Daniel Sinclair (abt. 1684 - 1734)

Born about 1684 in Thurso, Caithness, Scotland

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 25 Nov 1734 at about age 50 in Longformacus, Berwickshire, Scotland

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Biography

Daniel Sinclair is a member of Clan Sinclair.

Daniel was born circa 1684. He was one of the 3 sons of James Sinclair himself younger son of the 2nd marriage of James Sinclair, 2nd Laird of Assery and his second wife Margaret Munro.

Daniel studied at the University of Edinburgh from where he graduated A.M. on 2nd April 1705.^[1]

The first step in his career in the ministry was taken on 30th May 1711 when Daniel was licenced to preach by the Presbytery of Caithness.

As was the normal practice for the time, a potential new minister would be presented to a parish by one of the Heritors ( a group of landowners who were legally obliged to pay for the upkeep of the Parish Church, its Minister and its other property.)

During December 1714, Sir Robert Sinclair of Longformacus presented Daniel for consideration by the congregation to fill the vacant charge. Daniel was accepted (which was never a foregone conclusion) and was ordained into the Parish of Longformacus on 5th May 1715. Daniel remained the Parish Minister for the rest of his life, serving almost 20 years.

It was normal for parties to a marriage coming from landed or aristocratic families to enter into a Marriage Contract which essentially set out the financial arrangements for the couple during marriage and often provision for the widow and children in the event of the death of the bridegroom during a specified period. This was because normally on marriage, any property a woman owned became the property of her husband on marriage. In this case the details are as follows: -

(5/2/1729)

GD69/163 Contract of Marriage between Mr. Daniel Sinclair, minister at Longformacus, and Elizabeth Hamilton, daughter of deceased Robert Hamilton of Airdrie.

As Daniel died a relatively young man, living at the other end of Scotland from his paternal estate, his widow and children were necessarily involved in legal documents and correspondence settling financial provisions among family members. These include: -

(1742)

GD69/108 Draft Disposition and Translation by William Sinclair, merchant in Thurso, to James and Arthur Sinclair, children, and Elizabeth Hamilton, relict of Rev. Daniel Sinclair, of a Heritable Bond on the lands of Thurdestoft [Thurdistoft] (contained in GD69/107) in security for GD69/106.

(1757-1758 )

GD69/171 Letter from Mrs. Elizabeth Sinclair, dated Aug. 1757 and two letters from Arthur St. Clair (on service in North America) dated 20 Mar. 1757 and 26 May 1758 concerning credit given to him by James Balfour of Pilrig.

(James Balfour was married to Elizabeth's sister Louisa)

GD69/112 Assignation by James Sinclair, eldest son of deceased Rev. Daniel Sinclair, to Elizabeth Hamilton, his mother, of his rights in GD69/106. 6/5/1745

Sources

1. ↑ University of Edinburgh, Historical Alumni database, Laureation & Degrees Album, 1587-1809

• Private papers in the collection of John M Sutherland-Fisher, Genealogist of Clan Sutherland
• Caithness Family History by John Henderson first published in 1882
• The Sinclairs of Assery
• Fasti Ecclesiæ Scoticanæ: The Succession of Ministers in the Established Church of Scotland (Volumes 1-8) in an alphabetical order of synods and after unification with the United Free Church of Scotland in 1929 covering the entire Church of Scotland from 1929 (Volumes 9-11), Volume 1, p. 421. Link on hathitrust.org; Link on Google Books
• Balfour Melville, Barbara Gordon, The Balfours of Pilrig : a history for the family, (Edinburgh : William Brown, 1907) p. 263.