Re: What is a Laird? A fair question!

["John S. Quarterman" <jsq@mids.org>]

>WHAT IS A LAIRD?  I THOUGHT THIS WAS A SINCLAIR LIST?
>
>
>Dear Henderson/Sinclair Clansperson
>
>As GaryD suggests, please look at John Sinclair Quarterman's Website 
>"www.mids.org/sinclair/".

Actually, he suggested the Clan Sinclair U.S.A. web pages, which you can
find through the U.S. flag front and center in the URL you list above.

Or select Groups in the left navbar, and you will find links to U.S.,
plus Laird, plus Clan Gunn.

>  On the front page your will find a hyperlink 
>"Laird" which will take you through to a note from me that explains our link 
>to the Clan. 
>
>All Clans have "Septs", families with surnames distinct from the Clan name 
>but nonetheless closely associated.  Some families had to change their 
>surnames following the suppression of the Clans following the 1745 Rebellion. 
> Henderson is a Sept of the Clan Gunn (see 
>"http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/dtog/gunn.html",

I've added that link to the three others already in the Clan Gunn page
under Groups (see above).

> and the Gunns 
>have, as you say, always been closely associated with the Clan Sinclair.  The 
>Westford Knight in Connecticut, part of the evidence of Prince Henry 
>Sinclair's voyage to the New World, is thought to be Sir James Gunn.  The 
>Drumhead Pardon from Flodden was carried to Caithness by a Gunn drummer boy.
>
>The Septs of Sinclair include the surnames of Budge, Clyne, Lyall, Linklater 
>and Mason, and the Sinclairs as the main Clan of Caithness can count on the 
>support, as Gary says, of all the families of Caithness origin. This includes 
>a small family of Lairds, also of Norse origin, overlooked until relatively 
>recently, whose whoms were on Sinclair land. There is a Laird Family 
>Association, to whom we also post,

The issue of crossposting to sinclair@mids.org has been raised.
It's not a good idea as a regular practice.  However, it is occasionally
appropriate for announcements of basic context with pointers to where
else to look, and that seems to be what you have been crossposting,
so I for one have no objection to your postings.

> which shares knowledge specifically to 
>Lairds principally from the south of Scotland and Ireland, but it has little 
>knowledge of Caithness, which is where my family comes from.  In my website 
>(http://ourworld.cs.com/inslaird/) I explain the conventional sources and 
>what my family knows of its background. The Sinclair Discussion group is a 
>wonderful place to exchange and share information and recover lost history 
>and is the premier source of information on Caithness and our Norse roots.  I 
>have found it of incredible help in developing an understanding of our roots, 
>and I hope others will too, through the contributions of a very special and 
>well informed group of people.  The Sinclair Discussion Group has, therefore, 
>become much more than a place to discuss the genealogy of those fortunate to 
>bear the family name Sinclair, though this remains the core of our identity.

The Sinclair Discussion List has never been limited solely to genealogy;
look under Discussion List in http://www.mids.org/sinclair/ for its intro.
(There have been requests for a genealogy-only Sinclair list, which does
exist, courtesy of Gary M. Sinclair; look under Genealogy List.)

>There is a tremendous renaissance taking place in the Sinclair Clan at 
>present.  Our Chief has set us all the task of preserving our heritage with 
>the Sinclair and Girnigoe Castles Trust.   And we are very proud, with our 
>Clan Chief, Malcolm Caithness's permission, to wear the Sinclair Tartan and 
>Badge, and look forward to participating in next year's Millennium Gathering 
>at his command.
>
>I hope I have explained the posting!
>
>Yours aye
>
>Iain Laird, a Sinclair Follower

John Sinclair Quarterman <jsq@mids.org>, list maintainer, sinclair@mids.org
[ This is the Sinclair family discussion list, sinclair@mids.org
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