Francis Withersby Sinclair (1845-1888) was a French novelist, futurist, and inventor known for The Complete Works Of F. W. Sinclair, a series of novels published in the late 1800’s. From his influential writing style to his futuristic inventions to his shockingly accurate predictions about life in the future, Sinclair cemented himself as one of the most interesting figures of the 19th century.
Sinclair was born in Versailles, France on December 17th, 1845. He studied at the University of King’s College London, where he met Molly Elizabeth Cortwright, who he would marry in 1868. However, their marriage would not last, and in 1882, the two would divorce following revelations that Sinclair had not been faithful, and Cortwright, as it turned out, was, in fact, a lesbian.
Though he was most known for his literary works and inventions, F. W. Sinclair was also ahead of the curve on several scientific discoveries. One of Sinclair’s greatest scientific achievements was the unofficial discovery of the planet Pluto. Though it was not officially categorized until 1930, Sinclair theorized the existence of the dwarf planet nearly 60 years earlier. He repeatedly campaigned the French government to take military action against the hypothetical planet, though his efforts were ultimately unsuccessful.
A close friend of fellow French novelist Jules Verne, Sinclair was reportedly instrumental in designing Verne’s famous Nautilus submarine. However, historians now believe that Sinclair’s suggestion to add airholes was the primary cause of the prototype’s sinking, killing 13 French naval officers and a cook.
The last confirmed sighting of F. W. Sinclair was in 1888, when he departed from Paris to traverse the world in a clockwork airship of his own design and construction. Though historians agree the balloon likely crashed somewhere over the Alps, reports of Sinclair continue around the world well into the 1890’s. The most notable sighting occurred in 1892, when 17 farmers all reported seeing an unidentified craft matching Sinclair’s description flying over western Mongolia.
F. W. Sinclair 