Re: SINCLAIR of Longformacus

[Margaret Stokes <milamba@optushome.com.au>]

Hello Clive,

>Can anyone please fill me in regarding SINCLAIR of Longformacus?  It would
>seem that one of my 12 x Gt Grandmothers was Elizabeth, daughter of Robert
>SINCLAIR of Longformacus.  According to Burke's "Landed Gentry" (1894) she is
>described as having married Robert TROTTER of Catchelraw, Berwickshire
>(c1524).

According to "St Clairs of the Isles" the Longformacus line is believed to 
have begun with Gregorie St. Clair, who was apparently the brother of Henry 
St Clair, 2nd of Roslin. Henry acknowledged this relationship.  Gregorie 
swore allegiance at Berwick to Edward I of England, 28th August, 
1296.  There is no real clarification or account of why they went to this 
area - possibly a younger son striking out on his own?, but Nisbet is 
quoted as saying they had the land definitely in the reign of Robert II 
from the Earl of March.

The first mention St Clairs of the Isles makes of a Robert Sinclair of 
Longformacus is in a charter dated 14 May 1609.  His children are listed as 
James, next of Longformacus and the  Rev. John, in Muirtown who married 
Marion Stewart and had a son James.

James, son of Robert, was created a Baronet.

It goes on to say that Robert Sinclair, son of James Sinclair, 11th of 
Longformacus, was created a baronet of Nova Scotia, 10 December 1664.  He 
married twice and had several children. Although some of the daughters are 
unnamed, the marriages are listed and none of them to a Robert Trotter.


>I have come across a few references to this branch of SINCLAIR, but have so
>far been unable to ascertain how they fit into the main family and how they
>came to be in this part of Scotland and when they left.  According to the
>family website John SINCLAIR of Longformacus was created Baronet of Nova
>Scotia in 1636.

It was actually Robert Sinclair who was created baronet on 10 Dec. 1664 - 
his son John succeeded him.

There's no mention of a Robert Sinclair who had a daughter Elizabeth, but 
many of the children are not listed.

>Any information would be very much appreciated.

This information probably raises more questions for you than gives any 
answers, except as to how they fit into the main family.  Niven will 
probably have vastly more information about this line of the family as he 
has had so many more years studying and researching them.

Milamba

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