Fortey was the daughter of Henry Fortey. Her father worked in India, leaving him largely absent from her adolescence. Around age 12, she began thinking of converting from
Anglicanism to Catholicism. Fortey wrote to
Fr. John Henry Newman at age 16, asking for insight into whether she should convert to
Catholicism Newman responded, advising her to seek direction from a priest nearby. Though he initially strongly objected to his daughter's conversion, Henry Fortey consented to allowing her to enter the Church after a two-year waiting period. After her conversion, she remained in correspondence with Fr. Newman and met him in person in August 1887. == Education ==