The Sinclairs of Co Londonderry
Sinclairs are mentioned in several localities near Draperstown in Co Londonderry. The earliest were Robert Sinkler (-1710) of ‘Monnyshin’ and Robert Sinklar, a farmer (-1740) of ‘Monishinare’, which is the townland of Moneyshanere close to Tobermore, northeast of Draperstown, in the parish of Kilcronaghan. The next references are to Sinclairs in Sixtowns, which is a locality southwest of Draperstown, about 4 miles distance. Between Sixtowns and Draperstown is the townland of Cavanreagh in the parish of Ballynascreen. Official references are generally made to the townland of Cavanreagh, but quite often family references are made to ‘Sixtowns, Draperstown’, which is not a townland – just the local area. In the circumstances, the assumption has to be made that unless another townland is mentioned, the family references are being made to Cavanreagh.
John Sinclair (c.1770-1843) and his son Robert had a house and offices valued in Cavanreagh in 1836. The same year, A. Sinclair had a house in the townland of Tamnymullan in the parish of Maghera, but was no longer listed in 1864, and another John Sinclair had a house and office at 6 Highland Row, Coleraine, in 1832 and 1836 and again was not listed in 1864. Robert Sinclair, whose father was John Sinclair of Cavanreagh, was a surgeon and died suddenly on 10 October 1838 in his 39th year in the townland of Townhill in Irvinestown, Co Fermanagh, leaving his wife and one small child (Josias). Robert was son-in-law to Oswald Sturdy, Postmaster of Irvinestown, whose death in his 52nd year was recorded in the Londonderry Sentinel on 5 July 1834. Robert had a house and office he rented at £8 ‘late currency’ in the best part of the town for business in 1836.
According to Griffiths (1864), Anne Sinclair, Robert’s wife, held 60a 2r 5p of land rated at £18 and a house and offices rated at £3, and a share of ‘mountain’ land rated at £2 8s. Her brother-in-law John Sinclair held 13a 1r 35p of land rated at £11 15s. and a house and offices rated at £3 10s., as well as ‘mountain’ land rated at £2 12s.
Robert and Anne’s son Josias Sinclair was still a farmer in Cavanreagh at the 1901 census, but his grandson James Buchannan Sinclair and his family moved to the townland of Drumleek South in Co Monaghan, where he had his own farm by the 1911 census.
My thanks to Patricia Smith for the descendants of William Jackson Sinclair, Snr (1841-1915), Rev. James Sinclair’s nephew Robert Sinclair’s first son.
Back to other Irish Sinclair families
Cavanreagh, parish of Ballynascreen, barony of Loughinsholin, Co Londonderry
Ellis Sinclair (c.1816-)
Robert Sinclair (1817-1890) of Kittanning, Armstrong, Pennsylvania, USA m. Rebecca Blose (1814-1853)
Edward John Sinclair (1871-1937) m. Effie May Hazlett
Alice Jemima Sinclair (1873-1941) m. David J. Wangaman
Caroline Rebeca (or Rebecca) Sinclair (1875-1951) m. Charles E. Larimer
Harry Hays Alonza Sinclair (1876-1957) m. Sarah Rebecca Stultz
Charles Elmer Sinclair (1879-1962) m. Stella May Mowery
Clara Sinclair (1882-1956) m. Hugh Bright
Ross Sinclair (1883-1939) m. Lula Baverly
Elizabeth Sinclair (1885-?) m. ?Turner
Eva Rosella Sinclair (1885-1970) m. John Wesley Laughlin
William Jackson Sinclair, Jnr (1887-1941)
m. (1) 1917 Katherine ?Wainer
m. (2) 1926 Martha Fay Henderson (1905- )
Robert Jacob Sinclair (1890-1966) m. Ruth Viola Klingensmith (1893-1986)
m. (1) Jessie R. Murray (1912-1994)
Jackson M. Sinclair (1917-1975)
Samuel Eugene Sinclair (1919-2004) m. Mildred Henrietta Eyler (1920-1988), issue
Evelyn Elmira Sinclair (1926-2005) m. Harry Stuart Armor (1920-2005)
Michael Blose Sinclair (1844-c.1930)
Eliza Sinclair (1847-1904)
John Sinclair (c.1850-1890)
Amanda Sinclair (c.1853-)
Betty Sinclair (c.1855-1895)
Bernice Ruth Sinclair (c.1904-c.1977)
Vernis R. Sinclair (c.1905-)
Alice Leona Sinclair (c.1906-c.1992)
Joseph Delmas Sinclair (c.1908-c.1970)
Kenneth Lerner Sinclair (c.1910-c.1990)
Richard James Sinclair (c.1914-c.1989)
Margaret Annabelle Sinclair (c.1915-c.1982)
Eleanor Madeline Sinclair (c.1918-c.1919)
Helen Eliza Sinclair (c.1920-c.2008)
Mary Jemima Sinclair (1878-1961) m. 1896 William Grant Dunbar (1878-1961), issue
John Sinclair (1821-1890)
Elizabeth Sinclair (1823-1895) m. Charles Christopher Jessop (-1887)
Martha Sinclair (1825-1895) m. Daniel Blose
Robert Sinclair (1869-)
Annie Eliza Sinclair (1870-)
Josias Sinclair (1871-), arrived New York, 5 Oct 1891
Mary Jane Sinclair (1872-)
James Buchannan Sinclair (1876-1937) m. Essie Jane Parks (1881-1944)
Josias Sinclair (c.1903-) m. 1929 Vancouver, Annie Hamilton
Ellen Sinclair (c.1905-) m. 1931 Robert Monaghen (c.1906-c.2007), issue
Alexander Sinclair (1907-1985) m. Sara Mary Agnes (Molly) Rayner (1912-2003)
James Hudson Sinclair (Canada 1944-), issue
Martha Sinclair (1882-)
Sarah Sinclair (1879-1954) unm.
Alexander Dickson Sinclair (1874-Australia 1945), farmer, unm.
William Thomas Sinclair (1876-Canada 1944) m., issue
Samuel Fleming Sinclair (1879-1952), merchant, m. Margaret Hodge (-1982)
Mary Hunter Sinclair (1881-) m. W. J. Glendinning, no issue
Joseph Dickson Sinclair (1883-America)
James Sinclair (1886-), farmer, unm.
Sarah Fleming Sinclair (1888-) m. 1919 Albert Hays Daniels, issue
John Sinclair (1837-1910), farmer, m., no issue
Margaret Sinclair (1839-1910) m. Andrew Dickson (-c.1882)
James Sinclair (1843-1914) m. 1888 Alicia Laura Kelso (1864-1935)
Eliza Jane McDowell Sinclair (c.1891-c.1972), unm.
James Kelso Sinclair (c.1893-Solomon Islands c.1925) m. Dorothy Irene Dawson, no issue
Charles Samuel Dickey Sinclair (c.1895-Canada) m. Eva Gertrude Moore
Joseph Hillis Sinclair (c.1899-c.1960) m. Gertrude Viohl (c.1907-c.1993), issue
William Fleming Sinclair (c.1901-Canada c.1927), unm.
Elizabeth Sinclair (1846-1877) m. Josias Fleming, issue
Anne Sinclair (1849-1929) m. Robert McGeagh, issue
Rev. James Sinclair (c.1801-1866, USA) m. 1827 Mary Orr (1811-1860), issue