IN the passing away of Mrs. Sinclair at the beginning of July a notable figure in the religious life of the North entered her rest. “Mrs. Alex.,” as she was known to her friends, was so-called to distinguish her from the many Mrs. Sinclairs in Caithness. She was the daughter of Captain Ross, a man revered for his genuine piety and respected for his fine manly qualities. Her mother, a sister of the well known Mr. William Sinclair, Wick, was a woman of great force of character and of genuine piety. Though thus highly privileged in having such parents Mrs. Sinclair in her youth was like other girls in their natural state. She was full of vivacity, a characteristic which, though mellowed by age, was traceable up to within a few years of her death. When or by what means the change was wrought in her heart making all things new we are not in a position to say but her whole life proclaimed how thorough that change had been. Early in youth she was married to Mr. Alexander Sinclair, a prominent citizen of Wick. Owing to the wealth possessed by her husband Mrs. Sinclair was enabled to give full scope to that kindness of heart which showed itself in prosperity and was not restrained in the day of adversity. Naturally she was a woman of exuberant and impulsive temperament and in her converted days these characteristics were still to be clearly seen though turned into new channels. Combined with these characteristics she had a warm heart and a strong will. The latter giving a driving force to her thoughts in any action she contemplated. No one could doubt the sincerity which prompted the warm impulsiveness of her heart. At times she showed plainly the defects of those possessed with such temperaments and while more soberminded people might question her wisdom they could not but recognise the warmth of her heart and her single-eyed sincerity.
When the Free Church, prior to 1892, began to show plainly that she did not intend to drive out heretical teachers such as Professors Bruce and Dods a number of professing people in Caithness left the Free Church and among these was Mrs. Sinclair. She, with a few of the foregoing, joined the Reformed Presbyterian Church as there was no Free Presbyterian Church then in existence. Some years after the formation of the Free Presbyterian Church she left the Reformed Presbyterian Church and joined the former and from that time onwards until the day of her death, with the exception of two short periods, she supported the testimony of that Church with a zeal and consistency that often made others like-minded feel cold as contrasted with her unflagging zeal and whole-hearted advocacy. She loved the Free Presbyterian Church with a warm-hearted devotion for the testimony it raised in defence of the truth. Mrs. Sinclair was well-known throughout the Church as she made it a point of attending Communions while her health permitted. She considered it her duty to witness in the high places of the nation and when things were done in Parliament of which she disapproved the Minister of the Crown who was guilty was generally made aware of the fact by a telegram from her couched in trenchant sentences and backed by an appropriate text of Scripture. She loved to read the works setting forth the contentions of the Covenanters and the famous Scottish divines. The rich spiritual experiences contained in the autobiographies of many of the English Strict Baptist worthies were also highly appreciated by her. But above all these she loved her Bible, read it carefully and constantly, until she became very familiar with it.
After her husband’s death Mrs. Sinclair’s means were greatly reduced but her house was as open as ever to the Lord’s people and she gave unstintedly to the poor, many a time to her own inconvenience. The warm welcome extended to the friends of the cause she loved made her home the meeting place of many a happy gathering. She delighted in the fellowship thus enjoyed and joined with vivacity in the conversation when religious experience was the theme. She loved the courts of Sion and while health and strength permitted she was always in her place there. For some time her health began to fail and her place was vacant at the beloved means of grace. The end came peaceably and Mrs. Alex. Sinclair passed to her everlasting rest in July of this year, aged 78 years. Her remains were laid to rest in Wick Cemetery. A large number of friends from different places attended the funeral to show their last respect to one who was greatly beloved. Our cause is the poorer through her removal.
We tender our heartfelt sympathy to her sons and daughters in the great loss they have sustained by the removal of one of the kindest of mothers and one who prayed and longed for their salvation with all a mother’s love.