David George Sinclair (1863 - 1955)

Born 1 May 1863 in Picto Pennsylvania USA

Husband of Eliza Ann (Bock) Sinclair — married 29 Sep 1884 in Algoma, Ontario, Canada

Descendants

Died 6 Jun 1955 at age 92 in Kenora, Ontario, Canada

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Reginald Coulter [send private message]

Biography

David was born in 1863. He passed away in 1955.

Sources

• N. Reg R. Coulter

-his father was a Mansfield, but David took his maternal Grandmother's name -David George's father dies in the USA -DG's mother then moved to Toronto - DG was a baby in arms -DG's mother left DG with her mother, Mrs Sinclair (Irish lady who talked Irish gaelic, and was a strong Catholic. She owned/lived on a farm of approx 40 cres around Don Valley, Toronto -DG's mother went to work in Toronto, possibly at Eatons in dress making shop - she could not keep DG and work so her mother looked after DG for many years. -Mrs Sinclair adopted DG a couple of years after she took him to live with her -the mother did not contact them too often, and may have gotten married -DG went to school near the farm in mainly winter, and attended Catholic school and was christened in a Catholic church -when DG was just 11yrs, Mrs Sinclair died leaving him and Mrs Sinclair's daughter, Mrs Inch, living at the farm (She had been married at one time) -the aunt decided to sell the farm and went to work at Eaton's dressmaking shop and DG and the aunt moved to Toronto, however, DG cannot remember living with the aunt in Toronto. He got a job driving a team of horses for a flour & feed Co. (at the age of 11 or 12) -DG next got a job working in a bar for approx 1 year as a part-time bartender and general helper -he then got a chance to work as an apprentice in a paint shop where he completed a 5 yr apprenticeship in Toronto and then specialized in carriage painnting - stripping -DG went to Manitoulin Island to visit his half brother Sam, stayed for a year or two -DG meets Eliza in Manitoulin, gets married and goes back to Toronto to the painting trade -Cyrilla was born in Toronto -DG returned to Manitoulin after approx 2 yrs in Toronto and the rest of the family was born there -DG left family in Manitoulin when Ben was 1 yr old after h aving lived in Manitoulin for approx 13 yrs -DG started out for the west coast for work/opportunity -he hitch-hiked and hopped frieght trains along the way -DG got as far as Vancouver and was away for approx 1 yr -he worked on an experimental farm and also on showsheds for the CPR section gang -DG did not mind climbing to heights - He agreed to paint the flag pole at Eatons and was hoisted to the top on a small seat suspended from a pulley at the top -DG stopped at Kenora (Rat Portage) approx 1900 on the way out and back -he saved most of his money on this trip and on his way back to Kenora, DG accompanied the Blakeys (approx spring of 1902) who were coming to Kenora at the same time, because of the amount of work available in lumbermills and freighting on the lake -in spring of 1902 DG bought a house on 4th Ave S near wehre the Safeway store is now -family came from Manitoulin to Kenora by train in June of 1903 - the family walked from teh station on high wooden sidewalks to their new home -the family lived in Kenora until the spring of 1906 and the moved to Keewatin and bought a house which was later sold to Bill Davidson, and is now occupied by his daughter-in-law, Jane Davidson and son