Major Sinclear

Sinclariville derives its name from Major Samuel Sinclear. He was born on May 10, 1762 in Nottingham, New Hampshire. Sinclear was one of nine children. His father Colonel Richard Sinclear was of Scotch descent while his mother, Mary Cilley, was born in Austria-Hungaria. Sinclear's childhood was quite short. At age fourteen, Sinclear was in the army as an attendant to his uncle, Colonel Cilley. Barely one year later he enlisted in Captain Amos Morrill's company of the same uncle's regiment and served for three years. Sinclear was at the Battles of Bemis Heights and Monmouth. He was also present at Valley Forge. Sinclear was involved in other battles while serving in General Enoch Poor's brigade. In 1779 he fought the Indians on the frontiers of New York and Pennsylvania. When Sinclear was eighteen years old he was honorably discharged from the army having served his full term of enlistment. He then went to Kennenbunk, Maine and established a ship-timber business. Eight years later he came to New York where he lived in Utica and Cherry Valley.

In 1809, Major Samuel Sinclear purchased lot 41 at the Batavia land office. Sinclear started building a log cabin on this property. The cabin was built at the intersection of two roads, one lead to Cherry Cheek, the other to Charolotte Center. In March of 1810, William Berry and his family along with Chauncy Andrus came to Sinclear's settlement. Since the cabin was not yet finished, they occupied a wigwam made of poles and hemlock limbs, until the house was finished. This cabin came to serve as a dwelling for new settlers while they built their homes, a school house and a church.

In October, Sinclear's family, including his wife, Fanny, and her children, Obed and John M. Edson and Fanny Edson, came to Sinclear's settlement. Sinclear's first wife was Sally Perkins. They married in 1785 in Vassalboro, Maine. She died at Eaton in 1804. In the fall 1810 Sinclear cut a wagon road from Fredonia to Sinclairville and built a frame dwelling in which the village tavern resided for many years. A saw mill was also constructed that year.

Many of Sinclear's ancestors belonged to the Masonic Order. He also became a Mason in 1805 while in Madison County and later he became a Royal Arch Mason. When the Sylvan Lodge was organized in Sinclearville in 1823 he was chosen Master. However, the lodge was forced to surrender its charter due to the hostility towards Masons in this part of the state.

It was not until after the Major's death that Sinclairville assumed its name. On February 8, 1827 Samual Sinclear died. His funeral was conducted according to the Masonic ritual. Some of the first land Sinclear had cleared had been donated years earlier for use as a cemetery. On his grave stone were many Masonic emblems, and below this epitaph:

How lov'd, how valu'd once avail thee not,
To whom related, or by whom begot;
A heap of dust alone remains of thee,
'Tis all thou art, and all the proud shall be.

Major Sinclear
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Village of Sinclairville
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