Brian Sinclair (veterinary surgeon)

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Wallace Brian Vaughan Sinclair (27 September 1915 – 13 December 1988) was a British veterinary surgeon who worked for a time with his older brother Donald Sinclair and Donald's partner Alf Wight. Wight wrote a series of semi-autobiographical books under the pen name James Herriot, with Brian and Donald Sinclair appearing in fictionalised form as brothers Tristan and Siegfried Farnon.

The veterinary surgery of James "Alf" Wight and Brian and Donald Sinclair, 23 Kirkgate, Thirsk; this was the fictional Skeldale House in the James Herriot books and series. The building is now The World of James Herriot museum; (2009 photo)

Sinclair worked for his brother while studying veterinary medicine until he graduated from the Royal (Dick) Veterinary College in Edinburgh in 1943, subsequently joining the Royal Army Veterinary Corps in India. On demobilisation, he joined the Ministry of Agriculture's Sterility Advisory unit, rising to become head of the Veterinary Investigation Centre in Leeds. He was the model for the character Tristan Farnon in Wight's semi-autobiographical novels which were adapted in two films and television series under the name All Creatures Great and Small.

Tristan was portrayed as a charming rogue who was still studying veterinary medicine in the early books, constantly having to re-take examinations because of his lack of application, often found in the pub, and provoking tirades from his bombastic elder brother Siegfried. When Wight's first book was published, Brian Sinclair "was delighted to be captured as Tristan and remained enthusiastic about all Wight’s books".[1] Sinclair seemed rather to enjoy being a celebrity, appearing on television and lecturing at veterinary schools all over the UK and elsewhere.

In 2017, Alf Wight's son, Jim Wight, was interviewed and he discussed the James Herriot franchise. He made these comments about Brian Sinclair (Tristan Farnon in the books). "Brian was accurately portrayed. A young man who was a delightful young fellow, but his whole aim in life was to work as little as possible and have as good a time as possible ... every time [Brian] failed his exams, which he did often when he was at veterinary school, Donald [Sinclair] had to pay and Donald didn’t have money in those days ... So there was always that love-hate relationship between the two [brothers], very well portrayed in that first book."[2]

Most recently, the Tristan Farnon character appears in the Channel 5/PBS production All Creatures Great and Small (2020 TV series).

Brian Sinclair married Sheila Rose Seaton in 1944. They had three daughters. Sinclair died in 1988.

References[]

  1. ^ "Who is James Herriot and How "True" is All Creatures Great and Small?". Thirteen Media. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  2. ^ Remembering a bygone era: A conversation with James Herriot’s son 13 June 2017


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