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THE CLAN OF SINCLAIR.
Badge : Conasg (Whin or Gorse).
[lIE Clan Sinclair, it has been maintained, are not strictly speaking, a Celtic clan, the
surname being originally of French origin. William, son of the Comte de Saint
CJair, a relation of the Conqueror of England, came over with him in 1066, and soon
after settling in Scotland, became progenitor of all that name in the kingdom ; and
many charters granted by Robert I. to William de Sancte Clair of the Roslin family
are recorded in Robertson's Index.
William Sinclair, Earl of Orkney, eon and heir of Henry, Earl of Orkney, by
f William Douglas, Lord of Nithsdale, and the Princess .Kgiiliu
*gidia, daughter of
daughter of Robert II., founded the collegiate church of Roslin, near his castle
there, in 1441. He was Lord High Treasurer of Scotland in 1445 and Ambassador to
England, on his return from which, in 1456, he was made Earl of Caithness. He
married Lady Margaret, daughter of Archibald, Earl of Douglas, Duke of Touraine
and Marshal of France, who was slain at Verneuil in 1424. He died before 1480, and was succeeded
by his son, William, second Earl of Caithness, who was slain at Flodden, with great number of
his clan.
John Sinclair, third Earl of Caithness, was killed during an insurrection in Orkney in 1529.
His son George, fourth Earl, was one of the peers who sat on the trial of the Earl of Both well in
1568.
He died at an advanced age in 1583, leaving by his countess, Elizabeth, of the House of
Montrose, John, Master of Caithness ; George, who was ancestor of the Sinclairs of Mey ; and three
daughters.
John, the Master, left sons, who were ancestors of the Sinclairs of Murkle and Ratter, and
dying before his father in 1577, was succeeded by his eldest son George, fifth Earl of Caithness, who
lived to a great age, and died in 1643.
George, sixth Earl, had no children; and finding himself very deeply in debt, he executed a
disposition to Sir John Campbell of Glenorchy, his chief creditor, of his titles and property in 1072.
On his death in 1676, Sir John assumed, illegally, the title of Earl of Caithness ; but George
Sinclair of Keiss was not disposed to submit to this alienation of his rights, and took possession of
the property, and asserted himself as Earl of Caithness.
Glenorchy raised his clan, and inarching into Caithness, obtained a victory over the Sinclairs,
his claims in
near Wick. He placed garrisons in the country to secure it ; but Keiss prosecuted
Parliament at Edinburgh. Campbell had to relinquish his schemes, and to pacify him was created
Earl of Breadalbane.
George, seventh Earl of Caithness, died without issue in 1698, and his honours devolved on
John Sinclair of Murkle, next heir male, and lineally descended from Sir James of Murkle, second
on of John, Master of Sinclair, whose eldest son succeeded him in the estate of Murkle, while his
second, Francis, entered the Swedish army and obtained high rank.
John, eighth Earl, married a daughter of the Earl of Hyndford, and died in 1705. His
successors are shown in the Peerage. Besides the Francis Sinclair above named, four others of the
clan attained rank in the army of Gustavns Adolphus John Sinclair (brother of Caithness),
Lieutenant-Colonel of Monro's regiment, killed at Newmarke ; David Sinclair, Colonel of Horse
and George Sinclair of the Sinclair regiment, massacred at Kingellan in 1612.
Among the many cadets of this family are the Sinclairs, Baronets of Ulbster. In 1603 George,
Karl of Caithness, made a disposition to his cousin, Patrick Sinclair, of the lands of Ulbster, and his
brother John succeeded, from whom the present Baronet is descended. The Right Hon. Sir John
of Ulbster in 1794 raised a Fencible Regiment, and he was the first who extended the services of
these troops beyond Scotland.
Henry Sinclair (or St. Clair) of Dysert and Ravenscraig was raised to the Peerage as Lord
Sinclair in 1488, and was the first of the peers of that line. The Sinclairs of Herdmanston were
another branch of the Sinclairs of Orkney, dating back to the days of William the Lion in 1163.
The Sinclairs, Baronets of Stevenston, are a branch of the Sinclairs of Roslin. The Sinclairs of
Longformacus were created Baronets in 1604. The first was an advocate. His son married Jean,
daughter and heiress of Sir John Towers of Inverleith, an ancient family long connected with the
city of Edinburgh.
Among those who figured in Sweden was Major Sinclair, on whose tomb the King of that
country caused the following inscription to be carved : Here lies Major Malcolm Sinclair, a good
and faithful subject of the kingdom of Sweden, born 1691, son of the most worthy Major-General
Sinclair and Madame Hamilton. Prisoner of War in Siberia 1709 to 1722. Charged with affairs of
Bute, he was assassinated at Naumburg in Silesia, 17th June 1739."