SAMUEL SINCLAIR. - Samuel Sinclair, now deceased, became a resident of Springfield in 1883. He was a native of Loudoun county, Virginia, born on the 8th of June, 1808, and was a son of George and Margaret (Craven) Sinclair, who were also natives of the Old Dominion and spent their entire lives there. The subject of this review was the only representative of the family that came to Illinois. He arrived in this state in pioneer times, reaching Morgan county on the 8th of June, 1833. He had at that time a capital of four hundred dollars, and this he judiciously invested in property in two hundred and eighty acres of land, and afterward forty acres more. It was upon this tract that he established the village of Sinclair, Illinois. In the year of his arrival here, however, he returned to Loudoun county, Virginia, and was there married to Miss Euphenia Craven, a representative of one of the old families of that state. With his brother he then again came to Illinois and established his home upon his farm in Morgan county, where he resided for thirty years. He met with some financial reverses in 1848, but afterward engaged in trading land and in dealing in stock and soon became well-to-do again.

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Sinclair were born eleven children, of whom six are now living, namely Peter, of DeKalb, Illinois; James, of Denver, Colorado; John, of California; Virginia, who is the wife of a Mr. Atkins and resides in Minnesota; Elizabeth, the wife of Dr. Gailey, of Ashland, Illinois; and Ruth, the wife of Samuel Hamilton, of Ashland. The mother of these children died April 23, 1861, and on the 21st of October, 1863, Mr. Sinclair married Miss Dollie Beggs, who was born in Clark county, Kentucky, January 21, 1820, a daughter of Charles and Mary (Ruddle) Beggs, both of whom were natives of Virginia. Her grandfather, James Beggs, was a soldier of the Revolutionary war and died of camp fever in 1779. Charles Beggs removed from Virginia to Indiana and afterward settled near Jacksonville, in Morgan county, Illinois, where he carried on agricultural pursuits throughout his remaining days, both he and his wife dying on the old homestead there. Only two of their children are yet living: Mrs. Samuel Sinclair and John, who is a farmer residing near Ashland, Illinois. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Sinclair were born two daughters: Emma Lou and Maggie, both of whom are residing in Springfield with their mother.

Mr. and Mrs. Sinclair resided on a farm in Morgan county until 1865, when they removed to Cass county, Illinois, and then again established their home upon a farm, which continued to be their place of residence until they came to Sangamon county, in 1883. They lived on Douglas avenue, in Springfield, and on account of ill health Mr. Sinclair never engaged in any business here, but lived retired until his demise. He still owned his farm in Cass county, and it returned to him a good income. During his residence in Springfield, however, he made many warm friends, his admirable traits of character gaining him the regard and good will of those with whom he came in contact. In politics he was a stanch Republican, although reared in the south, and was a great friend of Abraham Lincoln, whom he knew personally. His widow and her daughters are members of the First Methodist Episcopal church and they reside at No. 328 Douglas avenue, which property Mrs. Sinclair owns.