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