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Hello again, cousins! And thank you for your
notes of encouragement when a crash intercepted my message and I wasn't sure
what had gotten through. So I'll start from the beginning as I know
it.
My gg grandfather was Donald
Sinclair, born about 1800 on Islay, Scotland. He married Sarah Sinclair, born
abt 1806 on Islay, Scotland, apparently not a blood relative, on January 27,
1829. (I have written to Neil and Toni that this was a cousin- but in rechecking
my files found that this was an error.) They had seven sons and one daughter all
born on Islay, near the parish of Kilchoman:
John T. Sinclair
abt.1824-1914
Archibald Sinclair abt.
1827-1920
Donald Sinclair abt
1834-1911
Neil Sinclair abt
1837-1906
Flora Bell Sinclair
1841-1936
Duncan Sinclair
1843-1926
Alexander Sinclair
1845-1932
Malcolm Sinclair abt
1851
In the early 1850s, the three
oldest sons emigrated to Ontario to prepare the way and earn money to bring over
the rest of the family. The rest of the family sailed over in 1854. The journey
took seven weeks and the father became ill and died on the journey and was
buried at sea. My g grandfather was the son Donald Sinclair. He homesteaded in
Ontario (as did the others) near Sullivan Township where he was known as
"Honest Donald". The barn that he built on the homestead is still in
use there.
Meanwhile, another Sinclair
family emigrated from Scotland. The father was Archibald Sinclair, born abt
1811, who was married to Mary, born about 1811(maiden name unknown). They had
six children:
Catherine Sinclair born abt 1837
Archibald born abt 1843
John Sinclair born abt 1845
Mary Sinclair born 1848
Flory Sinclair born abt 1849
and unnamed girl Sinclair born abt
1851.
At some time after the 1851
census, they emigrated to Ontario also. The daughter Mary was apparently a
cousin of my g grandfather Donald. I do not know which of the parents is related
to whom.
On April 11, 1864, son Donald
Sinclair from the first family married the dau Mary Sinclair of the second
family in Canada (Ontario). They had six children:
Annie Sinclair b. abt 1867
Mary Sinclair abt 1868
Sarah Sinclair abt 1871
Archibald Johnston Sinclair
1878-1963
Donald "Daniel Alexander" Sinclair
1884-1962
Flora Bell "Laura" Sinclair
1891-1977
Donald Sinclair, known as
Dan, or "Donald's Donald", was my grandfather. He married Margaret
"Madge" McColl Spears and had 9 children, the first of whom was
adopted:
George Parkhurst, Donald
William Dryden Sinclair, Gordon Sinclair, Robert "Robin"Sinclair, Mary SInclair,
Annie Sinclair, Cecil Sinclair ,
Stanley Sinclair, and
Cameron Sinclair.
Cameron
Sinclair is my dad, and he moved to the US and became a naturalized citizen,
and I was born here.
I am very excited to hear of
such an interest in the Argyll Sinclairs (as most of you probably know, the Isle
of Islay is off Argyll and considered part of it). My family stories say that
the family was "Highland Scotch" and all spoke Gaelic. I would be so
excited to make connections and find Scottish-origin cousins, and to put
together some of the family history back in the "old
country".
Sincerely, Constance Sinclair
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