Lord Sinclair
Lord Sinclair (also Saint Clair ) is a hereditary British title in the Peerage of Scotland .
Awards and history of the title
The title was originally bestowed on William Sinclair by King James II of Scotland in 1449 . He had been Jarl of Orkney as vassal of the King of Norway since 1420 . On August 28, 1455, James II made him Earl of Caithness . When King Christian I of Denmark, Norway and Sweden gave his daughter Margarethe to King James III. of Scotland married, she received Orkney and Shetland as a dowry, whereby these territories fell to the Scottish Crown Domain in 1470 and the title of Jarl of Orkney expired. William received in return Ravenscraig Castle in Fife . In 1476 the Earl renounced his earl title in favor of his younger son from his second marriage, William († 1513); he did this to exclude his eldest son from his first marriage, William († 1487), from the inheritance. This only received the title of Lord Sinclair and a few lands. His great-great-great-grandson, the 9th Lord, died on November 10, 1674 without leaving any sons. The title was then confirmed on June 1, 1677 Henry St Clair as 10th Lord. This was the son of the daughter of the 9th Lord Catherine Sinclair, who died in 1666, from the marriage with her distant relative John St Clair of Herdmanston (1632–1672). It is controversial among historians whether the lord title was originally considered to be inheritable in the female line. The title may have expired in 1674 and was re-awarded in 1677 with retroactive precedence from 1449 and extended inheritance regulations. When the 10th Lord died on March 14, 1723, his son and heir, John St Clair, Master of Sinclair (1683–1750), had already been ostracized because of his participation in the Jacobite Rising of 1715 , whereby the title was forfeited. On April 25, 1782, the House of Lords decided that the title belonged to the descendants of a cousin of the 10th Lord and confirmed Charles St Clair as the 13th Lord. Today's title holder has been his great-great-great-grandson as the 18th Lord since 2004.
List of Lords Sinclair (1449)
- William Sinclair , Jarl of Orkney, 1st Earl of Caithness, 1st Lord Sinclair († 1480)
- William Sinclair, 2nd Lord Sinclair († 1487)
- Henry Sinclair, 3rd Lord Sinclair († 1513)
- William Sinclair, 4th Lord Sinclair († 1570)
- Henry Sinclair, 5th Lord Sinclair (1528-1601)
- Henry Sinclair, 6th Lord Sinclair (1581–1602)
- James Sinclair, 7th Lord Sinclair († 1607)
- Patrick Sinclair, 8th Lord Sinclair († 1615)
- John Sinclair, 9th Lord Sinclair (1610–1674)
- Henry St Clair, 10th Lord Sinclair (1660–1723) (title forfeited by heir 1723)
- Charles St Clair, de iure 11th Lord Sinclair († 1775)
- Andrew St Clair, de iure 12th Lord Sinclair (1733-1775)
- Charles St Clair, 13th Lord Sinclair (1768–1863) (title retrospectively restored 1782)
- James St Clair, 14th Lord Sinclair (1803-1880)
- Charles St Clair, 15th Lord Sinclair (1831-1922)
- Archibald St Clair, 16th Lord Sinclair (1875–1957)
- Charles St Clair, 17th Lord Sinclair (1914-2004)
- Matthew St Clair, 18th Lord Sinclair (* 1968)
Title heir ( heir apparent ) is the son of the current title holder, Harry St. Clair, Master of Sinclair (* 2007).
See also
- Baron Sinclair of Cleeve (1957)
Web links
- Peerage: Sinclair at Leigh Rayment's Peerage Page
- Sinclair, Lord (S, c.1449 – forfeited 1723) at Cracroft's Peerage
- Sinclair, Lord (S, 1677) at Cracroft's Peerage