James Sinclair, 4th Earl of Mey

Biographical Summary

"James Sinclair, of Canisbay, co. Caithness, son and heir apparent of Sir William Sinclair of Canisbay, of Mey in the said county, and of Cadboll, co. Ross, by Catherine, daughter of Sir David Ross, of Balnagowan, co. Ross, was created a Baronet [S] 2, the patent being sealed 18 June 1631, but not recorded in the Great Seal register [S] with rem. to heirs male whatsoever, and with a grant of, presumably, 16,000 acres in Nova Scotia, called the Barony of Cannisby Sinclair, of which he had seizin with 'haill gold mines within the said Barony', in July 1631. He succeeded his father in 1643 and had, in 18 July 1643, special service to his grandfather, the Hon. George Sinclair, of Mey (younger son of George, Earl of Caithness [S]), in the lands afterwards erected into the Barony of Cadboll. He married Elizabeth, 3rd daughter of Sir Patrick Leslie, of Lindores, by Jean, daughter of Robert (Stewart), Earl of Orkney [S]. He died 1662."

SOURCE: Complete baronetage; Cokayne, George E. (George Edward); 1900; Vol. II; page 390

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SIR JAMES SINCLAIR was styled, in his father's lifetime, of Canisbay, as appears from a tack of teinds, dated 14th June 1635, by Sir William and Sir James, and from a Crown charter in favour of both, dated 17th February 1636. As before stated, it is doubtful whether his father was more than a mere knight, and if Sir James was so called in his father's lifetime there must have been a separate creation. His uncle, Sir John of Geanies and Dunbeath, to whose baronetcy he is supposed to have succeeded, was alive long after 1636, but if Sir James was so styled in the lifetime of his father and uncle, he may have been merely knighted, and may still have afterwards taken up his uncle's baronetcy.

[Sir James Sinclair of Canisbay was created a Baronet June 2, 1631, with remainder "haeredibus suis masculis et assignatis quibuscunque". The precept for the patent is on record.]

Sir James married Elizabeth, daughter of Patrick, Lord Lindores, and died in 1662. He had five sons and two daughters:

John who died young
William, his successor Robert of Durran James of Stangergill, who died without issue [This John and James seem to have been really one person, namely, John, of Stangergill, intermediate between William and Robert: his property, on his death s.p., was inherited by Robert. In 1645 Sir James granted a bond over Stangergill to John, his "second son". In a discharge, dated 1667, Sir William enumerates his younger brothers as John, Robert, and George]. George of Olrig Anne, eldest daughter, who married George, first Earl of Cromarty Elizabeth, who married her cousin, William Sinclair of Dunbeath (http://www.fionamsinclair.co.uk/genealogy/Caithness/Mey.htm#Fourth)