Rebecca Sinclair was born  22 November 1859 to parents Peter and Betsy Sinclair nee Chalmers.  She had an older brother James and a younger sister Jane.

Rebecca grew up knowing her Miller cousins, (the children of Peter Miller and her mother’s sister Janet) very well. After her father’s untimely death while Rebecca was very young,  her widowed mother and young family were cared for and supported by Janet and her family. 

Around 1880 the three Sinclair children, now young adults, followed their cousin William Miller to Coglin near Peterborough.  Their mother had married William Lyddon in 1863 and they now had seven children of their own. William Miller went on to establish a very successful farm at Dawson near Peterborough he called Golden Gully. James Sinclair and William Miller were responsible for building the Dawson Methodist Church in 1890.

Rebecca married William Watkins of Coglin on  22 November 1883 and they had six children all born at Coglin or Dawson. Their youngest daughter, Agnes Maud married John Maxwell and they are both buried in the South Rhine cemetery.

 Rebecca was the Dawson Post Mistress in the late 1800s and  she was also supporting her brother James’ family after he was killed in an explosion at the North Quarry Broken Hill mines in 1898. James’ wife was pregnant with their fifth child when James was killed and they moved back to Dawson with very little money. 

Rebecca returned to the South Rhine / Sanderston area to be near her mother Betsy, and daughter Agnes Maxwell.

Rebecca died 10 December 1933 aged 74 years and is buried in the South Rhine cemetery.