The Sinclair family

On this page we shall provide information relating to the Sinclair family. 

The Scottish origins of the name SINCLAIR:

This Caithness surname is of territorial origin from St. Clare in the arrondissement of Pont d'Eveque, Normandy. The first Sinclairs in Scotland appear to have been vassals of the great territorial magnates, de Moreville. Their first possession in Scotland was the barony of Roslin, near Edinburgh, which they held in the reign of David I (1124 - 1153). The earliest bearers of of the name appear in charters connected with the abbeys of Dryburgh and Newbattle, the Hospital of Soltre (now known as Soutra, Midlothian), and the church of Glasgow etc. An early offshoot of the family became all powerful in Caithness and held the Earldom there from 1379 to 1542. The frequency of the surname in Caithness and in the Orkneys is due to the tenants on the lands of the earldom adopting the name of their overlord just as we find tenants who possessed no surnames of their own doing likewise elsewhere. The Sinclairs, like the Gordons and some other families, cannot be called a clan in the true sense of the term. They were a powerful territorial family, whose relationship to their dependents was entirely fuedal.

John Singular held land in Aberdeen, c.1450. Lassae Saenghaer (Lawrence Sinclair) who was burgomaster of Oddevald in 1504 and who is recorded again in 1508 as Laffris Saeckeller. An old rhyme referring to the bickerings between the Sinclairs and their neighbours says:

'Sinclair, Sutherland, Keith, and Clan Gunn,

There was never was peace when thae four were in.'

The name Sinclair and some of the various spellings, together with the dates recorded thereof are undernoted:

Much of the above is taken from: Black's: Surnames of Scotland. 

Some might a wee bitty concerned that the Sinclair family is not a 'real' clan. The basis of a clan is the relationship between those 'at the top and those at the bottom'. The power of Sinclair family was based on feudal dominance of those on their land rather than a family, or clan, relationship. In other words many of those with the surname Sinclair (and all the variants) are not, and were not, connected by blood, to the Sinclair family.

The etymology of words, and in this instance proper names, is fraught with difficulty and danger. The above table demonstrates the development of the name Sinclair over time but it must be stressed that the list is not comprehensive and that more research will, almost certainly, reveal more variants of the name.

We are informed that the book: the Genealogie of the Saintclaires of Rosslyn contains a a huge amount of information regarding the Sinclair family, it origins and activities. 

This book, shortly to be published by the Grand Lodge of Scotland has a, brief pre-publication, review on this website. Please go to the news page to read the review.

Once the above mentioned book is available the above list is quite likely to be added too so please do come back to this page.

The present Sinclair Family

Arms:Quarterly,

1st, argent a cross engrailed sable (for ST Clair):

2nd, argent a pale sable (for ERSKINE);

3rd, azure a bend between six cross crosslets fitchée or (for MAR);

4th, argent on a chevron gules between three roses of the last barbed vert a fleur-de-lys of the field for difference (for WEDDERBURN).

Crests:

1 A demi-phoenix in flames proper and over it the device 'Rinasco piu glorioso' [‘I am reborn more glorious'],

2 An eagle's head erased proper with the words 'Illaeso lumine solern' ['[Enjoy] the sun with unimpaired light'] (for WEDDERBURN).

Supporters:

Dexter, an eagle wings inverted proper, gorged with a collar argent, thereon a fleur-de-lys gules; sinister, a griffin wings elevated proper. Motto: Fight.

Lineage (of Wedderburn): Sir PETER WEDDERBURN of Gosford (see OGILVY-WEDDERBURN), which he bought 1639; b. 1612; advocate 1642. Clerk to PC(S) 1660, a Lord of Session as Lord Glasford 1668; married, firstly, 1st Feb 1649 Christian Gibson and had a son (died young); married, 2nd, in 1653 Agnes, daughter of John Dickson of Hartree, a Lord of Session; married, 3rd, 1677 Elizabeth Goldman, widow of Robert Cheplane, and died 11th Nov 1679, having by her had no issue; by his 2nd wife he had, with other issue:

1 John, of Gosford, PC(S); b 1657; Lt-Col 14th Dragoons; drowned off Calais 26th May 1688

2 Sir PETER WEDDERBURN later HALKETT, 1st Bt (NS), so cr 31st Dec 1697, of Gosford; b 1660; Capt Grenadiers, MP Dunfermline 1705-07 (Scottish Parliament) and 1707-08 (GB Parliament); married by 1695, Janet, sister and heiress of Sir James Halkett, 2nd Bt (dsp 19th May 1705), whom he suceeded in the Pitfirrane estate, Fifeshire, and d 20th March 1746, leaving:

(1) Sir PETER HALKETT, 2nd Bt, of Pitfirrane; born by 1695; MP Stirling burghs 1734-41, Lt-Col Battle of Gladsmuir 1745, when captured by Jacobites; commmanded 44th Regiment of Foot in America 1754; married Amelia, daughter of 7th Earl of Moray and was killed in action 9th July 1755 in North America serving under Gen Braddock, leaving, with two other sons (who died unmarried):

1a Sir PETER HALKETT, 3rd. Bt, of Pitfirrane; died unmarried 1792

(2) Charles, of Gosford; married Mary, daughter. of Sir Henry Wardlaw, 3rd Bt and had, with other issue:

1a Sir JOHN WEDDERBURN later HALKETT, 4th Bt, of Pitfirrane; born 6 August 1720; Army Capt, present at the capture of Guadaloupe 1758; in 1st 1758 Elizabeth (dspm 18th Dec 1758), daughter. of Andrew Fletcher of Saltoun, Ld justice Clerk, and had:

1b Elizabeth; born 12th Dec 1758; married Trophime Gerard, Marquis de Lally-Tollendal (d 1830), legitimated s of Count (Thomas Arthur) de Lally (the scapegoat executed to appease French public opinion for the nation's failure against the British in India in the 1750’s and 1760s) and himself (the Marquis) an early but swiftly superseded Conservative leader in the opening stages of the French Revolution who later devoted himself to reform in Restoration France, and died 6th Feb 1850, leaving, with another daughter:

1c A daughter; married Henri Raymond, Count d'Aux de Lescont

1a (cont.) Sir JOHN married 2nd by 1764 Mary, daughter of Hon John Hamilton (HADDINGTON, Earl of), and died 7th Aug 1793, leaving, with other issue: 1b Sir CHARLES HALKETT, 5th Bt, of Pitfirrane; born 1764; Capt Dunfermline troop Fife Yeo; died unmarried 26th Jan 1837 2b Sir PETER HALKETT, 6th Bt, GCH, of Pitfirrane; born 1765; Adml the Blue; in 14 Oct 1802 Elizabeth, daughter. of William Todd, of London, and died 7 Oct 1839, leaving:

1c Sir JOHN HALKETT, 7th Bt, of Pitfirrane; born 15th Jan 1805; Commander Royal Navy 1837; in 8 April 1831 Amelia Hood, daughter of Col-Conway, and died 5th Aug 1847, leaving, with other issue:

1d Sir PETER ARTHUR HALKETT, 8th Bt, JP, DL Fifeshire, of Pitfirrane; born 1st May 1834; educated Cheltenham; Ensign 81st Foot 1851, 42nd Foot 1853, served Crimean War (medal with three clasps), Captain 1855, transferred to the Light Dragoons 1856, Cdr Order Isabella la Catolica Spain; married 6th May 1856 his cousin Eliza Anna (see below) and dspms 8th March 1904, when the btcy expired or became dormant

1c Jane Margaret; married Captain Richard Kirwan Hill, 52nd Regt, and died 3rd May 1857, having had, with other issue:

1d Rowley Richard Conway; born March 1841; Lt-Col 31st Regt; married 5th March 1878 Blanche, daughter of Edward Cropper by Hon Margaret, nee Denman (see DENMAN, B), and had issue id Eliza Anna; in 6 May 1856 her cousin Sir PETER ARTHUR HALKETT, 8th Bt, and had issue

3b John; born 1768; Governor Bahamas, 1st Commr WI Accounts; married 1st, Anne (died1805), daughter of William Todd; married, 2nd, 1815 Katherine, daughter of 4th Earl of Selkirk (see HAMILTON and BRANDON, D), and by her had five sons

4b Alexander (Sir), KCH; born 1776; Gen; married Georgiana, daughter of Capt George Sprowle, 16th Regiment, and died 24th August 1851, having had four sons and a daughter

3 Alexander; Commissoner of Excise Scotland; in Mary, daughter of John Deas, of Goldingknows, Berwicks, and had, with two daughters:

(1) PETER

(1) Mary; married 1716 George Cheape, of Preston Pans, 5th s of Henry Cheape, 2nd of Rossie, and had issue

The only son:

PETER WEDDERBURN, of Chesterhall, Haddingtonshire; Lord of Session as Lord Chesterhall 1755; in Janet (died June 1771), daughter of David Ogilvie, Dragoons Captain, and died 11th Aug 1756, leaving:

1 ALEXANDER WEDDERBURN, 1st Earl of Rosslyn (UK), so created 21st April 1801, with remainder, failing heirs male of his body, to his sister's sons, as also earlier 31st Oct 1795 BARON LOUGHBOROUGH, of Loughborough, Surrey (GB), with like remainder, as also earlier still 17th June 1780 BARON LOUGHBOROUGH, of Loughborough, Co Leicester (GB), with usual remainder to the heirs male of his body only, PC (1780); born 13th Feb 1733; educated Edinburgh University and Inner Temple; advocate 1753-54, barrister Inner Temple 1757, NIP (Tory) Ayr burghs 1761-68, Richmond (Yorks) 1768-69, Bishop's Castle 1770-74 and 1778-80 and Okehampton 1774-78, KC and Bencher Lincoln's Inn 1763, Solicitor General 1771, Attorney Gen 1778-80, Lord Chief Justice 1780-93, First Commander Great Seal April - Dec 1783, Lord Chancellor 1793-1801, LL.D. Dublin 1781, FRS and FSA 1787, Er Bro Trin House 1799-1805, Trustee British Museum 1801-05; married 1st, 31 Dec 1767 Betty Anne (died 15th Feb 1781), daughter and heiress of John Dawson, of Morley, Yorks; married 2nd, 12th Sept 1782 Charlotte (d 1826), daughter of 1st Viscount Courtenay (see DEVON, E), and dsps 3rd Jan 1805, having by her had a son (died in infancy), when the 1780 Barony expired

2 David; Col HEICS; killed at the recapture of Barrock, India, 1773

1 Janet; in 1761 Sir Henry Erskine, 5th Bt, of Alva (died 7th Aug 1765; see Lineage (of Erskine) below), and had:

(1) Sir JAMES ERSKINE later ST CLAIR-ERSKINE (royal licence 9th June 1789 on inheriting the Dysart. Rosslyn and other estates from his cousin Col James ST CLAIR see SINCLAIR, L), 6th Bt, and 2nd Earl of Rosslyn, GCB (1820). PC (1829); born 6th Feb 1762; educated Edinburgh Academy and Eton; Cornet 1st Horse Guards, Lt. 35th Foot, Lt. 2nd Dragoons 1778, Captain 19th Light Dragoons 1780, transferred to the 14th Light Dragoons 1781, ADC to Lord Lieutenant Ireland 1782, Major 8th Light Dragoons 1783, Lt-Col 12th Light Dragoons 1792, ADC to GEORGE III 1792, Adj-Gen Corsican campaign 1793, Col 1795, Brig-Gen Portugal 1796, Maj-Gen 1798. C-in-C Mediterranean 1798-99, Cal Sussex Fencible Cavalry, commanded a Div Scotland 1800-01, Col 9th Light Dragoons 1801, Lt-Gen 1805, commanded SW District of Ireland to 1806, special mission to Lisbon in 1806, commanded a Div Denmark 1807, Walcheren Expedition 1809 and South East District 1812-14, General 1814; Member of Parliament (Whig) Castle Rising 1781-84 Morpeth 1784-96, Kirkcaldy burghs 1796-1805, Dir Chancery Scotland 1785, Ld Lt Fifeshire 1828-37, Ld Privy Seat 1829-30, a Ld Treasury Nov-Dec 1834, Ld Pres Cncj 1834-35; m 4 Nov 1789 Henrietta Elizabeth (died 8 Aug 1810), est daughter of Han Edward Bouverie (see RADNOR, E), and had:

la Henry Alexander; born 2nd June 1792; died young

2a JAMES ALEXANDER, 3rd Earl

3a Henry Francis; born 1804; Captain the Coldstream Guards; died unmarried 24th May 1829

la Janet; married 10th Nov 1829 Bethell Walrond, of Dulford House, Devon, and died 16th Nov 1880, leaving issue

(2) John; Comptroller Army Accounts; married 1802 Mary, daughter of Sir John Mordaunt, 7th Bt (qv), and died 10th Feb 1817, leaving:

la Mary; married 18th June 1856, as his 2nd wife, Sir Thomas Dyke Acland, 11th Bt, of Columb John (qv), and dsp 14th May 1892

To be continued...

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