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  1. #1

    Default Sinclair and Walsh lineages

    I am researching my father’s lineage, I have been stuck for the last 3 years. My great grandfather was Richard Alexander Sinclair, born 9 Feb 1862 in Stranocum, Antrim, Ireland. He married Emily Walsh, they immigrated to Roanoke, VA around 1900 with their children (Minnie Reid Sinclair, Frederick Alexander Sinclair, Jessie Laird Sinclair, Emily Swartzell, Arthur James Sinclair, and Kathleen Sinclair. Emily died shortly thereafter in a house fire with their daughter Jessie. He then remarried an Ella Brown. His marriage records indicate his parents were Alexander and Mary Sinclair. Alexander was a shoemaker according to my Richards marriage records to Emily.

    Emily Walsh’s parents were David Walsh and Mary Davidson. She married Richard Alexander Sinclair Sept of 1881. She was listed as a school mistress and he a school master on marriage records from Finvoy Presbyterian Church.

    I can find NO records on Mary and Alexander and very limited on any information on Emily’s family.

  2. #2
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    Welcome to the British-Genealogy forums

    There is an R A Sinclair travelling on the ship City of Berlin to New York in 17 Nov 1890. He is age 30 from Cloughmill Ireland and a labourer. I notice that all Richard's and Emily's children were born prior to 1890.
    Cloughmill as about 24 miles north of Antrim. I was wondering if Richard started using Antrim as his birth place because it was better known than Cloughmill.

    1901 Ireland census 31 March 1901
    Annalee Street, Clifton, Antrim, Ireland
    Emily Sinclair 47 Head, Housekeeper
    Mary Sinclair 18
    Fred A Sinclair 17
    Jessie Sinclair15
    Emma Sinclair 14
    Arthur J Sinclair 12
    Kate Sinclair 11

    This is not helping us find Richard's parents but it may be useful as background for those wishing to help.
    Christina
    Sometimes paranoia is just having all the facts.
    William Burroughs

  3. #3
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    an Alexander Sinclair, shoemaker, died at Ballymoney, February 1897 aged 87. James Sinclair, son, present at death

    https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy....ubmit%3DSearch


    I wonder if there's any chance Alexander Sinclair was actually from Scotland

  4. #4
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    are you saying that Richard's mother was named Mary because the Alexander Sinclair ("former coal miner") who died December 1901 aged 66 - was married to Mary Stewart ?

    that is from the document you have attached in your public tree on Ancestry

    when Richard Alexander Sinclair died in 1931 his mother's name seems to be unknown, and when he married in 1881 I can't see his mother's name mentioned

    do you have Richard's 1862 birth certificate?

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by wimsey View Post
    an Alexander Sinclair, shoemaker, died at Ballymoney, February 1897 aged 87. James Sinclair, son, present at death

    https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy....ubmit%3DSearch
    This Alexander was married at death so I looked for a death of a Mary Sinclair(on the assumption that Richard's mother was a Mary). There is a death of a 90 year old Mary Sinclair, a shoe maker's widow who died in 1903 in Coleraine, North Rampart, - maybe worth considering. She can be found in the 1901 census in Rosemary Lane Coleraine, a widow b Antrim. Coleraine is close to the Antrim border.

    Also on the death cert of Alexander the informant is son James. He married I think in Coleraine in 1873 and was a school teacher. He can be found in 1901 and 1911 in Bushmills Antrim. His dob is around 1845, so a lot older than Richard. You would be looking for a marriage for Alexander probably before that date.

    If the above Mary was his wife then I would guess the marriage would be in Ireland as she was born Antrim.

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    Tosha, I see on your geni.com page that you have Alexander's wife Mary as dying in Renfrewshire Scotland in 1904 age 68. That does seem quite unlikely on the face of it, but you may have good evidence for this. Or perhaps it was just a theory you were exploring.

  7. #7
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    Birth registration only started in Ireland in 1864 so if Richard Alexander was born in 1862 you won't get a birth certificate for him. You might find his baptism but to do that you would need to know what church his family attended. The family were apparently Presbyterian (going by the 1901 census anyway) and so the records may not be on-line anywhere.

    Tradition was to marry in the bride’s church, so not necessarily the Sinclair family church but it might be, so could be worth checking Finvoy Presbyterian. Their baptism & marriage records start in 1843. (Copy in PRONI in Belfast).

    Statutory marriage registration began in April 1845. I don’t see a likely marriage for Alexander 1845 onwards so that points to his marrying before that. Again you need to search church records, which are not all on-line, and not all churches have records for the years you need.

    When Richard married in September 1881 he said he was full age, ie 21 and over. If so, he was probably born in 1860 or earlier. The 1862 date may just be a guess.

    Here’s the James Sinclair who was a witness to Alexander’s death in 1897. James was a schoolmaster, same as Richard. I’d be inclined to think it might be the right family.

    https://www.census.nationalarchives....rt_of_/943517/

    James married Eliza McKeague in 1873:

    https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy....59/8129442.pdf

    His probate abstract:


    Probate of the Will of the late James Sinclair, Bushmills, Co. Antrim, Retired School Teacher, who died 10 February 1919, granted at Belfast 5 May 1919 to William John Sinclair, School Teacher and Catherine Maria Sinclair, Spinster. Effects: £442 10s 4d.

    The will itself is in PRONI (in paper format).
    ELWYN

  8. #8

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    @wimsey, Richard remarried in Bedford County, Virginia, December 4, 1907 to Ella V Brown. This marriage record indicates his mother is Mary Sinclair.

  9. #9

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    This was a theory I was exploring because the family reports having Scottish ancestry... my DNA on my fathers side seems to also support this theory as my Paternal DNA is showing at 44% English/NW Europe, 27% Ireland, 23% Scotland, 4% Norway.

    I do not believe, any longer, that the Alexander and Mary from Renfrewshire, Scotland is related.

  10. #10

    Default Lost on Sinclair Lineage in Ireland

    I am researching my father’s lineage, I have been stuck for the last 3 years. My great grandfather was Richard Alexander Sinclair, born 9 Feb 1862 in Stranocum, Antrim, Ireland. He married Emily Walsh, they immigrated to Roanoke, VA around 1900 with their children (Minnie Reid Sinclair, Frederick Alexander Sinclair, Jessie Laird Sinclair, Emily Swartzell, Arthur James Sinclair, and Kathleen Sinclair. Emily died shortly thereafter in a house fire with their daughter Jessie. He then remarried an Ella Brown. His marriage records indicate his parents were Alexander and Mary Sinclair. Alexander was a shoemaker according to my Richards marriage records to Emily.

    Emily Walsh’s parents were David Walsh and Mary Davidson. She married Richard Alexander Sinclair Sept of 1881. She was listed as a school mistress and he a school master on marriage records from Finvoy Presbyterian Church.

    I can find NO records on Mary and Alexander and very limited on any information on Emily’s family.

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