JOHN EDWARD SINCLAIR.
 


	No history of Canada or Saskatchewan would be complete without
extended mention of John Edward Sinclair, Dominion Government Ap-
praiser of grazing lands, with residence in Prince Albert. It was in St.
Andrew's parish of the Red River settlement (which settlement was
planted within the vicinity of Winnipeg in the first half of the last cen-
tury and was composed principally of Scotch immigrants) that John
Edward Sinclair was born, on the 11th of July, 1855. For more than a
century and a half the name of Sinclair has been known in connection
with official responsibility in the vast regions of western Canada, and
both the annals of the great fur companies and also of modern affairs
make respectful and dignified mention of members of this honorable old
family. A complete account of the Sinclair family during its residence
in British America would fill a volume.
	The father of John Edward Sinclair was Thomas Sinclair, whose
birth occurred at York Factory in Keewatin, and his grandfather was
William Sinclair, who was noted as being a lineal descendant of the Earl
of Orkney.  The maiden name of Mr. Sinclair's mother was Caroline
Pruden and she was a native of old Fort Carlton in Saskatchewan. Her
father was John Pruden, an Englishman by birth, the chief factor at
Fort Carlton. The motto of the Sinclair family is "Credo" ("I believe"),.
and it is inscribed on a crest consisting of a shield with a cross and a
dove, the latter holding an olive branch in its bill. For a number of years
Mr. Sinclair's father was a councillor of Assiniboia, and during the
regime of the Hudson's Bay Company over the western territory, he also
served as president of the petty courts. Included among his other official
honours were the offices of chief magistrate, postmaster and inspector
of roads and bridges. The fact that the senior Mr. Sinclair was residing
in the far west so early a period indicates in itself an unusual charac-
ter for adventure and pioneer achievement. He was a man of enterprise
and intelligence much above the average western settler at that time.
His name has gone down into history as the builder of the first steam
grist mill in Manitoba, the site of which institution was in Winnipeg
where the Redwood Brewery is now standing. The machinery for his
mill he purchased in Chicago, Illinois, and it took him two years to trans-
port it to Fort Garry on the Red river, where Winnipeg now stands.
Over a large part of the distance traversed the boilers and other equip-
ment were transported on wagons until the headwaters of the Red river
were reached. From there they floated down to their destination. The
valuable cargo arrived in the year 1855 and after Mr. Sinclair had built
his mill he operated it but a single day. Subsequently enemies set it on
fire, thus destroying a costly enterprise which would have been a great
boon to the entire region.  Mr. Sinclair never rebuilt his mill.  The
grandfather of John Edward Sinclair came to Canada in 1760 to take
charge of the trading post of Fort Churchill and the surrounding district
From the day of his arrival in Canada to this there has always been a
Sinclair in that district, either in charge of the district or holding some
important post in its commercial administration. In 1911, C. C. Sinclair,
who is a great-grandson of the original chief of the district, was the
administrative head, taking charge more than a century and a half after
the pioneer had landed to assume the direction of one of the most historic
posts in the domain of the fur company.
	John Edward Sinclair pursued his education in the schools of his
native parish and later attended St. John's College at Winnipeg. Listed
among his teachers were the Rev. Samuel Pritchard, the late Bishop Mc-
Lean and S. B. Matheson, who was later archbishop. At the age of seven-
teen years his schooling was completed and he engaged in farming for
the following two years. He then followed the lead of so many of his
family and became associated with the great Hudson's Bay Company,
spending four years in the service and during that time being stationed
at Fort Francis, Kettle Falls, Northwest Angle of the Lake of the Woods,
Rat Portage, Leseul and Trout Lake. One year he was associated with
William Stobart & Company of Rat Portage and was sent by that com-
pany out to the distant Prince Albert, which for years had been a fur
trading post, having at that time but little else to distinguish it as a
center of commerce and population.  For ten years Mr. Sinclair made
Prince Albert his headquarters, while he acted as manager for this
company in the fur trade throughout the northern portion of Saskatche-
wan. At the end of the ten years he bought out the interests of the firm
at Prince Albert and was an independent operator in the fur trade for
fourteen years. His establishment became a familiar feature in the busi-
ness district of Prince Albert and it is readily recalled by the older citi-
zens. It is to be placed to his credit that he was the first to open the
route north of Prince Albert into the Hinterland, extending his trading
posts up to the Churchill River and Reindeer Lake, and thereby bringing
thousands of dollars and trade into the town of Prince Albert. For three
years, after retiring from his independent operations Mr. Sinclair was
busy in establishing and building up the business of the great firm of
Revillon Brothers, having charge of the operations throughout this sec-
tion of the country.  He succeeded in establishing ten posts for that
company, next turning his attention to the founding of the Veteran Trad-
ing Company at Prince Albert, in which he remained an active factor
for two years. The expert knowledge of Mr. Sinclair, secured from years
of work in various branches of the fur trade, made his services invaluable
to any firm fortunate enough to secure him. For three years he was fur
buyer for the McMillan Company of Minneapolis and for a like period
he bought for R. S. Robinson of Winnipeg. Mr. Sinclair then turned his
attention to the real estate business and he was very successful in that
line of work, until the depreciation of value of land in 1914 when he
became a heavy loser like many others. In 1912 he was appointed fish
commissioner for Saskatchewan and he was active in that office three
years, and then resigned to accept his appointment as Dominion Govern-
ment Appraiser of grazing lands for Battleford and Prince Albert dis-
ticts, which extend from Township 43, range 11, west, of second meridian
to the fourth meridian. For some years Mr. Sinclair had been justice of
the peace, holding that office under four lieutenant~governors. Mr. Sin-
clair has been twice married. His first marriage was celebrated in Prince
Albert in 1883, when he took Miss Lydia V. McKenzie for his wife. By
this marriage he had five children, three sons and two daughters, of
which one son, Frederick Stanley, is living.  Mrs. Sinclair's death oc
curred in 1892.  In 1898 Mr. Sinclair was married at Prince Albert to
Miss Myrtile Armstrong, daughter of Thomas Armstrong, a resident of
Vancouver, British Columbia.  By this marriage he had one daughter
and one son. The son, John Elmer, is living.  Mr. Sinclair's religious
faith is that of the Church of England. He is a worthy representative
of the name he bears and he has the confidence and esteem of his 
fellow citizens.



Bibliography follows: