The original, physical exhibit was on display at Seven Oaks House Museum during the 2023 season.
Did you know that the artifacts in a museum’s collection can inform us about the lives, roles, beliefs, and hobbies of individuals and groups throughout history? Inversely, the lived experiences and actions of individuals and groups throughout history can inform us about the artifacts in a museum’s collection. This is called material culture, or the relationship between people and things.
The women of Seven Oaks House had rich and diverse life experiences. Below, you will learn about each of the Inkster-Sinclair women's lives and stories through artifacts in Seven Oaks House Museums’ collection. You will also learn how the Inkster-Sinclair women’s life experiences shape our understanding of artifacts in Seven Oaks House Museums’ collection.
-Hannah Belec & Nina Laquette, Museum Interpreters
Did you know that the artifacts in a museum’s collection can inform us about the lives, roles, beliefs, and hobbies of individuals and groups throughout history? Inversely, the lived experiences and actions of individuals and groups throughout history can inform us about the artifacts in a museum’s collection. This is called material culture, or the relationship between people and things.
The women of Seven Oaks House had rich and diverse life experiences. Below, you will learn about each of the Inkster-Sinclair women's lives and stories through artifacts in Seven Oaks House Museums’ collection. You will also learn how the Inkster-Sinclair women’s life experiences shape our understanding of artifacts in Seven Oaks House Museums’ collection.
-Hannah Belec & Nina Laquette, Museum Interpreters
Mary Sinclair (Inkster)
Mary Sinclair was born on December 15th, 1804 in Oxford House, Manitoba, to William Sinclair and Nahovway (baptized Margaret Sinclair). Mary was a Metis woman Orkney and Swampy Cree ancestry. On January 20th, 1826 Mary Sinclair married John Inkster in the Church of St. John's.
Mary and John went on to have eleven children, nine of whom survived into adulthood. While raising the Inkster children and maintaining the household, Mary ran the General Store next to Seven Oaks House and kept the family’s account books.
Hair Brooch
The portrait of Mary Sinclair (Inkster) shows her wearing this brooch. The black stone, gold-rimmed brooch holds a braid of hair under the glass. The hair likely belonged to a deceased family member, such as her daughter, Charlotte, or son, James. Hair jewelry was a common way for matriarchs, like Mary, to remember their lost children or family members. The hair brooch represents Mary’s role as the Inkster-Sinclair matriarch and the value she placed on family and sentimentalism.
Accounting Book
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This notebook, owned and used by John Inkster, features handwritten instructions for business and accounting practices. Colin Inkster wrote in his memoirs that his mother, Mary Sinclair (Inkster), had a remarkable head for business and that she was responsible for keeping the family's account books. The notebook is representative of Mary’s role in the Inkster family business as it is possible she used these instructions to conduct her accounting work, or she made these lessons for John. |
Margaret “Maggie” Inkster (Sutherland)
Margaret “Maggie” Inkster was the first born child of John and Mary Inkster. She was born on April 24th, 1827 and baptized on July 1st, 1827 in the Anglican Church of St. John. Margaret married William Richard Sutherland on October 21st, 1859 at St. Mary’s Anglican Church in Portage la Prairie. Margaret and William had eight children: Alfred, George Thomas, Mary, Isabella Ann (Bella), John, Colin, Robert James, and Elizabeth Jane Victoria.
Margaret lived much of her adult life in St. Andrews near St. Andrew’s Anglican Church where she and William are buried, along with children, Victoria and Robert. Beyond this information, little is known about Margaret’s everyday life. Despite this, it is clear that religion, specifically Anglicanism, was a major part of her and her family’s life, as it was for many Red River Settlers.
Book of Common Prayer c. 1877
A pocket size, leather bound, prayer book entitled, Book of Common Prayer and the Administration of the Sacraments, Rites and Ceremonies of the Church, According to the Use of the Church of England. Margaret would have carried and used a prayer book like this during liturgy and individual prayer. The book features various prayers and bible readings for different times of the year, like Easter and Lent.
Mary “Marak” Inkster
Mary “Marak” Inkster was the fourth child of John and Mary Inskter. Mary “Marak” was born on December 15th, 1832. December 15th was also her mother’s birthday. Marak became the keeper of Seven Oaks as her parents aged and she remained in the house until her death on August 15th, 1912.
John’s will stipulated that Marak receive the property on the condition that she never marry, or it would revert to her brother. This clause ensured that the homestead stayed within the Inkster family. Women had limited legal and property rights at the time (John died in the 1870s), and the land would have legally become her husband’s. As such, Marak remained umarried her entire life. Outside of maintaining Seven Oaks House, she was an active member of the community. For many years, Marak played the organ at St. John’s Cathedral, served in the Women’s Auxiliary of the Diocese of Rupertsland, and was a member of the Lord Selkirk Association of Rupertsland.
Sheet Music c. 1888
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Sheet music for the song "There is a Green Hill Far Away". This song was composed by Ciro Pinsuti. The back page features advertisements of popular songs by publisher Robert Cox & Co. As a talented organ player, Mary would have played songs and used sheet music similar to this. |
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Chatelaine c. 1868
The chatelaine, which originally functioned as a way for a woman running a household to clasp the items she needed to her waist, quickly became a fashion accessory. They could be considered an early form of a charm bracelet. Chatelaines also became a status symbol that women, like Mary "Marak," would have used to mark their wealth and role in managing a household or estate.
Jane Inkster (Tait)
Jane Inkster was born on November 17th, 1838 and was the seventh child of John and Mary Inkster. Jane married Robert Tait in the Church of St. Andrew on December 16th, 1858. The couple went on to have six children: Thomas, Timoleon, Colin, Ellen-Harriet, Mary, and Adelaide. They made their home in St. James near Deer Lodge Hospital. Jane was an avid horse rider and she kept horses at their home in Silver Heights.
Side Saddle
Side saddles were designed for the rider to place both feet on the same side of the horse and were typically used by women riders who wore skirts. As an equestrian, Jane would have used a side saddle when riding. This particular side saddle, pictured above, was owned and used by Ann Tait, the younger sister of Jane’s husband, Robert Tait, and wife of Jane’s younger brother, Colin Inkster.
Replica Inkster Wedding Dress c. 1858
This photo shows Seven Oaks House Museum’s replica of the wedding dress Jane Inkster wore when she married Robert Tait in 1858. The dress was originally mauve plaid taffeta, and was made at Seven Oaks House by Jane Inkster and Janet Bannerman. With the dress, Jane wore a white satin bonnet with flowers. At the time of Jane’s wedding, white wedding dresses were just becoming popular and were not yet customary.
In the book Women of Red River: Being A Book Written From The Recollections Of Women Surviving From The Red River Era, author W. J. Healy wrote that Jane still had her wedding dress (Pg. 91). Women of Red River was published in 1923, meaning that Jane still had her wedding dress just a few years before her death in 1926. The original is now held in our collection.
Ellen “Nellie” Inkster (McDonald)
Ellen “Nellie” Inkster, the eighth child of John and Mary Inkster, was born on December 12th, 1840. On September 3rd, 1863, Ellen married Archibald ‘Archie’ Grieve McDonald. Archibald was a Scotchman from Inverness and servant of the Hudson’s Bay Company. Together Ellen and Archibald had six children. They resided in various HBC posts in which Archibald was in charge: Manitoba House, Touchstone Hills, Fort Qu’Appelle, and Fort Ellice. The couple and their children also traveled across North America for Hudson’s Bay Company business.
Ellen “Nellie” Inkster, the eighth child of John and Mary Inkster, was born on December 12th, 1840. On September 3rd, 1863, Ellen married Archibald ‘Archie’ Grieve McDonald. Archibald was a Scotchman from Inverness and servant of the Hudson’s Bay Company. Together Ellen and Archibald had six children. They resided in various HBC posts in which Archibald was in charge: Manitoba House, Touchstone Hills, Fort Qu’Appelle, and Fort Ellice. The couple and their children also traveled across North America for Hudson’s Bay Company business.
Traveling Case c. 1882
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As mentioned above, Ellen's husband, Archibald, was a servant of the Hudson’s Bay Company and his position brought them and their family to multiple HBC posts in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and beyond. In just one letter from August 1870 (see below), Ellen described her travels to Georgetown, Fort Totten (New York), St. Paul, and St. Cloud (Minnesota). As an upper-class woman, Ellen would have used an ornate traveling case like this to tote her beauty and sewing products. |
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Original Inkster Wedding Dress c. 1862
This photograph showcases the wedding dress that Ellen wore when she married Archibald in 1862. The three-piece dress includes a white muslin blouse, a blue silk skirt and a cream silk embroidered shawl with fringe. Ellen likely chose to wear a white blouse and cream shawl because white wedding dresses were more popular by 1862 than they were at the time of her older sister, Jane’s, wedding in 1858.
Harriet Inkster (McMurray)
On October 8th, 1846, John and Mary Inkster welcomed their tenth and last child, Harriet Inkster. On July 13th, 1868 at the age of 22, Harriet married William McMurray, a widower 22 years her senior. Harriet and William may have had as many as seven children together. On March 7th, 1877, William died at 58 in Seven Oaks House by asphyxiating on his dinner. As a result, Harriet became a widow at 31.
In 1907, Harriet had a large, modern home, called McGowan House built on a portion of the Seven Oaks property. Today the site is known McGowan Park. Harriet and her family preserved numerous examples of beadwork, embroidery and quillwork with possible connections to the Inkster family. Harriet's grandmother, Nahovway, likely taught Harriet and other family members how to bead and embroider, and instilled a deep appreciation for Indigenous art.
On October 8th, 1846, John and Mary Inkster welcomed their tenth and last child, Harriet Inkster. On July 13th, 1868 at the age of 22, Harriet married William McMurray, a widower 22 years her senior. Harriet and William may have had as many as seven children together. On March 7th, 1877, William died at 58 in Seven Oaks House by asphyxiating on his dinner. As a result, Harriet became a widow at 31.
In 1907, Harriet had a large, modern home, called McGowan House built on a portion of the Seven Oaks property. Today the site is known McGowan Park. Harriet and her family preserved numerous examples of beadwork, embroidery and quillwork with possible connections to the Inkster family. Harriet's grandmother, Nahovway, likely taught Harriet and other family members how to bead and embroider, and instilled a deep appreciation for Indigenous art.
Quill Work Belts c. 1850-1870
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To create these belts, dyed porcupine quills were carefully woven together with thread and sinew and placed on a hide backing. The belts are likely Dene in origin, and were probably collected by Harriet or her husband, William, during their travels to Northern Alberta. Harriet even signed one of the belts with “Mrs. McM” (Harriet’s married name is McMurray). Harriet and her descendants’ appreciation for Indigenous artwork is exemplified by the collection and preservation of these belts. |
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Beaded Cushion c. 1875-1890
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This Metis-style beaded cushion was owned, and possibly even made by Harriet. It is another example of Harriet’s deep appreciation for Indigenous artworks and potentially her own artistic skills. |
Do you have your own photos, stories, or artifacts related to the history of Seven Oaks or the Inkster-Sinclair women?
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