Lord Sinclair

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Arms of Lord Sinclair: Argent, a cross engrailed azure. Arms of Lord Sinclair.svg
Arms of Lord Sinclair: Argent, a cross engrailed azure.

Lord Sinclair is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. According to James Balfour Paul's The Scots Peerage , volume VII published in 1910, the first person to be styled Lord Sinclair was William Sinclair, 3rd Earl of Orkney and 1st Earl of Caithness (died 1480). [1] However, according to Roland Saint-Clair writing in the late 19th century, William Sinclair's father, Henry II Sinclair, Earl of Orkney, who died in 1420, is the first person recorded as Lord Sinclair by public records. [2]

Contents

In 1470, William Sinclair, 3rd Earl of Orkney, 2nd Lord Sinclair and 11th Baron of Roslin surrendered the earldom of Orkney in return for the earldom of Caithness. He divided his estates: his eldest son from his first marriage, William Sinclair, 3rd Lord Sinclair, inherited the title of Lord Sinclair, while he left the Barony of Roslin to his eldest son from his second marriage, Oliver, and the earldom of Caithness to his second son from his second marriage, another William, from whom descend the chiefs of the Clan Sinclair. [2]

William Sinclair, 3rd Lord Sinclair's son, Henry Sinclair, 4th Lord Sinclair (died 1513), was confirmed in the title in 1488 by an Act of Parliament. However, according to historian Roland Saint-Clair, this Act was only a recognition of the Barony of St. Clair existing in the person of his ancestor, Henry II Sinclair, Earl of Orkney and did not constitute a new creation. [3] Bernard Burke, in his a Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Peerage and Baronetage of the British Empire, agrees with Roland Saint-Clair and says that Henry Sinclair (died 1513) and William Sinclair (died 1570) were "in reality" the fourth and fifth Lords Sinclair respectively. [4] According to 18th century herald, Alexander Nisbet, the Lord Sinclair coat of arms is based on the feudal arms of the Earl of Orkney and being the lineal male heir of William Sinclair, 3rd Earl of Orkney. [5]

On the death of the tenth Lord, the male line failed. He was succeeded by his grandson, Henry, the eleventh Lord, the son of Catherine Sinclair, Mistress of Sinclair, daughter of the tenth Lord, and her husband John Sinclair, 23rd Lord Herdmanston. In 1677, he obtained a new charter of the peerage confirming him in the title and with remainders respectively to his brother Henry Sinclair and his father's brothers Robert St Clair, George St Clair and Matthew St Clair, and failing them to his own heirs male whatsoever. However, his eldest son and heir John Sinclair, Master of Sinclair, was involved in the Jacobite rising of 1715 and attainted by Parliament. Consequently, he was not allowed to assume the title.

He died childless in 1750 when the claim to the title passed to his younger brother General James St Clair (d. 1762). However, he never assumed the title. On his death the lordship became dormant. It was to remain so until it was successfully claimed by Charles Sinclair, 13th Lord Sinclair, who was confirmed in the title by the House of Lords in 1782. He was the son of Andrew St Clair, de jure 12th Lord Sinclair, grandson of Charles Sinclair, de jure 11th Lord Sinclair (d. 1755) and great-grandson of the aforementioned Matthew St Clair, uncle of the tenth Lord. He thereby became the first holder of the title without descent from the original Lords. The thirteenth Lord, his son the fourteenth Lord, grandson the fifteenth Lord, great-grandson the sixteenth Lord, and great-great-grandson the seventeenth Lord, all sat in the House of Lords as Scottish representative peer. As of 2016, the title is held by the latter's only son, the eighteenth Lord, who succeeded on his father's death in 2004.

The University College London research project The Legacies of British Slave-ownership and the records of the Slave Compensation Commission, highlights that Charles St Clair, 13th Lord Sinclair owned 666 slaves at the time of abolition in 1833. He gained £5,411 as compensation from the government of the United Kingdom and Great Britain, (approximately £458,000 in 2015). [6]

The family house is Knocknalling House, near St John's Town of Dalry, Kirkcudbrightshire. [7]

Lords Sinclair (1449)

Herdmanston line

dormant 1762–1782

The heir apparent is the present holder's son Harry Murray Kennedy St. Clair, Master of Sinclair (b. 2007).

Related Research Articles

William Sinclair (1410–1480), 1st Earl of Caithness (1455–1476), last Earl (Jarl) of Orkney, 2nd Lord Sinclair and 11th Baron of Roslin was a Norwegian and Scottish nobleman and the builder of Rosslyn Chapel, in Midlothian.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clan Sinclair</span> Highland Scottish clan

Clan Sinclair is a Highland Scottish clan which holds the lands of Caithness, the Orkney Islands, and the Lothians. The chiefs of the clan were the Barons of Roslin and later the Earls of Orkney and Earls of Caithness.

Henry II Sinclair, Earl of Orkney was the Jarl (Earl) of Orkney, Baron of Roslin and Pantler of Scotland. According to Roland Saint-Clair writing in the late 19th century, Henry Sinclair was also the first of his family to hold the title of Lord Sinclair.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barony of Roslin</span>

Baron of Roslin or Rosslyn was a Scottish feudal barony held by the St Clair or Sinclair family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Sinclair, 3rd Earl of Caithness</span> Scottish nobleman

John Sinclair was a Scottish nobleman, 3rd Earl of Caithness and chief of the Clan Sinclair, a Scottish clan of the Scottish Highlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry St Clair, 7th Baron of Roslin</span> Scottish noble

Sir Henry St Clair was a 13th- and 14th-century Scottish noble, who was the 7th Baron of Roslin and Lord of Catcune.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Sinclair, 7th Earl of Caithness</span>

George Sinclair, previously of Keiss, died 1698, was a Scottish nobleman, 7th Earl of Caithness and chief of the Clan Sinclair, a Scottish clan of the Scottish Highlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Sinclair, 8th Earl of Caithness</span>

John Sinclair was a Scottish nobleman, 8th Earl of Caithness and chief of the Clan Sinclair, a Scottish clan of the Scottish Highlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Sinclair, 3rd Lord Sinclair</span> Scottish nobleman

William Sinclair of Newburgh, Aberdeenshire was a Scottish nobleman and the 3rd Lord Sinclair. In The Scots Peerage by James Balfour Paul he is designated as the 2nd Lord Sinclair, but historian Roland Saint-Clair designates him the 3rd Lord Sinclair in reference to his descent from his grandfather, Henry II Sinclair, Earl of Orkney, the first Lord Sinclair. Roland Saint-Clair references this to an Act of the Scottish Parliament in which William Sinclair's son, Henry Sinclair, 4th Lord Sinclair, was made Lord Sinclair based on his descent from his great-grandfather, Henry II Sinclair, Earl of Orkney, the first Lord Sinclair. Bernard Burke, in his a Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Peerage and Baronetage of the British Empire, agrees with Roland Saint-Clair and says that Henry Sinclair was "in reality" the fourth holder of the title of Lord Sinclair.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oliver St Clair, 12th Baron of Roslin</span> Scottish noble

Oliver St Clair was a Scottish noble and the 12th Baron of Roslin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William St Clair, 8th Baron of Roslin</span> Scottish noble

William St Clair was a Scottish noble and by tradition the 8th Baron of Roslin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Sinclair, 4th Lord Sinclair</span>

Henry Sinclair was a Scottish noble and the 4th Lord Sinclair. In The Scots Peerage by James Balfour Paul he is designated as the 3rd Lord Sinclair, but historian Roland Saint-Clair designates him the 4th Lord Sinclair and references this to an Act of the Scottish Parliament in which he was made Lord Sinclair based on his descent from his great-grandfather, Henry II Sinclair, Earl of Orkney, the first Lord Sinclair. Bernard Burke, in his a Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Peerage and Baronetage of the British Empire, agrees with Roland Saint-Clair and says that Henry Sinclair was "in reality" the fourth holder of the title of Lord Sinclair.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Sinclair, 5th Lord Sinclair</span>

William Sinclair was a Scottish nobleman and the 5th Lord Sinclair. In The Scots Peerage by James Balfour Paul he is designated as the 4th Lord Sinclair in descent starting from William Sinclair, 1st Earl of Caithness and 3rd Earl of Orkney, but historian Roland Saint-Clair designates him as the 5th Lord Sinclair in descent from the father of the 1st Earl of Caithness and 3rd Earl of Orkney, Henry II Sinclair, Earl of Orkney, who is the first person recorded as Lord Sinclair in public records. Roland Saint-Clair references this to an Act of the Scottish Parliament in which the 4th Lord Sinclair was made Lord Sinclair based on his descent from his great-grandfather, Henry II Sinclair, Earl of Orkney, the first Lord Sinclair. Bernard Burke, in his a Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Peerage and Baronetage of the British Empire, agrees with Roland Saint-Clair and says that William Sinclair was "in reality" the fifth Lord Sinclair.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Sinclair, 6th Lord Sinclair</span>

Henry Sinclair was a Scottish nobleman and the 6th Lord Sinclair. In The Scots Peerage by James Balfour Paul he is designated as the 5th Lord Sinclair in descent starting from William Sinclair, 1st Earl of Caithness and 3rd Earl of Orkney, but historian Roland Saint-Clair designates him as the 6th Lord Sinclair in descent from the father of the 1st Earl of Caithness and 3rd Earl of Orkney, Henry II Sinclair, Earl of Orkney, who is the first person recorded as Lord Sinclair in public records. Roland Saint-Clair references this to an Act of the Scottish Parliament in which the 4th Lord Sinclair was made Lord Sinclair based on his descent from his great-grandfather, Henry II Sinclair, Earl of Orkney, the first Lord Sinclair. Bernard Burke, in his a Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Peerage and Baronetage of the British Empire, agrees with Roland Saint-Clair and says that Henry Sinclair's father, William Sinclair, was "in reality" the fifth Lord Sinclair.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Sinclair, 7th Lord Sinclair</span>

Henry Sinclair was a Scottish nobleman and 7th Lord Sinclair. In The Scots Peerage by James Balfour Paul he is designated as the 6th Lord Sinclair in descent starting from William Sinclair, 1st Earl of Caithness and 3rd Earl of Orkney, but historian Roland Saint-Clair designates him as the 7th Lord Sinclair in descent from the father of the 1st Earl of Caithness and 3rd Earl of Orkney, Henry II Sinclair, Earl of Orkney, who is the first person recorded as Lord Sinclair in public records. Roland Saint-Clair references this to an Act of the Scottish Parliament in which the 4th Lord Sinclair was made Lord Sinclair based on his descent from his great-grandfather, Henry II Sinclair, Earl of Orkney, the first Lord Sinclair. Bernard Burke, in his a Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Peerage and Baronetage of the British Empire, agrees with the numbering by Roland Saint-Clair and says that Henry Sinclair and William Sinclair were "in reality" the fourth and fifth Lords Sinclair respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Sinclair, 8th Lord Sinclair</span>

James Sinclair was a Scottish nobleman and the 8th Lord Sinclair. In The Scots Peerage by James Balfour Paul he is designated as the 7th Lord Sinclair in descent starting from William Sinclair, 1st Earl of Caithness and 3rd Earl of Orkney, but historian Roland Saint-Clair designates him as the 8th Lord Sinclair in descent from the father of the 1st Earl of Caithness and 3rd Earl of Orkney, Henry II Sinclair, Earl of Orkney, who is the first person recorded as Lord Sinclair in public records. Roland Saint-Clair references this to an Act of the Scottish Parliament in which the 4th Lord Sinclair was made Lord Sinclair based on his descent from his great-grandfather, Henry II Sinclair, Earl of Orkney, the first Lord Sinclair. Bernard Burke, in his a Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Peerage and Baronetage of the British Empire, agrees with the numbering by Roland Saint-Clair and says that Henry Sinclair and William Sinclair were "in reality" the fourth and fifth Lords Sinclair respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patrick Sinclair, 9th Lord Sinclair</span>

Patrick Sinclair was a Scottish nobleman and the 9th Lord Sinclair. In The Scots Peerage by James Balfour Paul he is designated as the 8th Lord Sinclair in descent starting from William Sinclair, 1st Earl of Caithness and 3rd Earl of Orkney, but historian Roland Saint-Clair designates him as the 9th Lord Sinclair in descent from the father of the 1st Earl of Caithness and 3rd Earl of Orkney, Henry II Sinclair, Earl of Orkney, who is the first person recorded as Lord Sinclair in public records. Roland Saint-Clair references this to an Act of the Scottish Parliament in which the 4th Lord Sinclair was made Lord Sinclair based on his descent from his great-grandfather, Henry II Sinclair, Earl of Orkney, the first Lord Sinclair. Bernard Burke, in his a Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Peerage and Baronetage of the British Empire, agrees with the numbering by Roland Saint-Clair and says that Henry Sinclair and William Sinclair were "in reality" the fourth and fifth Lords Sinclair respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Sinclair, 10th Lord Sinclair</span> Scottish nobleman (d. 1676)

John Sinclair was a Scottish nobleman and the 10th Lord Sinclair. In The Scots Peerage by James Balfour Paul he is designated as the 9th Lord Sinclair in descent starting from William Sinclair, 1st Earl of Caithness and 3rd Earl of Orkney, but historian Roland Saint-Clair designates him as the 10th Lord Sinclair in descent from the father of the 1st Earl of Caithness and 3rd Earl of Orkney, Henry II Sinclair, Earl of Orkney, who is the first person recorded as Lord Sinclair in public records. Roland Saint-Clair references this to an Act of the Scottish Parliament in which the 4th Lord Sinclair was made Lord Sinclair based on his descent from his great-grandfather, Henry II Sinclair, Earl of Orkney, the first Lord Sinclair. Bernard Burke, in his a Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Peerage and Baronetage of the British Empire, agrees with the numbering by Roland Saint-Clair and says that Henry Sinclair and William Sinclair were "in reality" the fourth and fifth Lords Sinclair respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lord Herdmanston</span> Scottish peerage

Lord Herdmanston was a title in the Peerage of Scotland that was held by the Sinclair or St Clair family.

Lt.-Col. Charles St Clair, 13th Lord Sinclair was a Scottish noble and representative peer.

References

  1. ↑ Paul, James Balfour (1910). The Scots Peerage; Founded on Wood's Edition of Sir Robert Douglas's Peerage of Scotland; Containing an Historical and Genealogical Account of the Nobility of that Kingdom. Vol. VII. Edinburgh: David Douglas. pp.  569–571. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  2. 1 2 Saint-Clair, Roland (1898). The Saint-Clairs of the Isles; being a history of the Sea-kings of Orkney and their Scottish successors of the sirname of Sinclair. Shortland Street, Auckland, New Zealand: H. Brett. p.  297 . Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  3. ↑ Saint-Clair, Roland (1898). The Saint-Clairs of the Isles; being a history of the Sea-kings of Orkney and their Scottish successors of the sirname of Sinclair. Shortland Street, Auckland, New Zealand: H. Brett. pp.  299–301. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  4. ↑ Burke, Bernard (1869). Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Peerage and Baronetage of the British Empire. 59 Pall Mall, London: Harrison. p.  1016 . Retrieved 14 June 2021.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  5. ↑ Nisbet, Alexander (1816). A System of Heraldry. Vol. II. Princes Street, Edinburgh and New Bond Street, London: William Blackwood and Rodwell & Martin. p.  84 . Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  6. ↑ "Charles St Clair, 13th Lord St Clair". ucl.ac.uk. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  7. ↑ Coventry, Martin (2008). Castles of the Clans: The Strongholds and Seats of 750 Scottish Families and Clans. Musselburgh: Goblinshead. p. 533. ISBN   978-1-899874-36-1.
  8. ↑ Saint-Clair, Roland (1898). pp. 306–307.
  9. ↑ Saint-Clair, Roland (1898). p. 311.
  10. ↑ "Appointment of Lord-Lieutenant of Kirkcudbright: 29 July 2021". GOV.UK. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
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