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Author: CSG93
Surnames: Lay, Sinclair, Mason
Classification: queries
Message Board URL:
http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.indiana.counties...
Message Board Post:
I am seeking to confirm the parentage of Nelson Sinclair of Fairplay Twp. I have a copy
of his death certificate and the names of the parents are blank.
While the Goodspeed 1884 biography lists almost all the names of his siblings (there are
several errors in this biography and Francis (Fannie who is also Mrs. Shelton) was listed
twice while sister Elizabeth was omitted and it does not have all the names of
Nelson's children that were alive in 1884), this biography does not name his parents.
Due to strong circumstantial evidence, it has been presumed that Nelson's parents were
William Douglas Sinclair (aka Dudley) and Ruth Johnson who were married in Pulaski County
Kentucky in October 1818. This is documented. However, the birthdates for the oldest
children including Nelson's don't match up to the marriage date. Something is off
- The two oldest children were either born out of wedlock or Ruth was a second wife (which
is not mentioned in Nelson's biography). Oldest daughter Patsy by censuses is born
about 1815-1817. Nelson's documented birthdate is 15 February 1818. That is the date
on his headstone and on his death certificate. That means he was born before his parents
married in October 1818. I understand that since there were no official records of birth,
the people at that time played a guessing game, but perhaps there is a bible out there
that has the accurate information in it.
Children of William D. and Ruth Sinclair:
Martha Patsy Sinkler married Thomas Lay in Orange County 1832
Nelson Sinclair married Elizabeth Tarter whereabouts unconfirmed 1848
Joseph Sinclair married Jane Wolfington in Orange County 1850
Isaac Sinclair married Anna Edwards in Martin County 1843
Nancy Sinclair married John Mason in Greene County 1840
Frances (Fannie) married Alexander Gault in Greene County 1848 and then John Shelton in
1849 in Greene County. Alexander is believed to have died, and their son Alexander Gault
is living with Fannie and John Shelton to substantiate this marriage.
Elizabeth Sinclair, nothing known after 1870.
In 1830 Dudley Sinclair and his family are living in Orange County next to brother George
Sinclair. By 1840 Dudley has died and Ruth is a widow.
Nelson marries Elizabeth Tarter in 1848 but the location has not been confirmed. It was
either in Pulaski County near Wayne County or in Indiana.
Ruth follows her daughter, Patsy Lay who married Thomas Lay in 1832 in Orange County and
is found living near the Thomas Lay family in Greene County in 1840. This matches up to
Nelson's biography.
By 1850 Ruth is still living in Greene County where her daughter Nancy married John Mason
December 1840 but daughter Patsy has moved to Martin County and is living near her brother
Isaac Sinclair, and daughter Nancy Mason has moved to Daviess County with her family.
(This same Mason family later married back into my immediate branch of the Sinclair family
in Martin County.)
By 1860 Ruth is living in Martin County next to son Isaac Sinclair with her daughter
Elizabeth and near the Laughlin family which their daughter married my GGG-uncle Wayman
Sinclair.
By 1870 Ruth is presumed to have died.
I made a visit to Greene County once during the time the courthouse was under
construction, so nothing was available at that time for research. I live in Chicago, and
called before I came down and of course no one told me the courthouse was under
construction and that the records were not available. I also spent some time in the
genealogy room at the library but due to time constraints, I didn't have time to look
very long.
However, any help would be appreciated. If there are any newspapers articles on microfilm
regarding Nelson and/or Ruth Sinclair, or lawsuits on file etc etc. Nelson was a
prosperous businessman and owned a brick factory, so there has to be information on record
regarding him.
Also, if there are any descendants of these families out there that may have information,
please contact me.
Thank you!
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