Patrick Sinclair of Fort Michillimackinac

[Niven Sinclair <niven@niven.co.uk>]

Yes, you have the right Patrick Sinclair.  There is a memorial to him at 
Lybster which
the Sinclair gathering will see when they visit Scotland in July this 
year.  He belongs
to the Ulbster Branch of the family  which also produced:

			Sir John Sinclair who founded the Department of Agriculture
				under William Pitt 'the Younger'
			Sir Archibald Sinclair who was Minister of Air in the Churchill
				Government during the last war and who became the
				1st Viscount Thurso of Ulbster.

The present Viscount Thurso is also called John whilst his brother is 
another Patrick.
The same names cascade down through the generations.

The Ulbster family are descended from WiIliam Sinclair, the first laird of 
Mey (where the
Queen Mother now lives) who was the second son of George II, the 42nd Earl 
of Caithness.
His elder brother John was said to have been imprisoned by his father in 
Girnigoe castle
and was said to have been crushed to death by a visit of the Master in 
1572.  I have never
believed this story which was spread by the Gordons.

The Ulbsters have always been known as the "able Ulbsters" because they 
have displayed
much academic success - a trait which is usually absent 
from  Sinclairs.  The unifying
characteristic is bad temper (as you have already noted and as these 
columns have
occasionally witnessed).

At one time the Ulbsters were the largest Sinclair landowners in Caithness 
(when 80% of
Caithness was owned by 17 Sinclair families) but death duties have eroded 
their wealth
until it is now doubtful if Sinclairs own even 1% of 
Caithness   Similarily, we are no longer
the most common surname.  That claim, according to the last census, goes to 
the McKays.

Niven Sinclair

[ This is the Sinclair family discussion list, sinclair@mids.org
[ To get off or on the list, see http://www.mids.org/sinclair/list.html