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600th
Celebration
News

for
the
Prince Henry
Sinclair
Anniversary
In Memorium
Pete Cummings
To promote recognition of Henry Sinclair, 14th Century explorer of North America, and to celebrate the 600th anniversary in 1998

March 1998 Issue

Published by Prince Henry Project Committee
65 Hartwell Street, West Boylston, MA, 01583, USA
Phone: 508-835-2900 Fax: 508-835-2944 E-Mail: henry1398@aol.com
HTML by John S. Quarterman

Clan Gatherings

The Prince Henry Project Committee is now finalizing the 600th Celebration activities for Clan Gatherings for Gunns and Sinclairs. This report is intended to furnish you with vital information to help you start to plan for the upcoming events. Here is our preliminary schedule of events.

Thursday, September 17th, Lincoln, NH
7:00 pmTattoo
Friday, September 18th, Lincoln, NH
All daySinclair Symposium
9:30 amParade
All dayTents & Games
7:00 pmDinner & Tartan Ball
Saturday, September 19th, Lincoln, NH
All dayTents & Games
7:00 pmConcert & Dinner & Dance
Sunday, Sept 20th, Lincoln NH & Westford MA
10:00 amReligious Service
All dayTents & Games
4:00 pmClosing Ceremonies
6:00 pmTravel to Westford, MA
Monday, September 21st, Westford, MA
9:00 amRegistration
10:00 amCommissioner's Meeting
10:00 amSymposium Makeup Session
1:00 pmVisits to the Westford Knight, Ledge & Library
7:00 pmClan Banquet
Tuesday, September 22nd, Westford, MA
10:00 amClan Meetings (for all Members)
12:00 amVisits to the Westford Knight, Ledge & Library
7:00 pmChief's Reception, Presentation of Plaque to Town.
Wednesday, September 23rd, Newburyport, MA, & Exeter, NH
9:30 amNewburyport Harbor Tours
1:00 pmExeter Inn Luncheon, Sinkler talk by the Exeter Historical Society, Presentation of Plaque to Town Manager
3:00 pmHistorical House Tour

NH Highland Games

Clans Sinclair and Gunn will have "Honored Clan" status at this year's New Hampshire Highland Games. We will be honored by the presence The Right Honorable Malcolm Sinclair, Earl of Caithness, Hereditary Chief of Clan Sinclair.

The New Hampshire Highland Games Committee is planning to send their 1998 Schedule of Events to the Clan Sinclair membership. This will include information on the Military Tattoo to be held on Thursday evening, September 17th; schedules for the events to be held on Friday, Saturday and Sunday; plus the Tartan Ball to be held on Friday evening and Saturday Night in Scotland Buffet/Show on Saturday evening. This brochure will list all prices for these events and others that are available.

Clan Sinclair will be holding a Symposium on Friday at these Games. Guest speakers include Beth Gay, Elaine Fowler, Gordon S. Flaws, Judith Fisken, Robert Cahill, Michael Kaulback, David Bouschor, Jerry Sinclair, & Brad Barker. Plan to attend these 1-hour sessions.

Impersonators of Prince Henry and some of his companions are planning to attend the Clan Gathering! More information on this will be published as it becomes available.

Westford Celebration

The Westford Regency Hotel in Westford, Massachusetts will be the headquarters for Clan Sinclair and Clan Gunn celebrations on September 21st and 22nd. The following activities have been arranged for our 600th Celebration:

Visits to the Westford Knight Carving will be available to all, with parking at the High School just beyond the Ledge site (an easy 2-minute walk). Also there is parking space at the Library (about a 5-minute walk).

There will be special exhibitions at the Library to commemorate our 600th Anniversary. Information gathered on the "Westford Knight" will be available for browsing and copying. The Librarian is compiling a bibliography on all the "Westford Knight" information and this will be available for our visitors. Also, while you are at the library, you can visit the "Boat Stone", which is a carving on a large egg-shaped rock thought to have been carved at the same time as the Westford Knight. It resembles a sailing ship.

The schools in Westford will be doing special projects about the Sinclair Voyage to get the students involved.

Westford Celebration (continued from previous page) Posters made by the children will be on view throughout the town and at the Regency. Other activities involving the children are still being planned. Also, the Westford Museum will be extending the hours to accommodate our stay in Westford. They will be featuring special lectures and exhibits in our honor.

There will be a Commissioners meeting on Monday, dealing with important business matters for the Clan.

The Clan Banquet, for both Sinclair and Gunn, will be held on Monday evening. There will be a full Clan Meeting on Tuesday, where interesting topics will be discussed.

Tuesday evening we will have a Chief's Reception at the Regency. Clan Sinclair, Clan Gunn and many of Westford's towns people will gather for an informal reception in honor of our Clan Chiefs. A presentation to the town is also planned.

Harbor Cruise

We will travel individually to Newburyport, Massachusetts on Wednesday, Sept. 23rd for a relaxing Harbor Cruise. Our cruise is planning to take us to the mouth of the Merrimack River where it is believed that Prince Henry ventured on his way to Westford. He is well versed on the subject of Prince Henry and has many interesting facts to relate. Lunch is available at the many charming restaurants in this scenic, tiny, waterfront, historic city.

Exeter, NH, Excursion

Exeter, NH is the home of John Sinkler, from whom many of us are descended. He immigrated here in 1652. We will be honoring John Sinkler at the Exeter Inn, where we have arranged a luncheon buffet. The president of the Historical Society, Mr. Edward Chase, will give a lecture on what life was like in Exeter at the time of John Sinkler (1659-1700). After lunch, we will be escorted on a visit to some of the older houses in Exeter. Although the actual home of John Sinkler is no longer standing, this tour is expected to give a good idea of how our ancestors lived in the 17th & 18th centuries. One of these buildings now contains the Revolutionary War Museum.

Arrangements

Accomodations must be arranged by each individual. In Lincoln NH, call the Chamber of Commerce at 800-227-4191. In Westford, call 800-543-7801 or 506-692-8200 for reservations.

Tickets for admission into the NH Highland Games and its functions must be obtained from the NHHG office. Promotional materials will be mailed to you after you register with us.

Clan Gathering Registration Form

600th Anniversary Celebration of Prince Henry' Expedition to America
Name:________________________________________
Address:_____________________________________
City: ____________________________
State _______Zip_________
Phone: ____________________
Email: ____________________

Registration Fee (adults only)
Qty:_____@$15.00/adult=$______
Clan Banquet, Mon 21Sep98
Qty:_____@$35.00/person=$______
Mark quantity for Dinner choices:
Chicken______Beef______

Each couple attending the Clan Banquet will receive a Prince Henry 600th Anniversary Commemorative Plate.

Chief's Reception Tue 22Sep
Qty:_____@$15.00/person=$______
Harbor Cruise Wed 23Sep98
Qty:_____@$15.00/person=$______
Exeter Lunch Wed 23Sep98
Qty:_____@$20.00/person=$______
Total Enclosed$______

We are planning a Symposium, with hour-long seminar subjects on 17Sep98. They are offered at no cost, but seats are limited. Please place a quantity beside those sessions you and members of your family would like to attend.
____Sinclair/ St. Clair Genealogy
____History of Sinclairs from Norway to Scotland
____Rosslyn Chapel & Rosslyn Castle
____Westford Knight & Newport Tower
____Educating youngsters about Sinclair heritage
____Prince Henry's Exploration of America
____Templar History
____Clan Sinclair Information Hour
While you are visiting New England, you may want to see some other historic sights and places. Here are several we recommend that you consider because of their relevance to Prince Henry. If you check them, we will send you a brochure describing it. Please be aware that these are not included in the above schedule for the Clan Gathering; you will need to add several extra days to your vacation plans.
____Higgins Armory Museum, Worcester, MA
This is the largest collection of Medieval armor in the USA. You'll see what Prince Henry, Sir James Gunn, and other Templar Knights looked like. Their book store has hundreds of books for young and old about castles, Knights, and many which mention the ancient Sinclair family.
____Newport Tower, Newport, RI.
Some very good evidence suggests that Prince Henry's expedition built the stone tower in Newport. It is in beautiful condion. This is one of the locations where a colony may have been started, and failed, by the Sinclair expedition in 1398 or 1399.
____Medieval Manor, Boston
Eat in the style that Prince Henry did 600 years ago when he entertained at his Kirkwall Castle in Orkney or at Rosslyn Castle near Edinburgh. This will be an evening you will always remember.
Please make your check out to "Clan Gathering" and return it with this Reservation Form to

H. S. "Pete" Cummings, Jr.
General Chair of
the Clan Sinclair Gathering
65 Hartwell Street
West Boylston, MA 01583

Travel Information

Portland (ME) Airport to Lincoln (NH)100 miles
Manchester Airport (NH) to Lincoln (NH)80 miles
Boston Logan Airport to Lincoln (NH)129 miles
Lincoln (NH) to Westford (MA)115 miles
Westford to Manchester Airport36 miles
Westford to Boston Logan Airport35 miles
Westford to Newburyport (Cruise)40 miles
Newburyport to Exeter (NH)18 miles
Westford to Exeter50 miles
Exeter to Portland (ME) Airport70 miles

More information will be published in the next issues of ``600th Celebration News,'' ``Yours Aye,'' and our Web Site. Or contact us at

Prince Henry Project Committee
PO Box 158
Worcester, MA 01613
USA

Moultrie Weekend, a Success

Prince Henry Sinclair took center stage for the 325 persons attending the Scottish Weekend on February 21-22 in Moultrie, GA. The organizer and Master of Ceremonies was Beth Gay. Most festivities were held at the Ellen Payne Odom Genealogy Library, which is the official respository for 102 clans. Slides accompanied the speech by Pete Cummings about the Scottish Voyage of 1398. Peter Geery & Shawn Steadman presented an illustrated tour of Rosslyn Chapel, while Douglass Talley traced the history of the Knights Templars. Surrounding these subjects was the music of George & Carol Worthley, Carl Peterson, & Eric Dubncan and the art displays of Ardell Morton, Valerie Gray, and Cathmar Shaw Prange. Celebrity Cliff Robertson was presented special honors.

Safeguarding Rosslyn Heritage

Both organizations, "Friends of Rosslyn" and "Rosslyn Chapel Trust", have vital interests in preserving the Sinclair heritage at Rosslyn Chapel. Your confidence and support is vital to each. A harmonious relationship is in everyone's interest and is being actively pursued.

Recent contact has assured us that "FOR" is very much alive and active, with a positive bank account. Any contributions made by individuals in the past have been conserved. Its Mission remains dedicated to the preservation of our Sinclair heritage. While Niven Sinclair is still involved in the affairs of "FOR", the Vice Chairman is Euen Sinclair, an attorney. The current objectives include (1) to convert the "FOR" Gardiner's Brae land between Rosslyn Chapel and the Castle into a Trust, assuring open access to the public forever. (2) to set up and operate a trading company to handle the sale of books, prints, and other merchandise, with profits going to the "Friends of Rosslyn". (3) to continue to operate the "Friends of Rosslyn" as an association of members. The primary fund raising efforts will be through the trading activities mentioned above.

The Castle and Chapel are owned by the Earl of Rosslyn, whose financial matters are legally managed by the Earl's Scottish Settlement. Andrew Russell is its Chairman, while Stuart Beattie is Project Director. Its Trustees, accountants and attorneys also serve the Rosslyn Chapel Trust (RCT). Care and maintenance of the Chapel and the Castle are in their hands. Significant improvements are in progress. It is reported that "RCT" suffered a financial loss of œ38,831 for its Fiscal Year ending 31 March 1997. Fortunately the funds of "FOR" were not jeopardized; they are intact as reported above.) RCT has a great Web Site at <URL:http://www.rosslynchapel.org.uk/>.


Clan Sinclair .
Last update: 99/08/01 16:20:24