Sophy Sinclair

Sophy Sinclair was a tall girl, with bright hazel eyes. A student of Anne's, she was full of quiet vivacity.

Summerside High School Years
Sophy Sinclair, being one of the 'non-Pringle' students in Anne Shirley's class, was a quiet, gentle girl. Summerside High students saw her as the shuffling Sophy, in her plain, shapeless and tasteless clothes. However, Sophy had determination! She rode six miles into town and six miles out on her father's gray mare—bareback!—to reach the school.

High School Dramatization Club
The High School Damatization Club, a club for actors/actresses enrolled in the Summerside High School, had a play ("Mary, Queen of Scots") that was produced in November, 1887, by Katherine Brooke and Anne Shirley. One evening, after practice, Anne found Sophy crying in the girls' room. Anne knelt down and tried to console her. Sophy shook the tears out of her hazel eyes and shook her head, but Anne finally 'got it out' of her. Sophy wanted to be a member of the High School Dramatization Club—"and I wanted so much to be Mary!"

Anne nodded. She had another copy—somewhere—and she was determined to get Sophy to learn the part. 'For back-up', she said. Anne always claimed afterward it was her guardian angel that told her to do that!

When Jen Pringle turned up sick the night of the play, Katherine feared that they would have to discontinue the play. After all, who could play Mary? Anne's eyes turned green.

"The play was put on that night before a packed audience. A delighted Sophy played Mary . . . was Mary, as Jen Pringle could never have been . . . looked Mary in her velvet robes and ruff and jewels. Students of Summerside High, who had never seen Sophy in anything but her plain, dowdy, dark serge dresses, shapeless coat and shabby hats, stared at her in amazement. It was insisted on the spot that she become a permanent member of the Dramatic Club--Anne herself paid the membership fee--and from then on she was one of the pupils who "counted" in Summerside High."

- About Sophy Sinclair, concerning the play 'Mary, Queen of Scots'

Later Life
Sophy's later life is not greatly described in Anne of Windy Poplars. It is told, however, about her occupation.

"But nobody knew or dreamed, Sophy herself least of all, that she had taken the first step that night on a pathway that was to lead to the stars. Twenty years later Sophy Sinclair was to be one of the leading actresses in America. But probably no plaudits ever sounded so sweet in her ears as the wild applause amid which the curtain fell that night in Summerside town hall."

- About Sophy Sinclair concerning her later actress career

Appearances
Anne of Windy Poplars