Author Topic: Tracing a Sinclair family in Australia  (Read 684 times)

Offline EdinKath

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Tracing a Sinclair family in Australia
« on: Wednesday 10 May 23 18:16 BST (UK) »
Hi all,
Peter Sinclair, his wife Isabella Tait, and their children appear on the 1841 and 1851 census in Deerness, Orkney, Scotland. There is a record on Familysearch from 1854 showing they travelled to Australia. I'm looking for any Australian records that might show the names of Peter's parents. He may be my ancestor's brother - if his parents are Peter Sinclair and Catherine Campbell.

The passenger list showed them travelling from Liverpool:
Peter, tenant farmer, 44; Isabella, wife, 43
Janet, child, 13; Christian, child, 10; Margaret, child, 8; Rachel, child, 2; Edward, 15; Catherine, dom serv, 18

1851 Census, Deerness, District: 1, Property No: 1 - Sandaitken
1. Peter Sinclair, (M), 44, Head, Mar, Farmer of 6 acres, Caithness
2. Isabella Sinclair, (F), 44, Wife, Mar, , Deerness
3. Catherine Sinclair, (F), 15, Dau, , , Deerness
4. Edward Sinclair, (M), 13, Son, , , Deerness
5. Janet Sinclair, (F), 10, Dau, , , Deerness
6. Margaret Sinclair, (F), 6, Dau, , , Deerness
7. Rachel Sinclair, (F), 0, Dau, , (6 months), Deerness

1841 Census, Deerness, District: 3, Property No: 2 - Sandaitken
1. Peter Sinclair, (M), 30, Fisherman, B. Orkney
2. Isabella Sinclair, (F), 30, B. Orkney
3. Peter Sinclair, (M), 14, B. Orkney
4. Catherine Sinclair, (F), 6, B. Orkney
5. Edward Sinclair, (M), 3, B. Orkney
6. Janet Sinclair, (F), 0, (11 months), B. Orkney

There are baptism records for: Isabella b. 1833, Katherine b.1835, Edward Tait b. 1838, Jannet b. 1840, Christian Swanson b. 1843, Margaret Harriot L b. 1845, and Rachel b. 1850
Daughter Isabella seems to be with her Tait grandparents on the 1841 and 1851 census and didn't go to Australia.

I don't know anything about Australian records - might an immigration record or death record show Peter's parents' names? Are these available online?
Thanks for any suggestions!

Offline CaroleW

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Re: Tracing a Sinclair family in Australia
« Reply #1 on: Wednesday 10 May 23 19:11 BST (UK) »
A tree on Ancestry shows his father as James & his mother as Barbara nee Sandison

Died 18.11.1869
Isabella died 18.4.1857

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QL19-N3TK
Census Information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Carlin (Ireland & Liverpool) Doughty & Wright (Liverpool) Dick & Park (Scotland & Liverpool)

Offline CaroleW

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Re: Tracing a Sinclair family in Australia
« Reply #2 on: Wednesday 10 May 23 19:25 BST (UK) »
I would be very cautious re the parents being James & Barbara.  SP shows the marriage of James Sinclair & Barbara Sandyson in Orphir 1785 - approx 22yrs before Peter was born??
Census Information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Carlin (Ireland & Liverpool) Doughty & Wright (Liverpool) Dick & Park (Scotland & Liverpool)

Offline Neale1961

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Re: Tracing a Sinclair family in Australia
« Reply #3 on: Wednesday 10 May 23 22:15 BST (UK) »
Peter Sinclair died in South Australia in 1869. Unfortunately death records from this state, at this time, did not include names of parents.

Added - the second name Swanson given to one of the children, might be a family surname.
Milligan - Jardine – Glencross – Dinwoodie - Brown: (Dumfriesshire & Kirkcudbrightshire)
Clark – Faulds – Cuthbertson – Bryson – Wilson: (Ayrshire & Renfrewshire)
Neale – Cater – Kinder - Harrison: (Warwickshire & Queensland)
Roberts - Spry: (Cornwall, Middlesex & Queensland)
Munster: (Schleswig-Holstein & Queensland) and Plate: (Braunschweig, Neubruck & Queensland & New York)


Offline Neale1961

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Re: Tracing a Sinclair family in Australia
« Reply #4 on: Wednesday 10 May 23 22:29 BST (UK) »
Peter's daughter, Catherine, seems to be referred to in some Australian sources as Catherine Campbell Sinclair, which makes me think you might be on the right track with them descending from Peter Sinclair and Catherine Campbell.


ADDED
Catherine Campbell Sinclair
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/152968632/catherine-campbell-thomas

Milligan - Jardine – Glencross – Dinwoodie - Brown: (Dumfriesshire & Kirkcudbrightshire)
Clark – Faulds – Cuthbertson – Bryson – Wilson: (Ayrshire & Renfrewshire)
Neale – Cater – Kinder - Harrison: (Warwickshire & Queensland)
Roberts - Spry: (Cornwall, Middlesex & Queensland)
Munster: (Schleswig-Holstein & Queensland) and Plate: (Braunschweig, Neubruck & Queensland & New York)

Offline EdinKath

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Re: Tracing a Sinclair family in Australia
« Reply #5 on: Wednesday 10 May 23 22:38 BST (UK) »
Thanks Carole and Neale.
22 years does seem too long for James and Barbara to be the parents of this Peter. Plus the 1851 census says the Peter married to Isabella Tait was born in Caithness not Orphir.

The Peter Sinclair who married Isabella Sclatter in Orphir in 1826 is probably more likely to be the son of Peter and Barbara?

It was the Swanson middle name (along with second daughter named Catherine) that made me think this Peter might be my ancestor's brother. Their sister Christian married a Swanson in Edinburgh in 1840.
Thanks for confirming that Australian death records don't name parents. Good to know. Whether my missing Peter is this one in Australia will have to remain a question mark.

Added - I've just seen your latest post about the daughter being Catherine Campbell Sinclair. That's very interesting!

Offline Neale1961

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Re: Tracing a Sinclair family in Australia
« Reply #6 on: Wednesday 10 May 23 22:44 BST (UK) »
Thanks for confirming that Australian death records don't name parents. Good to know.
They do name parents in many Australian states - just not South Australia.
What a pity he didn't emigrate to Victoria. :)

NB: I added to my previous post.
Milligan - Jardine – Glencross – Dinwoodie - Brown: (Dumfriesshire & Kirkcudbrightshire)
Clark – Faulds – Cuthbertson – Bryson – Wilson: (Ayrshire & Renfrewshire)
Neale – Cater – Kinder - Harrison: (Warwickshire & Queensland)
Roberts - Spry: (Cornwall, Middlesex & Queensland)
Munster: (Schleswig-Holstein & Queensland) and Plate: (Braunschweig, Neubruck & Queensland & New York)

Offline Neale1961

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Re: Tracing a Sinclair family in Australia
« Reply #7 on: Wednesday 10 May 23 22:51 BST (UK) »
Adelaide Observer Sat 28 Sept 1918- Mrs. Catherine Campbell Thomas.

Mrs. Catherine Campbell Thomas, whose death occurred at the Semaphore on Wednesday, was the widow of the late Mr.David Thomas, of Yongala and Calca. She arrived in South Australia with her parents in the ship John Bunyan, having left Liverpool on February 13, 1854, and reached Port
Adelaide on May 24, after an eventful voyage, during which the vessel lay becalmed for the three weeks on the equator.
After havng visited many parts of Australia and New Zealand, Mrs. Thomas went
to the Semaphore about 31 years ago, and had resided there ever since. Last Easter
Monday Mrs. Thomas accidentally fell and broke one of her legs, and never properly
recovered from the effects of the mishap. Four weeks ago her daughter (Miss R. H.
Thomas), who had always resided with her, and devoted herself to her mother during
her long illness, suddenly died of pneumonia, and this sad loss greatly accelerated the death of Mrs. Thomas. The sur viving members of the family are:— Messrs. D. P. Thomas (Norwood) and W.
J. Thomas (Calca) and Mesdames E. A.Drever (Kingswood), H. W. Greggs (Stuart Park), and P. Howell (Calca).
Milligan - Jardine – Glencross – Dinwoodie - Brown: (Dumfriesshire & Kirkcudbrightshire)
Clark – Faulds – Cuthbertson – Bryson – Wilson: (Ayrshire & Renfrewshire)
Neale – Cater – Kinder - Harrison: (Warwickshire & Queensland)
Roberts - Spry: (Cornwall, Middlesex & Queensland)
Munster: (Schleswig-Holstein & Queensland) and Plate: (Braunschweig, Neubruck & Queensland & New York)

Offline JACK GEE

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Re: Tracing a Sinclair family in Australia
« Reply #8 on: Wednesday 10 May 23 23:56 BST (UK) »
Hello edenkath,
 this mob maybe able to assist. I know the head bear and he is a very accommodating person

https://clansinclairaustralia.com/

Cheers
Jack Gee
CECIL - DNA, GILBERT-ShirehamptonEng-Vic/Australia,HERWEG-WoltwiescheGERmany-Vic/Aust,CREIGHTON-Donegal-NI,Gosforth/CumbriaEng-Vic/Aust,MCCLURE-Cloghroe/KillynureDonegal NI,Vic/Aust,PATULLO-StMadoesPerthshire-Vic/Aust,NICHOLAS-Nth CheritonEng/Vic Aust,COX-ShirehamptonEng,FORD-MidsomerNortonEng,THOMAS-Pilton/Devon,EDWARDS-Bristol/Eng,BOND-Norfolk,NAU-Germany,SINGLETON-MuncasterEng,LADLAY-GosforthEng,JOHNSTONE-BalmerinoFife, TEMPLE-StranorlarNI,CRAIGIE,HALL,HANNAM,GINGELL,HALE,OSMAN,HARVEY,ALLEN.