George SINCLAIR - Bath

[Rodinmod]

Hello there.  I believe George Sinclair is my Grandfather and I am trying to figure out my family tree.  My Grandfather George was indeed a clarinet player and Professor of Music.  His story is very convoluted and difficult to figure out.  From what my Mother and Uncles told me, he had more than one family at the same time.  I believe he was born in Cordon (?) on the Isle of Man (according to the Wales Census of I think, 1901.)  But the only Cordon I could find in the area is on the Isle of Arran, further North off the west coast of Scotland.  There is a marriage record of him marrying May Florence Desmond in 1901 in Cardiff, Wales.  They had a son, George, who was my Uncle.  George and May parted ways, or she may have died, and George Sinclair took my Uncle George Sinclair to the Rhonda Valley, where he boarded with a foster family.  When my Uncle was 11 or 12, the foster father took him to Bath to live with his real father, George Sinclair, who introduced him to his "new" mother, named Leticia he thinks, who was a nursing sister, and his two younger  half sisters .  My uncle couldn't remember their names.  My Uncle joined the British Army, and on one of his leaves he visited the elder George Sinclair in Hove, where he found his Father had yet another family.  His "wife" this time was Jessie Elizabeth Sharp (My Grandmother) and they had three children, Donald, Jerry, and my Mother Audrey.   My Mother's maiden name was Sinclair but noone knew for certain if George and Jessie were actually married. 
  My oldest Uncle George described his Father, George Sinclair, as a talented musician and a drunkard and a womanizer.  No one talked about it until my Mom tried to do family research, and the information reluctantly came out.  I don't know if any of this will help, but I'm trying to figure out the family tree of the elder George Sinclair.  He apparently died in Manchester in 1928, where he had lived with Jessie Sinclair.  My Mom took a picture of his grave the last time she was there, and last year I took a picture of the house where they lived- it was 15 Denison Avenue, Manchester.  I hope this information is useful, and that we can figure all this out.  Rod Brush, Modesto, California

 

[Rodinmod]

My Mother, Audrey Sinclair Brush, was born in 1921, so we know George Sinclair was still alive around that time. I have reason to believe Audrey was the last child George Sinclair produced.   Mom was pretty sure her Dad George died in 1928, but he traveled a lot with his job and I don't think she knew him well.  I have a copy of the birth certificate of my Uncle George Sinclair, born on 7th October, 1903, whose father George and mother May Florence Sinclair (Nee Desmond) lived at 107 Cathedral Road in Cardiff.  George Sinclair's occupation is listed as "Professor of Music."  I believe he was quite an accomplished musician, somewhere I have clippings of his musical talent.  Also, I have a census record ( I think it's the 1901 but the top is cut off,) that has George Sinclair and his wife May F. living in 15 Hamilton Street, Cardiff and lists his birthplace as Cordon (?) Isle of Man.  Looking at maps, I can find no Cordon there, but there is a small disrtict on the Isle of Arran.  Perhaps a mistake by the census taker?  His occupation is again listed as "Professor of Music."  I do have a picture or two of George Sinclair, which I will post shortly after I scan it on my computer.  I am just thrilled to hopefully piecing together some of George Sinclair's puzzle!  My email is (*)  I live in Modesto, California, where my folks moved after Dad brought Mom here after the war.  My Dad was American and met Mom in England during the war.  Most of my English relatives live in the Manchester area.  Cheers!

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[ivanidea]

I have a census record ( I think it's the 1901 but the top is cut off,) that has George Sinclair and his wife May F. living in 15 Hamilton Street, Cardiff and lists his birthplace as Cordon (?) Isle of Man. 
 

Hello Rod

I realise that your posting is meant perhaps for Minky15 but I have contributed – albeit in a minor way – to the “thread”.

This is confirmation of what you thought was the 1901 Census record:

1901 census
RG13 Piece 4984, Folio 46, Page 8     
15, Hamilton Street, St John, West Cardiff
SINCLAIR, George, Head, Married, 29, Professor Of Music, born Cordon, Isle of Man 
SINCLAIR, May F, Wife, Married, 23 born Glasgow, Scotland 

Regards

Ivan

[Rodinmod]

Thanks everyone, for the additional information and ideas regarding George Sinclair.  I do have a copy of the actual birth certificate of my Uncle George, born in Cardiff seventh October, 1903 to George and Florence May Desmond Sinclair (the 1901 census calls her May Florence Sinclair) of 107 Cathedral Road, Cardiff. 
  Also, I'm thinking George's birthplace may really have been on the Isle of Arran, because my Mother and her siblings always insisted their Father was born in Scotland, and according to my research, the Isle of Man is semi-autonomous while the Isle of Arran is part of Scotland.  I do wonder if the census taker made a mistake, as I have found mistakes in U.S. Census reports.  Or, maybe George wanted the information to be slightly off, since he was a bit secretive perhaps...

[Rodinmod]

And I also wonder about my Uncle George remembering his stepmother as "Leticia", that sounds suspiciously close to Katisha, and the two younger stepsisters are right as well. 

[Rodinmod]

Sorry, I meant the two half-sisters.

[Rodinmod]

Hello Minky15
  I have looked through some of my papers, and found a certified copy of George Sinclair's death certificate.  It states that he died on 21 May 1928 at Bagulay Sanatorium (Manchester?) , 56 years old, of pulmonary tuberculosis, was a musician, and left Jessie Sinclair (Widow) at 15 Dennison Avenue, Withington, Manchester.  This was the house where my Uncles and Mother were living , apparently through the end of WWII. 

[Minky15]

In fact I think that Mabel Curtis's grandmother was called Leticia - but that's probably just coincidence.  As far as we are aware the two half-sisters (Peggy and Mabel) never mentioned George Sinclair the younger or even alluded to the fact that they had a older half-brother - makes me wonder whether they were ever told. Or maybe they were just good at keeping secrets.

Seeing a picture of him would be wonderful as would copies of any other info you have.

The clash with the Bath postal directory records does bother me a bit - i.e. why was he still being listed in Bath until 1928?  But I suppose there may be an obvious explanation for that that I am not aware of.

Does his death certificate not show his date of birth?  (Not sure that I know what information is put on a death certificate).

I am wondering whether it might be worth getting hold of a copy of the marriage certificate for George and Florence as that might give us more detail about George and his family - at the very least his fathers name which may make it easier to track down his birth record.

[Minky15]

Have requested the marriage certificate - fingers crossed that it gives us some useful info. I wont get it for a couple of weeks though...so watch this space??

Oh, also, do you mind if I pass your email address to my Mum (I guess she would your half-cousin if we are sharing the same George Sinclair?!)  I am telling all this to her second hand at the moment and she might have some things to ask you that I haven't thought of.