Re: Father of William Sinclair

["Jean Grigsby" <jgrigsby@bcni.net>]

Thank you, Richard!  I appreciate your input.  There is no documentation for
the parents of William (wife Phoebe).  Believe me, there are many, many
descendants of that branch who have hunted for some 30 years!  Unfortunately
there are numerous Williams in that area in that timeframe.  There is a very
careful researcher now working on one of that branch and I have high hopes
of her succeeding.
Jean
----- Original Message -----
From: rhuseth <rhuseth@ibm.net>
To: <sinclair@mids.org>
Sent: Sunday, August 01, 1999 4:58 PM
Subject: Re: Father of William Sinclair


>Donald and other interested in William Sinkler/Sinclair,
>
>At 08:37 PM 7/29/1999 -0400, Donald Sinclair (Indianapolis) wrote:
>>William Sinclair's father was John, of Berridale, Sinclair. John was born
>>abt. 1640. He married Jean Seaforth, b abt. 1640. Issue as follows;
>>1. George Sinclair, Earl Caithness. George Sinclair was promised in
marriage
>>to Mary Argyle (gasp, a Campbell) but George died as a child in 1676 @
Thurso.
>>2. John Sinclair b. abt 1670.
>>3. Your immigrant William Sinclair  b. abt. 1680 d. 1762.
>
>I just returned from vacation this afternoon (Sunday, Aug. 1) and saw this
>line of messages regarding the ancestors of William Sinkler/Sinclair who
>married Phebe Glave/Gleave in Chester county, PA, in 1708/09.  Several
>years ago, the late Pete Cummings also told me that William's parents were
>John Sinclair, Master of Berridale and Jean Seaforth.  I hate to be the
>bearer of bad news, but, unfortunately, I do not believe this to be the
>case.  Perhaps I am wrong.  I hope so!
>
>In 1997, when I visited the Dunbeath Heritage Centre in Caithness (just a
>few miles north of Berriedale), a couple of researchers there who had
>extensively studied the Sinclairs of Caithness, showed me the book
>"Caithness Family History" by John Henderson.  On page 8 of the chapter
>entitled "The St. Clairs or Sinclairs of Caithness,"  Henderson states:
>"John, Master of Berriedale, who married Jean, daughter of the Earl of
>Seaforth, and died in 1639.   John had three sons,--George, afterwards
>sixth Earl; and John and William, who died before him."  The book "The
>Scots Peerage," edited by Sir James Balfour Paul, states that John
>Sinclair,  Master of Berriedale, "...died of a fever at Edinburgh in
>September 1639..."  From another source (I do not remember at the moment),
>Jean Seaforth Sinclair died 31 March 1648.
>
>Thus, according to these sources, John died about 41 years before, and Jean
>32 years before, William Sinkler's  birth circa 1680.  Furthermore, John's
>son William apparently died before his father (i.e., before 1639) and could
>not be the William Sinkler of Pennsylvania in the early 1700s.
>
>When I informed Pete Cummings of this information, he told me: "The linkage
>between William Sinclair and his possible father, John Sinclair, Master of
>Berriedale, is assumed; there is no documentation."
>
>Perhaps, if he is reading this note, Niven Sinclair can provide the birth
>and death dates for John Sinclair, Master of Berriedale, and his wife Jean
>Mackenzie, the daughter of Colin Mackenzie, 1st Earl of Seaforth, and for
>John's father and grandfather.
>
>
>
>Richard Huseth
>Austin, Texas
>
>See my Scotland, Alaska Hwy, and Alaska photography
>at http://rhuseth.home.texas.net
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