarah became a minister herself. In this capacity she undertook extensive travels in Britain, France, Holland and Germany, both with her husband Robert Grubb and with female companions. Although childless herself, Sarah had strong views on education and she and her husband also found time to establish Suir Island Girls' School at their home in Clonmel, Ireland. Her determined dedication to her vocation, coupled with her frequent travels, quickly exhausted her and she died at the age of only thirty-four. The journals she kept were first published in Dublin in 1792. They are presented woven together with narrative to bridge gaps, and with extensive selections from her letters, to form an account of her life and work.
