Elizabeth Sinclair (bef. 1446 - bef. 1509)

Ancestors

Descendants

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Biography

Elizabeth Sinclair was a member of the aristocracy in British Isles.

Elizabeth Sinclair (sometimes called Marjory), was the daughter of William Sinclair, Earl of Orkney and Caithness, and his first wife Elizabeth Douglas.^[1];

She is sometimes listed as a daughter of William's second wife, Marjory Sutherland, for instance, The Scots Peerage, volume 2, p. 234, lists a daughter of Marjory, "Elizabeth, married to the Laird of Houston"^[2] but the addenda et corrigenda in volume 9, p. 50 confirms that Elizabeth was the daughter of his first wife,^[3] and the post of John P. Ravilious, based on the research of Andrew B. W. MacEwen demonstrates that Elizabeth Sinclair married both Andrew Leslie, Master of Rothes, and John Houston of that Ilk.^[4]

First marriage and children

She married Sir Andrew Leslie, Master of Rothes, the son of George Leslie, 1st Earl of Rothes, and his first or second wife, Christian Haliburton^[5][1]. The date of their marriage is unknown, but the contract may have been at the same time as the dispensation for the marriage of her brother William, to and Andrew Leslie's sister Christian which was dated about 29 April 1458.^[4]

There were 3 sons from this marriage;^[1]

1. John Leslie, heir to his grandfather, George Leslie, 1st Earl of Rothes, but also died before him without issue;
2. George Leslie, succeeded his grandfather as 2nd Earl of Rothes, but died without surviving issue;
3. William Leslie, succeeded his brother as 3rd Earl of Rothes;

It's not clear when Andrew Leslie died, but his eldest son John is named as grandson and heir apparent of George Leslie on 3 August 1473 and Andrew must have died before that date.^[1] However he must actually have died a few years before then, as Sir John Houston of that Ilk and his wife Elizabeth Sinclair bought an action and cause of summons against Alexander Allardice of Skathaway on 29 Feburary 1472 and their marriage must obviously have been before that date.^[6]

Second marriage and children

She married Sir John Houston of that Ilk about 1471, and definitely before 29 February 1472^[6] son of Sir Patrick Houston and Agnes Campbell.^[4]

According to the post by Ravilious^[4] the following are the children of John Houston and Elizabeth Sinclair, but as recently discovered records indicate they were only married for about 10 years this may mean that some of the children are from a different marriage or marriages.

They had issue;

1. Marion, married William Fleming of Barrochan;
2. Archibald, died before 1491;
3. John
4. Robert;
5. Agnes, married 1) before 6 June 1491 as his second wife, Sir James Livingston, 3rd Lord Livingston, with whom she had a son Alexander Livingston of Terrintirran; 2) John Forrester of Niddry;^[7]
6. Elizabeth;
7. Margaret.

Death

Her second husband John Houston, must have died before 10 March 1483 when Elizabeth Sinclair the widow of Sir John Houston of that Ilk, brought an action against Margaret Semple the spouse of Patrick of Houston,^[8] and Elizabeth died before 17 April 1509.^[4][5]

Research Notes

There is some belief that The Scots Peerage is correct and the Elizabeth or Marjory Sinclair who married Andrew Leslie is the half-sister of the Elizabeth Sinclair who married John Houston and these have been separated for the moment pending further investigation. Although there is every confidence that Andrew Leslie died before Jan 1478^[5], when Andrew's son was designated heir to Andrew's father George who was still alive (d. 24 May 1490). it was likely not long before that date, probably within months. This appears to conflict with the marriage to John Houston that occured prior to 29 Feb 1472.^[6] Unless there were evidence of a divorce from Andrew Leslie prior to that date, it seems reasonable to conclude that John Houston married Marjory(Elizabeth)'s younger half-sister.

Margaret's first marriage is thought to have been before 1558, which date would put Margaret's birth prior to 1546.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} Cokayne, George Edward. The Complete Peerage or a history of the House of Lords and all its members from the earliest times. 2nd ed. vol. 11, revised & edited by Geoffrey H. White, London: St Catherine Press, 1949. pp. 187-190. Electronic edition, ABC Publications, London, 2003.
2. ↑ Paul, James Balfour. "The Scots Peerage : founded on Wood's ed. of Sir Robert Douglas's Peerage of Scotland; containing an historical and genealogical account of the nobility of that kingdom", Edinburgh: David Douglas, 1905, Vol. II, Archive.org, p. 234
3. ↑ Paul, James Balfour. "The Scots Peerage : founded on Wood's ed. of Sir Robert Douglas's Peerage of Scotland; containing an historical and genealogical account of the nobility of that kingdom", Edinburgh: David Douglas, 1914, Vol. IX, Archive.org, p. 50
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4} Ravilious, John P. "SP Correction: Elizabeth Sinclair (d. bef 1510) and her marriages," Gen-Medieval, discussion list, 15 October 2005 (https://groups.google.com/g/soc.genealogy.medieval/c/BEAmwmEdPUU/m/BmvIdF3sELsJJ : viewed 18 April 2017).
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2} Paul, James Balfour. "The Scots Peerage : founded on Wood's ed. of Sir Robert Douglas's Peerage of Scotland; containing an historical and genealogical account of the nobility of that kingdom", Edinburgh: David Douglas,1910, Vol. VII, Archive.org, p. 276
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2} The Records of the Parliaments of Scotland to 1707, K.M. Brown et al eds (St Andrews, 2007-2020), 1472/37. http://www.rps.ac.uk/trans/1472/37 : accessed: 26 November 2020.
7. ↑ Cokayne, George Edward. The Complete Peerage or a history of the House of Lords and all its members from the earliest times. 2nd ed. vol. 8, revised & edited by Hon. Vicary Gibbs, H.A. Doubleday & Lord Howard de Walden, London: St Catherine Press, 1932. pp. 92-93. Electronic edition, ABC Publications, London, 2003.
8. ↑ The Records of the Parliaments of Scotland to 1707, K.M. Brown et al eds (St Andrews, 2007-2020), 1483/3/16. http://www.rps.ac.uk/trans/1483/3/16 : accessed: 26 November 2020.

See also:

• Wikidata: Item Q75272093