Mary Sinclair Inkster
1804 - 1892
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Mary Sinclair was born December 15, 1804 at Oxford House in northern Manitoba. Mary was the seventh of eleven children.
Her mother, Nahoway (baptized Margaret Sinclair) was Metis and had Ininiwak (Swampy Cree) ancestry. Her father William Sinclair was an important trader with the Hudson's Bay Company. He established Oxford House in 1798, became Chief Factor of the Winnipeg District in 1810, and controlled the port at York Factory. William Sinclair died in 1818, and by 1821 Mary and Nahoway had returned to live at Oxford House. In the fall of 1824, Mary moved south to the Red River Settlement with her mother Nahoway and brother Thomas Sinclair. Mary was baptized on February 1, 1825 with brother Thomas Sinclair, in the log church of St. John’s by Rev. David T. Jones. |
On January 20, 1826 Mary Sinclair & John Inkster were married in the church of St. John's. Mary was 21; John was 27. Mary’s brothers-in-law were official witnesses. Their Marriage Certificate reads:
"John Inkster of Orkney and North Britain and Mary Sinclair of Red River were married by banns and consent of parents at Red River Settlement, by David T. Jones, Chaplain of the Hon. Hudson’s Bay Company in the presence of Thomas Bunn and Joseph Cook, January 20th, 1826"
In many ways, John Inkster was marrying into Red River royalty: Mary grew up immersed in the fur trade, while her language skills and family connections opened doors for her recently-immigrated husband. Her father had virtually controlled trade to and from Europe, as the Chief Factor at York Factory. Her brother, Thomas Sinclair, was a prominent leader in the Anglo-Metis community. He worked closely with Louis Riel Sr and Andrew Bannatyne to break the HBC's monopoly on trade.
Sources mention that Mary taught settler women "the Indian language", which probably meant Cree and/or Bungee (a local trade language). Her son Colin wrote that she had a remarkable head for business, and that she was responsible for keeping the family's account books. Oral history from another descendant states that she was responsible for running the family's businesses, and that she could calculate a page of accounts as quickly as an average person could read it.
Her son, George Inkster, later made the improbable claim that Mary was "closely-related to the last Earl of the Orkney Islands". He said his earliest memory was of John Inkster telling the children that they were descended from the medieval Vikings who conquered the Orkney Islands from the Scots. Several Earls of Orkney during the 1400s were named Sinclair.
Mary died in 1892 at the age of 88, and was buried in St. John’s Cathedral cemetery.
Sources mention that Mary taught settler women "the Indian language", which probably meant Cree and/or Bungee (a local trade language). Her son Colin wrote that she had a remarkable head for business, and that she was responsible for keeping the family's account books. Oral history from another descendant states that she was responsible for running the family's businesses, and that she could calculate a page of accounts as quickly as an average person could read it.
Her son, George Inkster, later made the improbable claim that Mary was "closely-related to the last Earl of the Orkney Islands". He said his earliest memory was of John Inkster telling the children that they were descended from the medieval Vikings who conquered the Orkney Islands from the Scots. Several Earls of Orkney during the 1400s were named Sinclair.
Mary died in 1892 at the age of 88, and was buried in St. John’s Cathedral cemetery.
John Inkster
1799 - 1874
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John "Orkney Johnnie" Inkster was born in 1799 in Orphir Parish, Mainland Orkney, Scotland.
His father, John Inkster Sr. worked for the Hudson Bay Company as a Sloop Master (Seaman) between York Factory and Fort Severn on the Hudson and James Bays. His mother was named Margaret Gunn. On May 18, 1821 John joined the service of the Hudson’s Bay Company as a Labourer. He signed a 5 year contract at a rate of pay of £15 (sterling) annually for three years and £18 (sterling) for the last two years. Sailing on the HBC ship Prince of Wales, John arrived at York Factory in September at the age of 22. Two years later, this same ship would transport Colin Robertson Sinclair in the opposite direction, separating him from his mother Nahoway and John's future wife, Mary Sinclair. |
By 1823 John was working as a Labourer for the Hudson’s Bay Company in the Upper Red River District. He had passed through Oxford House en route to the settlement, and this may be where John and Mary met.
In 1824 John settled at the Upper Red River Settlement. By 1827 the Inksters' homestead was well established. Census records show that they were cultivating 6 acres of land and owned a house, a stable, a canoe, a plow and harrow, 2 cows, 2 oxen, and 5 calves. Their first homestead is though to be located north of Seven Oaks, near the St. Andrew's area.
Around 1831 John & Mary re-settled at Seven Oaks with his uncle, James Inkster. James Inkster was an HBC servant who had served at Fort Albany on James Bay as well as Brandon House in the role of Cooper, Boatbuilder, and Carpenter before retiring to Upper Red River. Uncle James married Mary, a Cree woman on October 26, 1824. John was later known by the nickname Orkney Johnnie to distinguish him from his uncle's Metis son, also named John Inkster, who was called Indian Johnnie.
At this time they built a simple two-room log cabin in the Red River Frame style, which still stands today as the oldest building in Winnipeg.
On April 30, 1835 John received a land grant from the HBC to Lot #215 (converted to Lot #6 of the Dominion Land Survey). This totaled 291.06 acres of property, including part of Lot #216, the land owned by his uncle James. It appears that John farmed or leased a portion of his uncle's lot, before purchasing it alongside his own.
The Inksters began operating a windmill in the 1830s, and John used his contacts within the HBC to develop an extensive freighting business. He brought imported goods into the Settlement from the United States, Scotland, England, and distant eastern Canada. The family prospered and became one of the wealthiest in the area.
In 1851 construction began on Seven Oaks House. Once this imposing new home was complete in 1853, the family's original two-room cottage was converted into a kitchen, general store and community post office.
In 1856 John became president of Steam Mill Company, which brought components for a sawmill down-river by barge to be set up at Redwood. A fire destroyed the mill under mysterious circumstances in 1860. In 1862 the Inksters built a new water mill along Main Street. Newspaper reports noted the mill dam was “perhaps the most substantial in the country”, and remnants could still be seen as late as 1926.
John also served a variety of public roles. He was appointed to the local government, the Council of Assiniboia in 1857, and held this position until 1868. He was a warden of St. John's Cathedral and worked as one of the first teachers in the Settlement. From 1850 - 1858 John served as a magistrate for the Lower District at a salary of £5 per year, and he became the auditor of public accounts in 1863.
He was asked to represent the community of St. John's during the 1869-70 Red River Rebellion, but he was too ill to participate.
John Inkster died June 30, 1875 at the age of 75 and was buried in St. John’s Cathedral cemetery.
In 1824 John settled at the Upper Red River Settlement. By 1827 the Inksters' homestead was well established. Census records show that they were cultivating 6 acres of land and owned a house, a stable, a canoe, a plow and harrow, 2 cows, 2 oxen, and 5 calves. Their first homestead is though to be located north of Seven Oaks, near the St. Andrew's area.
Around 1831 John & Mary re-settled at Seven Oaks with his uncle, James Inkster. James Inkster was an HBC servant who had served at Fort Albany on James Bay as well as Brandon House in the role of Cooper, Boatbuilder, and Carpenter before retiring to Upper Red River. Uncle James married Mary, a Cree woman on October 26, 1824. John was later known by the nickname Orkney Johnnie to distinguish him from his uncle's Metis son, also named John Inkster, who was called Indian Johnnie.
At this time they built a simple two-room log cabin in the Red River Frame style, which still stands today as the oldest building in Winnipeg.
On April 30, 1835 John received a land grant from the HBC to Lot #215 (converted to Lot #6 of the Dominion Land Survey). This totaled 291.06 acres of property, including part of Lot #216, the land owned by his uncle James. It appears that John farmed or leased a portion of his uncle's lot, before purchasing it alongside his own.
The Inksters began operating a windmill in the 1830s, and John used his contacts within the HBC to develop an extensive freighting business. He brought imported goods into the Settlement from the United States, Scotland, England, and distant eastern Canada. The family prospered and became one of the wealthiest in the area.
In 1851 construction began on Seven Oaks House. Once this imposing new home was complete in 1853, the family's original two-room cottage was converted into a kitchen, general store and community post office.
In 1856 John became president of Steam Mill Company, which brought components for a sawmill down-river by barge to be set up at Redwood. A fire destroyed the mill under mysterious circumstances in 1860. In 1862 the Inksters built a new water mill along Main Street. Newspaper reports noted the mill dam was “perhaps the most substantial in the country”, and remnants could still be seen as late as 1926.
John also served a variety of public roles. He was appointed to the local government, the Council of Assiniboia in 1857, and held this position until 1868. He was a warden of St. John's Cathedral and worked as one of the first teachers in the Settlement. From 1850 - 1858 John served as a magistrate for the Lower District at a salary of £5 per year, and he became the auditor of public accounts in 1863.
He was asked to represent the community of St. John's during the 1869-70 Red River Rebellion, but he was too ill to participate.
John Inkster died June 30, 1875 at the age of 75 and was buried in St. John’s Cathedral cemetery.
Seven Oaks House Museum & Ross House Museum sit on Treaty One land: The traditional territory of the Anishinaabeg and Ininíwak, the land of the Dakota and the homeland of the Red River Métis.
Contact us:
Tracey Turner - Curator / Manager
[email protected]
[email protected]
Seven Oaks House Museum204-339-7429
[email protected] 50 Mac Street, Winnipeg, MB
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Ross House Museum204-942-5396
[email protected] 140 Meade Street North, Winnipeg, MB
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