Re: Sinclair

[Niven Sinclair <niven@niven.co.uk>]

At 12:04 27/03/01 -0600, you wrote:
>I am truly wondering if anyone can help me in my search for my GG 
>grandmother's parents.  Her Name was Nancy Sinclair and she was born in 
>North Carolina according to the 1900 and 1920 Census.  Please anyone with 
>information please help.  She was born approximately 1878.


 From the St Clairs of the Isles, I note a Reverend John Campbell Sinclair, 
who was born in Tiree
Scotland, who was educated at Edinburgh and Glasgow Universities.

In 1838, he and his family came to Nova Scotia where he became a Minister 
in the
Presbyterian Church.  In 1858 he moved to North Carolina and, after 1870 he 
laboured
amongst the Freedmen until 1869 when his voice suddenly failed.  He died in 
1878
which is the date of your grandmother's birth.

He may have been a Minister at the Presbyterian Church at Smyrna in North 
Carolina
where another Sinclair, the Reverend James Sinclair, was also known to have 
been a
Minister.  In 1851 he was made Chaplain of the 5th N.C.Infantry by 
Jefferson Davis.
He commanded half of the Reigment at Bull Run and in December 1861 was made
Coloinel in Chief of the 35th N.C. Regiment (a strange occupation one might 
think for
a pastor).  He married in 1846 (Mary, daughter of a Samuel McPherson) and 
again in
1860 another Mary, the daughter of Dr Edward McQueen of Lumberton, N.C.   They
had 10 children:
                         James John
                         Julia
                         Alexander
                         Edward
                         Cunningham
                         Mary Ellen
                         Sarah Elizabeth
                         Annie
                         Margaret
                         Alexander

There was also a Rev. Alexander Sinclair of Charlotte, North Carolina who also
married twice and had 8 children:

                         B revard Davidson
                         Mary Duart (b.1861)
                         John Campbell (b.1864)
                         Alex McLean (died at birth)
                         Alex Peter (b.1867)
                         Laura Virginia (b.1870)
                         Richard Springs (b.and d. 1873)
                         Annie Harley (b.1875)

Again, there doesn't seem to be a Nancy Sinclair amongst them.  The above 
information
was obtained by Rold St Clair, the author of "The St Clairs of the Isles" 
from "An Historical
Account of the Children and Grandchildren of the Reverend James Campbell 
Sinclair"
which was written by the Reverend Brevard Davidson Sinclair (listed above 
as the son  of
the Reverend Alexander Sinclair).

Wanda, I hope this helps to point you in the right direction.  As this 
branch of the Sinclair
family seemed to be men of the cloth and staunch Presbyterians, I am sure 
the Church
records in North Carolina will have some record of your  g.g.grandmother's 
parents.It may even be possible that one of the above names has been 
incorrectly recorded.  Annie Harley seems to
have been the nearest to the date of your g.g.grandmother or, perhaps, they 
had another child
after Annie Harley who wasn't listed at the time the Reverend Brevard 
compiled the family tree

Good luck

Niven Sinclair