Sophia Arms Partridge was born in Vienna, New York, on November 15, 1817. In the early 1840s, the Partridge family relocated to Louisburg (Franklin County), North Carolina. Around 1946, Partridge moved to Raleigh where she established the Select Schools for Young Ladies, a boarding school that remained in operation until 1863. She was well known in Raleigh for her painting skills and even taught lessons. In later years, she served as the secretary of the Ladies Memorial Association. Partridge died in Raleigh (Wake County) on March 4, 1881.