John Sinclair of Ulbster

JOHN SINCLAIR of ULBSTER was a man of education and ability, and as his name is seldom mentioned without the prefix of Mr. or "Maister", there is ground for thinking that he was brought up as a pedagogue or teacher, although it was not unusual to designate as "Maister" gentlemen of landed property, as well as pedagogues, preachers, notaries, and the like. In 1601 the General Assembly arranged that certain ministers should plant themselves in the families of the Catholic nobles; and Lord Gordon - eldest son of the Marquis of Huntly, and the Master of Caithness, eldest son of the Earl, "were brought up together under the care of two pedagogues, Thomas Gordon and John Sinclair, who were compelled to declare themselves adherents of the reformed faith". That John Sinclair, the pedagogue, was John Sinclair, afterwards Mr. John Sinclair of Ulbster, seems to admit of no doubt, for we find by a letter from him to his uncle, George of Mey, that, in 1604, he and the Master lived in the family of the Marquis of Huntly at Bogg Gight and in regard to the Master he writes: "always the Mr. is verie weill, God be praysit, and commends him heartily to you". ("Domestic Annals of Scotland").

John Sinclair was twice married - first, to Jean Chisholm, who is no doubt the "Kesolme, daughter to the laird of Straglass", who is said by Hay to have married the first laird of Ulbster; and, secondly, to Katharine Stewart. . By his first wife he had two sons and a daughter: -

• Patrick, his successor
• George, a merchant in Leith
• Henrietta, who married William Abernethy (son of John; Bishop of Caithness), who was minister of Halkirk in 1627, and of Thurso in 1636

By his second wife John Sinclair had a son and two daughters: -

• John of Tannach and Brims, who served in the German wars, and in 1660 purchased Brims from the heirs of the first Sinclairs of Dunbeath. He married Ann Goldman, and had three sons and two daughters: -

1. John, afterwards of Ulbster
2. William of Thrumster (who married Margaret, daughter of James Innes of Thursater) [William Sinclair of Thrumster seems also to have had Oust, for his wife had it in liferent, but at all events their son, William, had Oust, which he disponed in 1719 to John Sinclair of Brims]
3. Charles

• Jean, who married Francis Sinclair of Dun, and afterwards David Sinclair of Southdun
• Elizabeth, who married William Sinclair of Rattar

John Sinclair of Tannach had two natural sons, one of whom was James, probably James Sinclair "in Lythmore", and the same James Sinclair who, in 1702, obtained from his brother, John of Ulbster and Brims, a wadset of Holbornhead, Uttersquoy, and Sandiquoy.

Sources

• [http://www.fionamsinclair.co.uk/genealogy/Caithness/Ulbster.htm#Second]
• Catherine Stewart, said to have been a natural daughter of Patrick, second Earl of Orkney, married John Sinclair of Ulbster, whose second wife was certainly so named.

Source: The Scots peerage https://archive.org/stream/scotspeeragefoun06paul#page/576/mode/2up

M, #198564, b. before 1598

Last Edited=18 Jan 2019

John Sinclair of Ulbster was born illegitimately before 1598. He was the son of William Sinclair of Mey and Margaret Mowat.

He married, firstly, Jean Chisholm.

He married, secondly, Katherine Stewart, daughter of Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of Orkney and Lady Janet Kennedy.
In 1607 he was legitimated.

Children of John Sinclair of Ulbster and Jean Chisholm

1. Patrick Sinclair of Ulbster+2
2. George Sinclair
3. Henrietta Sinclair

Children of John Sinclair of Ulbster and Katherine Stewart

1. Elizabeth Sinclair+2
2. John Sinclair+2
3. Jean Sinclair

Citations [S37] BP2003 volume 1, page 645. See link for full details for this source. Hereinafter cited as. [S37] [S37] BP2003. [S37] [S7338] Edward Matthews, "re: Sinclair Family," e-mail message to Darryl Roger LUNDY (101053), 5 December 2014. Hereinafter cited as "re: Sinclair Family."