od 
254 Memoir 
Lately at Glafgow, Mrs. Sinclair, who had 
ferved the public with integrity and zeal as 
spatron of- the Town’s Hofpital for 23 years. 
From Ayr, where fhe was born 1736, the was 
brought to Glafgow very young, and in §-54 
married James Sinclair, burgefs and freeman 
wright of that city. For fome years they 
enjoyed profperity, but left all their chil- 
dren in infancy; and the hufband having 
at laft embarraffed his circumftances through 
diffipation, abandoned his wife, then preg- 
‘want with her fifth child. Stripped of 
every thing, fhe was left without necef- 
faries for herfelf, or-the infant whom fhe 
bore foon after this cruel reverfe: but in- 
ftead of finking under it, her erect, un- 
daunted fpirit rofe fuperior to misfortune, 
Confcious of having done her duty, refolved 
to do it ftill, maternal anxiety for a deftitute 
ehild, far from retarding, feemed to quicken 
her retovery; and as fhe was one ‘of thofe 
-who really believed that a gracious Provi- 
dence, guarding all the upright, -watches 
particularly over the orphan, fhe hoped, by 
economy wand patient induftry, te procure 
fubfiftence. Expert at every kind of needie- 
work, after a very fhort conSmement, fhe 
Taboured fteadily from motning till night, 
and foon began to teach 2 number of girls, of 
whom many are now refpectably fettled in 
life, and all of them mentien their old mif- 
trefs with gratitude and veneration. From 
her earnings, fcanty as they muft have been, 
fhe fupported an aged mother for many years. 
She never faw her hufband again 5 and her 
Jaft child, the companion of her folitude— 
almoft the oaly joy of her heart—followed 
the reft to an early grave. In 1775 there 
was 4 vacancy in the Town’s Hofpital, and 
many applied with recommendations mucn 
more ample than Mrs. Sinclair's. Some gen- 
tlemen, however, with great good fenfe, 
refolved to examine the different candidates 
~ 
ina way admirably calculated to check the » 
recommendations. Fer this purpofe, with- 
out previous notice, they vifited each pretty 
early, and found moft of them in a fituation 
which extorted apologies; but from Mrs. 
Sinclair they heard none. At an early hour 
they found her dreffed; all her fimple furni- 
ture perfectly clean, and ranged in exact or- 
der; herfelf fitting amidit her little fcholars, 
who wrought around her. This determined 
their choice: ithe other managers, after a 
full invefigation, confirmed and the 
event has proved the faygacity by which it 
was guided. The Hofpital, ever which ihe 
prefided, contains-at prelent 400 peopie, viz. 
340 children, and 290 aged, of whom about 
26 are toc old and infirm to labour. ‘There 
pre befides at nurfe about 100 children, for 
wkom clothes are provided from the Hofpital. 
For this eftablifhment there are two fervants 
only, 4 circumitance that aftonifhed Mir. 
Howard, accuftomed as he was to Englih 
hofpitals, in which, if we are not mifin- 
Formed, there 1s no inflance of fo much work 
It, 
of Mrs. Sinclair. 
‘without explicit authoriry. 
'LApril 
being done at an expence fo trifling. Too 
much praife on this fcore cannot be given te 
the preceptor and other gentlemen, who 
vifit the Hofpital daily, to fecond and prompt 
the efforts of the matron; but much de- 
pended on herfelf. She went to every place; 
fhe faw every thing under her charge exe- 
cuted; fhe diftributed proper employments 
to every perfon capable of labour; nay, with 
fingular penetration, for of that the poffeffed 
an uncommon fhare, fhe trained to ufeful 
labours feveral ideots, whom others would 
have left in idlenefs, or doomed to a cell. 
Along with proper education, the children 
have always been imured to work (fome- 
times perhaps rather too much); and twelve 
years ago Mrs. Sinclair introduced among the 
girls the manufaéture of lace. For fome 
time it was unpromiling, but the perfevered 
with her wonted fteadinefs, and the profits 
from it now are fufficient to maintain and 
educate forty girls annually. Her attention 
to thofe who could work never made her 
negleét the fick, whom fhe treated with the 
utmoft care and tendernefs. I mention this 
particularly, becaufe I have frequently wit- 
nefled it, though I have heard fome, who did 
not know the people fhe had to deal with, 
eenfure her manner as fevere and ftern. Ne- 
ver was a cenfure lefs merited. Subordinae 
tion and difcipline, indeed, fhe enforced, be- 
caufe fhe knew them to be effentially necef- 
{ary; and fhe fet an example of obedience te 
fuperiors in her own condu&t ; for, notwith- 
ftanding the length of her fervices ; notwith- 
standing the marked attention which fhe ex- 
perienced from the preceptor, and all the 
managers; though fhe was ever ready to 
ferve the houfe, whether in her own depart- 
ment or not, I know no inftance of her mak- 
ing one innovation or exercifing any power, 
Her unremit- 
ting exertions at laft overpowered a conftitu- 
tion, exhaufted by the toils, perhaps, fhat- 
tered by the calamaties of her youth. She 
had a prefentiment of her fate, which fhe 
mentioned with folemnity indeed, but with 
ho improper concern, becaufe it had been the 
great bufinefs of her life to prepare for that 
event. She was foon after ftruck with an 
apoplexy during the night, and, after lan- 
guifhing eight days, fhe expired inthe 62¢ 
year of her age. Her charaéter has been 
lufiiciently delineated by defcribing her con- 
du€&t, in which exaggeration has been fo 
carefully avoided, that to fome the colouring 
will appear faint, and the expreffion cold. 
For the correétnefs of the outline, an appeak 
to every gentleman who has interefted him- 
felfin the management of the poor, will vouch 
for. So generally were the merits of Mrs. Sin- 
clair known, that fome years ago, when the 
Royal Infirmary was about to be opened, 
every one thought of her as the fitteft per- 
fon for taking charge of that inftitucion; but 
fhe was too much attached to the managers, 
whom fhe had iong ferved, to quit her place, 
AS 
