from "Called Them Blessed" a book of Cannington, Ontario -
"......Dr. James Sinclair, another outstanding figure in the community
throughout his lifetime. He enjoyed an international reputation as a
judge of horse flesh. This took him to fairs, horse shows and
exhibitions all over America and
abroad. Despite his time-consuming travels, Dr. Sinclair managed to
attend a wide practice, and stories of his loving skill with animals
continue to be told. An example of these stories is one which concerns
a horse which had been "hospitalized" in Dr. Sinclair's barn for some
time. Eventually the time came when he felt that he had the animal
cured. He sold the horse to Edgar Lambert, explaining the possibility
that there might be a recurrence of the ailment, and at the same time
advising him of the action to take in such an event. Unfortunately,
recurrence co-incided with the arrival of the threshers. Anyone who
remembers my uncle's love of horses (I don't know who was the author of
this story) will appreciate that nothing less than the confusion
attendant upon such occasions would have caused him to neglect the
horse. The fact that the horse was in trouble went unnoticed, but this
was an intelligent and resourceful animal,
he knew where to get help. He managed to escape from the pasture and to
find his way the two miles to his kind doctor, but this story has a sad
ending. The weakened animal collapsed on the roadside at Dr. Sinclair's
door, and died before help could reach him."
Sniff :-(
"Dr. Sinclair had no family, and his wife never accompanied him on his
trips. Very early, he commenced the practice of bringing to her on each
occasion some piece of exquisite china. The collection became an
interesting hobby, and when the home was broken up after his death, this
china was sought with eagerness by every woman in the countryside.
Today, in many homes, even one piece is a cherished memento of a man who
was respected by all."
There is also a photo of him with a beautiful horse standing before his
lovely house
at 34 John Street, Cannington.
I hope you enjoyed this. Sometimes we get very caught up in births,
deaths, and marriages, and forget to research how they lived. If anyone
has the family pedigree for this branch of Sinclairs, I'd appreciate
hearing from you. I don't know how Dr. James is related to Archibald
from Islay, but I'd like to find out. I think he is related to my Neil
Sinclair, but I can't prove that yet.
There is another Sinclair from that area that I can't connect. He was
Donald, born on the Atlantic Ocean, married Margaret Campbell. He was a
farmer and storekeeper in Digby
when 2 of their children were killed while playing with matches and a
container of gun-
powder. The house was shattered to pieces. (January, 1870). In the
1870 and 71 he was described as a general merchant and tavern keeper of
the North Star Hotel. I don't know where they went after that.
Toni S.
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