Re: Father of William Sinclair

[Niven Sinclair <niven@niven.co.uk>]

At 18:58 01/08/99 -0500, you wrote:
>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,


If you will let me have your full address, I will send you the relevant 
pages on the Earls of Caithness from
the St Clairs of the Isles.  These do not give the date of birth for John, 
Master of Berriedale but, as you
have correctly surmised, his son, William pre-deceased his father who died 
in 1639 and could not, therefore,
have been the William Sinklair who travelled to Pennsylvania in the early 
1700s  - wrong century, wrong
spelling, wrong conclusion.

John's father was William, Lord Berriedale, who had married Mary, daughter 
of Lord Henry Sinclair.  As
he died before his father, George III, he never attained the Earldom of 
Caithness.  Similarily, his son,
William, never attained the Earldom so we had:

                         George III who was the grandson of George II who 
'ruled' from 1582 to 1643
                         (he was the ancestor of the Sinclairs of Keiss)
                         George IV who was the great grandson of George 
III      "     " 1643 to 1676
                         (he had no issue) so the Earldom passed to:
                         George V who was the grandson of George 
IV               "     " 1676 to 1698
                         and, as he died without children, the Earldom 
passed to:
                         John IV of Murkle who was a descendant of George 
II     "     "  1698 to 1705

 From the foregoing it will be seen that the Earldom passed between 
different branches of the family
(Rosslyn, Caithness, Keiss, Murkle,  Rattar,  Mey,  Durran and is now back 
with the Mey Branch
  because of the failure of Sinclairs to produce male heirs).

Niven


>Richard Huseth
>Austin, Texas
>
>See my Scotland, Alaska Hwy, and Alaska photography
>at http://rhuseth.home.texas.net
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