John Sinton

BMDB data

     John Sinton was born on 29 Sep 1809 ?Clarilaw Moor, Par. of Bowden, ROX, SCT, (no place stated against his birth date, the immediately preceding entry for sister Margaret gave her birth place as Clarilaw Moor).^3,6 He was baptized in 1810 at Bowden, ROX, SCT, along with Janet Sinton, Agnes Sinton and Margaret Sinton; (one of a group of Sinton baptisms, all recorded together in 1810: Janet born 6 Nov 1801 (Par. of Ashkirk); Agnes born 27 May 1803 (Par. of Selkirk); Margaret born 8 Aug 1807 at Clarilaw Moor; John born 29 Sep 1809 (no place stated); John and Margaret bap. by Rev Mr Balfour, "Minister of this parish").³ Some sources show John as born bet. 1811 - 1819 (25 in 1841, ie rounded down to nearest 5, which would take him back to about 1811, abt 1814 on his death cert, around 1815/16 in Bowden, given as either Selkirk or Roxburgh on two census records - 1851 and 1871 resp., and as late as abt 1819 in Martin, Ross & Cromarty according to the 1861 census ).^7,8,9,10,4
     John Sinton married Catherine Cross on 24 May 1842 at Contin, ROC, SCT, entry simply reads: John Sinton & Catherine Cross both in Leadgown.^1,11
     John Sinton died on 4 Feb 1881 at Wester ?Feangnick?, Par. of Alness, ROC, SCT, at age 71; cert. shows John as 67 (no occ) marr. to Catherine CROSS; d. 4pm of pneumonia; s/o James SINTON, farmer and Margaret m.s. GILL(ES)? both dec'd; Inf widow (X her mark); Reg. Feb 10th Alness.^1,4,2

Census/Where lived/Occupations

     John Sinton was not found in the census of 1841 in ROX, SCT, 2 of the 3 John's of about the right age in Roxburgh in 1841 are accounted for with other parents, leaving only the John and Alison (Hall) couple, whom I now believe belong to James and Barbara Oliver. Casting further afield, and overcoming some interesting indexing on ancestry, I have however recently found a John in Ross & Cromarty who might fit the bill (see below).¹²
     
     John Sinton appeared on the census of 1841 at Leadgown, Par. of Contin, ROC, SCT, with Catherine Cross, as Catherine CROSS, 20 fem. serv b ROC; John SINTON 25 ag lab not b cty; both in hsehold of John (30 not b cty) & Margt (25 b Cty) ARMSTRONG (NB enumerators were instructed to round ages down to the nearest multiple of 5).⁷ John Sinton and Catherine Cross lived in May 1842 at Leadgown, Par. of Contin, ROC, SCT.¹³
     John Sinton appeared on the census of 1851 at Kinloch, Par. of Alness, ROC, SCT, with Catherine Cross, enumerated as SINTON: John (SENTON) 36 shepherd b Bonden, SEL (ancestry); wife Catherine CROST (s/be Cross) 30 b Contin, ROC; Children: Agnus (SENTER, dtr, presumably Agnes) 8; Isabella (FINTON) 6; Margaret 4; Janet 2 ; Catherine 8 mos; All b Alness, ROC; Servant: Margaret CROSS 21 b Contin ROC; Visitor William CROSS 26 labourer b Contin, ROC.¹⁰
     John Sinton appeared on the census of 1861 at Boath, Par. of Alness, ROC, SCT, with Catherine Cross, enumerated as SINTON: John 42 shepherd b Martin, ROC; wife Catherine 41 b Contin, ROC; Children: Bell 17, Margaret 15, Catherine 10, Jas 8, Man (dtr ?Mary?) 6, Elizabeth 4, Rachel 2, all b Alness, ROC.^8,14 John Sinton was a shepherd in Dec 1865 at Swordale, Par. of Kiltearn, ROC, SCT.¹
     John Sinton appeared on the census of 1871 at Lembair, Par. of Kiltearn, ROC, SCT, with Catherine Cross, enumerated as SINTON: John 55 cattleman b Bowden, ROX; wife Catherine 49 b Contin, ROC; Children: Jessie 23, Rachel 12, William 7, John 4 all b Alness, ROX; Grdsons: John GRAHAM 4; James McKENZIE 2 both b Kiltearn, ROC.⁹

All the other info

     
     Given John son of James and Margaret (WILKIE) was shown as still alive in 1855 when James died, he was presumably somewhere.
A tentative id of a chap in Ontario didn't feel quite right, and the next best candidate (John married to Catherine CROSS and living in Alness, Ross & Cromarty) mostly said he was a bit younger.
However a couple of his census entries do state he was born in Bowden, AND at least one (1841) pushed his birth year back to nearly the 1809 it actually was.
On strict naming patterns, assuming John and Catherine followed the convention, and assuming all children are identified, his parents would be James and Isabella, but his death cert does clearly show his mother as a Margaret, albeit not with her surname looking much like WILKIE.
A James and Isabella (FLEMING) couple do exist, but didn't marry until 1816, so a bit later than this John and in Southdean, not Bowden.
I don't appear to have any other James and Margaret couples as likely replacement candidates.
So John is currently identified as the son of James and Margaret (WILKIE), missing in action in 1855 and found in Ross & Cromarty.
Aiding this id are children named Agnes and Rachel, both family names, with the latter being relatively rare.
So, if anyone is researching the family of John Sinton and Catherine Cross of Leadown (Contin), Alness, then Kiltearn, and can aid in identifying this John I'd love to hear from you.^2,1,4,5 John Sinton shown as a son on the death cert of James Sinton on 26 Apr 1855 at Raelees, Par. of Selkirk, SEL, SCT; Dist. 778/2 #1: James Sinton, 80, born Par. of Southdean, ROX, 31 yrs in Selkirk Parish, s/o Peter Sinton, cattle dealer, dec, and Janet m.s. Donaldson, dec. Wife Margaret Wilkie. Children: Janet dec'd 14 Oct 1816; Agnes (dec'd) 22 Oct 1826; Peter, 49; Margaret, 47; John, 45; Robert, 42; Rachel, 39; Mary, 37; Janet, 34; Isabella 32. Died 3pm of bronchitis, enlarged prostate and general debility, as cert. by James Fairweather M.D; Buried Churchyard, Bowden, cert. by Sexton William ?; Inf. James Laurence, son-in-law, reg. 27th Apr at Selkirk, James Park, Registrar.^15,16,6
     John Sinton son of James & Margaret (Wilkie) Sinton of Bowden, then Selkirk, and supposedly still alive in 1855 and John Sinton in Lancaster, Glengarry Co, Ontario by 1851, married to a Jane, with children Sarah, George, and Bella in 1851 are possibly the same person (but seems unlikely if George is the first son, and there is now a better candidate in Ross and Cromarty).¹⁷
     John Sinton was the informant for the death of his child Johanna Sinton in 1865 at Swordale, Par. of Kiltearn, ROC, SCT.^18,19
     John Sinton marr. to Alison Hall was initially considered, and subsequently rejected, as a potential duplicate of John Sinton s/o James & Margaret (Wilkie) Sinton. However the latter John is shown as living in 1855 on parent's dth cert but the former died 1854, and states he was of Southdean, not of Bowden.²⁰
     John Sinton a shepherd in Kiltearn, and Alness (Ross & Cromarty) who sometimes gives his birthplace as Bowden, ROX, and has parents named James and Margaret, (albeit I cannot make WILKIE out of mother's m.s. which looks rather more like GILLES, but not quite) and John Sinton s/o James and Margaret (Wilkie) Sinton in 1881 are possibly the same person The ROC chap's age is a tad out, but I'm not ruling him out on that basis, given he was indeed still going strong after 1855. So, if anyone is researching the family of John Sinton and Catherine Cross of Leadown (Contin); Alness, then Kiltearn, and can aid in identifying this John I'd love to hear from you. (an additional bit of circumstantial evidence is a dtr named Rachel, not a common name, but one that occurs in the family of James and Margaret (Wilkie) Siinton).²¹