Do you have any idea then how this Thomas Sinclair ties back into the
Sinclairs, I suppose, that he came with Duke William and received lands
of him. Or did some of the Scotts Sinclair drift down into England
later. Morrison says: Hamo St. Clair s/o Hamo/Hamon brother
of William the seemly, had lands in Sussex among other places. He
had a home at Rye, Sussex.
Is this really where Gen Gage's and Gen. St. Clair's
lines connect?
Laurel
Within three generations of the Conquest, the Sinclairs were in 43
English Counties and
in Wales. It may be that there was further intermarriage between
the Sinclairs and the
Gages after the 15th Century but I have no record of
it. They would certainly know of
eachother's connection because of the common engrailed cross in their
arms.
The Sinclairs of the great House of Rye were a different
branch. It is possible
that Henry Sinclair of this branch, who became known as Abbot
Laurence when he
joined the Cistercian Order, was the first Sinclair in Orkney when he
became Abbot
of Eynhallow (1154)
The Sinclairs didn't drift down to
England. If anything, they moved North as they
became disenchanted with William 'the Conqueror'
WIlliam 'the Seemly', the third son of Walderne St Clair (killed at the
Battle of Vale-es-Dunes
in 1045) accompanied St Margaret to Scotland and was one of the Sinclairs
who did not
accompany William 'the Conqueror' to England. He made it directly
to Scotland via Hungary
and Northumbria.
The nine Sinclairs who accompanied William and who took part in the
Battle of Hastings
were brothers (2) and cousins (7) to William 'the Seemly'.
One day (when time permits) I intend to do a real 'tree' of the Sinclairs
of England and what
became of them all. If anything, the Sinclairs were more
influential in England than they
ever became in Scotland (and that is saying a great deal).
Love
Niven
==============
The Sinclairs of Aldham, Igtham, Burstow, etc i.e. of Kent, Sussex
and Hampshire.
The Sinclairs invariably failed to leave male heirs and that is why
there are
so few of that name left in England. For example, Thomas
Sinclair of the
Manor of Stene died on 6th May, 1435, aged only 34. leaving his
extensive
properties and possessions to his three daughters, namely:
Elizabeth
who married (1) William Lovel (2) Richard Lewknor
Edith
married Sir Richard Harcourt
Eleanor
who married Sir John GAGE, ancestor of the Viscounts Gage