Alexander (Sinclair) Sinclair Ist of Stemster and Dunbeath (abt. 1490 - bef. 1541)

Ancestors

Descendants

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Biography

Alexander was born about 1490. He was the second son of William Sinclair 2nd Earl of Caithness and his wife Margaret Keith of Inverugie afterwards Countess of Caithness.

Various sources state that he was the father of Helen Sinclair who married Donald Mackay 11th Laird of Strathnaver and Farr. Helen would have required to have been born well before Alexander's marriage to Elizabeth Innes, thereby suggesting that Helen was either from an earlier, unnamed marriage or was a natural daughter.

Married Elizabeth Innes in 1529.^[1]

1529: Crown charter of Dunbeath.^[2]

Death.^[3]

Sources

1. ↑ Henderson: Page 15
2. ↑ Register of the Great Seal of Scotland: Vol 3 p188 No860
3. ↑ Henderson: Page 16

• Henderson, John. Caithness Family History (David Douglas, Edinburgh, 1884)
• The Register of the Great Seal of Scotland, (H.M. General Register House, Edinburgh, 1882-)

Research Note

There is a great deal of confusion about the relevant birth, marriage and death dates for inter-related members of the Sinclair, Earl of Caithness; Keith, Lairds of Inverugie; Mackay, Lairds of Reay and Strathnaver; Sutherland, Lairds of Duffus and Sutherland, Earls of Sutherland families. This is mainly due to the fact few dates of birth were recorded, marriage contracts could be entered into when either the parties were still children or adults ready to marry and only deaths had a good chance of being reliably recorded. Deaths of men were often either in battle, the dates of which were recorded or the passing of property on succession which was registered. Other clues are that children could not be infeft under Roman law which applied in Scotland so girls and boys could not acquire property below the ages of 12 and 14 respectively.