Re: Reverend John Sinclair,Earl of Caithness

[Ian Newman <books1@iinet.net.au>]

At 21:10 27/06/2001 -0400, Ian C. Sinclair wrote:
>Who was the Reverend John Sinclair,Earl Of Caithness,
>and what was his time period . [...]
>My fore-father was a Rev.John Sinclair.[...]

Well Ian, I can tell you a bit, due to the fact that I have just returned
from 
Scotland and was searching out records of just that man!

[Later note: after reading Niven's reply that there were a few Reverend
John Sinclairs,
I'll send this anyway, in the hope that he's yours!]

The Reverend John Sinclair was the fifth minister of the Church at Kinloch
Rannoch
from 1878 until his death in 1913.  He is remembered within the church by a
framed photograph in the vestry, and a handsome memorial that includes a
line of Gaelic
from Psalm 112, (translated): "The righteous man will be for ever remembered".
He and his wife Margaret Ballingall (born 1852, died 1925) are buried just
outside 
the church walls, beside the graves of their son William J B Sinclair (born
1890, died
1929) and his wife Christina McDonald (born 1891, died 1973) in a small but
very 
well tended graveyard in sight of Schiehallion, the snow-topped mountain that
dominates the beautiful scenery around this peaceful small village beside Loch
Rannoch.

The Reverend Sinclair and his wife had 2 other children, John and Margaret.
Margaret married James Trail in 1920 and they had a son Leslie Sinclair Trail
who died in the R.A.F. in 1943/44. 

Back-tracking, the Reverend (born 1840), along with his siblings Flora,
Isabella, Kate,
Alex and Christina, were the children of John Sinclair (known as "Farmer
John") and
Janet McKenzie.
That John, along with his siblings Donald, William, Isabel, Flora, Isabel,
Ewan, James
(who "went to Australia"), Mary and Christian, were the children of James
Sinclair
born 1770, and Christine Jack, who were married in 1798.

My mother and I met with the grandson of the Reverend John Sinclair, Mr Duncan
McDonald Sinclair in Pitlochry in April, and he showed us marvellous
hospitality
(despite us ascertaining that this particular Sinclair Reverend was not my
ancestor),
so much so that we were treated to tea and cakes back at his home in Perth,
along
with various renditions on his harp - a most enjoyable day was had by all!

Duncan has written a small booklet "The Old Church of Rannoch: a Short
History",
published 1990, and I have his contact address. There is a reproduction of
the vestry
photograph of The Reverend Sinclair in the book.

I hope this helps, and if you think I was "waxing lyrical" a little too
much about
Kinloch Rannoch, you're right - I was, no apologies, we _loved_ it there!

Cheers,

Ian Newman
Perth, Western Australia
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