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Re: Descendants of George Sinclair, 4th. Earl Caithness for Ten G ener ations.



At 23:27 24/05/00 -0400, you wrote:
>Thank you so much for the guide to the library.
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: <DSinc39156@aol.com>
>To: <sinclair@matrix.net>
>Sent: Wednesday, May 24, 2000 7:58 PM
>Subject: Re: Descendants of George Sinclair, 4th. Earl Caithness for Ten G
>ener ations.
>
>
> > That book was published in 1735. Authored by Father Richard A. Hay. I am
> > unsure if it would be available to purchase. Your local librarian might be
> > able to borrow it on an itra-library loan, most likely on microfiche,
>since
> > it is such an old issue.
> >
> > Donald Sinclair (Indianapolis)


Dear Donald,

I have the book by Father Richard Augustin Hay who was Prior of Pierremont
which covers the history of of the "Hayes of Tweeddale" and the "Saintclaires
of Rosslyn".  This book was published in Edinburgh in 1835 although it was
obviously written at an earlier period because we read:

                 "In the reign of James II the office of Grand Master was
                   granted by the Crown to William St Clair, Earl of Orkney
                   and Caithness and founder of the much admired Rosslyn
                   Chapel and, from his attention to the interests of the 
Order,
                    the office was made hereditary in his family.
                 "The Barons of Rosslyn held their principal annual meetings
                   at Kilwinning and regular lodges were formed in different
                   parts of the kingdom by charters of erection granted by the
                   Kilwinning Lodge.
                 "When James VI ascended the English throne, he neglected
                   his right of nominating office bearers of the fraternity 
and, in
                   consequence of this, the Scottish Masons granted two
                   charters to the St Clairs of Rosslyn which exist in the Hays
                   MS in the Advocates' Library.
                 "In 1736, William St Clair of Rosslyn having no children 
resigned
                   into the hands of the Scottish Lodges the right of 
nominating
                   their own Grand Master and other office bearers - an event
                   which led to the formation of the Grand Lodges of Scotland"

Although William 'resigned' the office of Grand Master, it is interesting 
to note that
he was immediately re-elected (unanimously)as the first Grand Master of in the
Scottish Grand Lodge of Speculative Masons.

The above quoted text is contradictory in so far as it begins with Earl 
William St Clair*
although elsewhere we read that the St Clairs of Rosslyn had been the 
'protectors
of the Guilds and Crafts of Scotland from time immemorial"

The recital of the Masonic Charter to William St Clair of Rosslyn is 
explicit and implies
in distinct terms that the position of patron had existed for some 
generations.  As has
been stated above, the original Charters are now in the Advocates' Library 
in Edinburgh
although I do possess copies of them.

* Earl William St Clair 1399 -1481 - the only Sinclair to hold both the 
Eatldom of Orkney
and Caithness at the same time.

Niven Sinclair
> > [ This is the Sinclair family discussion list, sinclair@mids.org
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>
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