James Sinclair (bef. 1730)

Born before 6 Mar 1730 in Longformacus, Berwickshire, Scotland

Ancestors

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Biography

James Sinclair is a member of Clan Sinclair.

As James was baptised on 6th March 1730 in Longformacus, he must have been born on or before that date. He is the son of Daniel Sinclair and Elizabeth Hamilton.

Tragedy struck the young Sinclair family when James' father died before he reached the age of 50 and James no more than an infant and his younger brother Arthur a baby. It was the normal practice for older male family members and sometimes the widow to act as both Executors of the estate of the deceased and as Trustees for children in minority (under 21 years of age). This was the case here and among legal documents which exist are: -

(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.

(William was Daniel's brother and uncle to James and Arthur. Relict is the old Scots legal word for "widow")

(6/5/1745)

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

(James was able to assign property to his mother once he had reached the age of minority which was 14. This document was therefore created soon after he gained the legal power to grant it.)

Sources

• 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
• Information taken from entries in the Old Parochial Registers in Scotland (1553-1854) and Registers of Births, Deaths and Marriages (1855-to date) administered by the Registrar General for Scotland and available on the Scotland’s People website. The baptism entry for James is 1730 750/10 195 Longformacus.