My 3x great-grandfather inconveniently died in 1849...

Q My 3x great-grandfather James Sinclair inconveniently died in 1849. I say ‘inconveniently’ as I might have had more information on him if he had lived to be included in the 1851 census. As it is, he is on the 1841 census at Low Bridge, All Saints, Newcastle as having been born in Scotland, aged about 35 years and a chair manufacturer. By the time he died (actually killed himself unfortunately), he was married to Ann Reed (1 January 1828 in Newcastle) and had children: David Reed, John Wilson (d 1841), James, Ann, John Alexander, and Ellen. All born either in Newcastle or Manchester, which is where he died. He died 1 year to the day after his youngest, Ellen was born ‘having hanged himself in a state of insanity’. I have the newspaper article referring to this but am unable to find the coroner’s report.

I believe his parents may have been David Sinclair and Helen Peebles, who married in St Cuthberts, Edinburgh, 8 January 1791. I believe it is this couple due to the naming traditions used in Scotland. David and Helen’s children were: John, David, David, Helen, Alexander, James, Daniel, Marion and Helen. I have tried to trace these children and their descendants with little success either through research or through DNA.

I am assuming if James was a chair manufacturer he may have had an apprenticeship. I am wondering if you know of a way to access the Scottish apprenticeship records? Julie Hewitt

ATracing the origins of a Scot who migrated to England can be as difficult as researching one who went overseas – in fact, sometimes more so, as English records rarely provide a detailed birthplace for people born outside the country. Your brick wall is particularly tricky since James Sinclair died relatively young and so left few records.

Apprenticeship, trade & craft records

An apprenticeship record could be helpful, although even if your ancestor served an apprenticeship there may be no formal record of it. If James came from Edinburgh, as you suggested, the first place to try would be the city’s register of apprentices. This has been published by the Scottish Record Society in several volumes covering 1583-1800, slightly too early for what you need. Edinburgh City Archives holds a later unpublished index covering the 1800s and staff may be able to carry out a search for you. If James completed his apprenticeship he could potentially have become a burgess and the published ‘Roll of Edinburgh Burgesses and Guild Brethren, 1761-1841’ could be worth searching. A digitised copy is available through the Scottish Record Society’s website.

Another option for locating an apprenticeship record is among records kept by individual craft or trade incorporations. However, before delving into these, it is important to note that the main Edinburgh incorporations only covered the burgh of Edinburgh – a very small area of the present city not including the parish of St. Cuthberts. Some other districts such as Canongate and Leith, which were burghs in their own right, had their own incorporations.

As a chair manufacturer, James may have been a carpenter – more typically known in Scotland as a wright. He could have been associated with the Incorporation of Wrights and Masons of Edinburgh, also known as the Incorporation of Mary’s Chapel, whose records are held by Edinburgh City Archives, although not indexed.

Register of deeds

The final option for locating an apprenticeship record would be through a register of deeds, where legal agreements, including some apprenticeship indentures, were recorded. However, the chances of finding such a document are slim. In Edinburgh, the Court of Session, the sheriff court, the commissary court (up to 1809), and the burgh court all kept their own registers of deeds and the majority are not indexed.

Death records

Your idea of following naming patterns to identify James’s parents is a good one. I searched online death and burial indexes through the Scotlandspeople website and could not easily eliminate the 1802 baptism of James Sinclair by finding a corresponding death in Scotland. Although death records prior to 1855 are incomplete, from 1855 statutory death records include both parents’ names and mothers’ surnames are included in the index (although not yet for all years) allowing for easy identification.

What to try next

As an alternative approach, I suggest looking for further records of James and his family in Newcastle, where he was living by 1828. He may have needed to prove a settlement there and such documents can be very informative. Also consider if he may have migrated with siblings or other family members. Any Sinclairs marring in Newcastle around the same time would be worth further investigation. KW

Useful websites

www.edinburgh.gov.uk/archives/edinburgh-city-archives-1/3 & www.scottishrecordsociety.org.uk/