SINCLAIR OF HOUSS, AITH, AND SCALLOWAY

1. WILLIAM SINCLAIR of Houss is respited along with Edward Sinclair of Strom, Magnus Sinclair of Wersetter, John Sinclair of Tollap, Oliver Sinclair of Havera and others by King James V, for the slaughter of John, third Earl of Caithness, at Summersdale in the parish of Stennes, on 18th May 1592, when the Earl was defeated and slain by the men of Orkney and Zetland under Sir James Sinclair. He died in 1539, and is said to have married Elizabeth, daughter of Alexander Sinclair of Dunbeath in Caithness, and to have had issue:
   1. Magnus of Houss, died 1557, married Janet, daughter of William Keith
   2. Lawrence
   3. Jean, married Henry Sinclair of Havera
   4. Elizabeth
2. LAWRENCE SINCLAIR of Sandes, Burgess of Kirkwall, brother of Lawrence Sinclair of Norbister, had a disposition of the lands of Houss in Burra from his said brother with consent of his son and lawful heir James Sinclair,* and of Marion Kate, his wife, mother of the said James, on 3rd July 1560. He married Janet Strang, who survived him, and had issue:
   1. Arthur, his heir
   2. Edward of Scalloway, who on 21st August 1580, granted a charter of three merks in Houss with consent of Barbara Mowat his spouse, to his brother-german, Arthur Sinclair of Aith
   3. David of Hunton in Orkney, father of John, and Christian, who married James Strang of Voesgarth
   4. James of Mail, died 23rd May 1622, married Margaret Harcus and had issue:
      1. James, who disponed the lands of Mail to his brother Hew, on 26th June 1622
      2. Hew of Mail, who on 14th August 1620, granted a Charter to Laurence Sinclair of Houss of lands in the Island of West Burra
      3. Michael
      4. Edward
      5. Thomas
      6. Janet
      7. Poll
   5. William of Ustaness, who on 30th June 1597, was ordained by the Privy Council to find caution for 2000 merks, to maintain good order within his land. He died December 1610, having married Elizabeth Sinclair, and had issue: Laurence of Ustaness, found guilty on 16th August 1602, of being art and part in the murder of Mathew Sinclair of Ness, and on 1st October 1611, charged along with others before the Privy Council with having as a servant of the Earl committed all kinds of iniquity and wickedness. As he failed to appear he was denounced rebel. He had issue Captain William, his eldest son, a witness along with his father to Charter by Nichol Rattray in Collasetter, to Patrick Cheyne of Vaila, on 17th June 1637, probably identical with Colonel William Sinclair who was a Commissioner of Supply for Zetland in 1667; and Robert
   6. Olave of Norbie, called father's brother to Laurence Sinclair of Ustaness in a charter by the latter to him on 24th September 1622, of the four merks land of Watsness and Swenester in Walls. He died April 1632, leaving issue:
      1. Laurence in Suthahouse, who along with his brother Henry was a witness to the sasine of his father in the lands of Watsness, on 8th October 1622. He was probably the grandfather of Laurence Sinclair, portioner of Norbie, who with consent of Ingagerth Waltersdaughter, his spouse, and Walter Sinclair, his eldest son, disponed 4 merks of his land in Norbie to James Mitchell of Girlesta on 27th September 1716
      2. Henry of Swenester, who had a son John, father of Henry, whose only surviving daughter Elizabeth married Thomas Robertson in Crawtoun, in Sandness, and disponed her four merks of Swenester to John Scott of Melby on 20th November 1802
      3. Arthur
      4. Robert
      5. Daniel
      6. Jerome
      7. Orsella, who along with her five brothers disponed their 21 merks land in Hellywick in Burra, to their brother Arthur Sinclair of Aith, on 16th August 1587
      8. Janet, married James Sinclair of Brew
   * JAMES SINCLAIR of Norbister had issue (1), Margaret Sinclair, married Robert Tulloch in Warbister, Burra, and died March 1623, leaving issue: Arthur, John, and Grizel, and (2), Catherine, mother of Andrew Thomasson. Margaret and Catherine as heir portioners of their father on 25th October 1609, disponed their four merks in the Isle of Halvery, to Laurence Sinclair of Houss.
3. ARTHUR SINCLAIR of Aith presented the Bill of Complaint against Laurence Bruce of Cultmalindie at the trial of that person for oppression in 1576, and in it he states : “that he and his forbears have had the tack and room of the land lying in the parish of Dunrossness, extending to 32 merk land, with 18 merk land in Aith”. On 30th June 1597, he was ordained by the Privy Council to find caution for good rule within his lands to the extent of 2000 merks. He died about 1617, having married 1577, Margaret Colville, and had issue:
   1. Laurence, his heir
   2. James, of Scalloway (see No.VI)
   3. William, a witness to a charter by Nicoll Thomeson in Blowstay to his father, of lands in Isle of Trondra, on 19th April 1615, probably identical with William of Reawick, who married Mary Bruce
   4. Margaret, married Magnus Henderson of Buness
   5. Janet
4. LAURENCE SINCLAIR of Houss had a disposition from Robert, Earl of Orkney, on 15th August 1588, of the lands of St Ninian's Isle in Dunrossness. On 2 1st January 1612, he is charged before the Privy Council with assaulting Robert Bruce, son of William Bruce of Symbister. He was served heir to his father, 17th August 1632, married Elizabeth Sinclair, who died in February 1634, and had issue:
   1. Arthur, his heir
   2. John
   3. George
   4. Laurence
   5. Grizel
   6. Margaret
   7. Barbara
   8. Elizabeth
   9. Helen
   10. Anna
5. ARTHUR SINCLAIR of Houss served heir to his grandfather 17th October 1634, died 15th November 1667, having married Barbara, daughter of Arthur Barclay of Boghills, and had issue:
   1. Arthur, died young
   2. Grizel, married her cousin Arthur Sinclair, son of,
6. JAMES SINCLAIR of Scalloway, second son of Arthur Sinclair of Aith, had a Charter from his brother Laurence of the Kirkland of Scalloway, which had been disponed by the deceased Patrick Cheyne to Robert -----, and by him to umquhile Arthur Sinclair their father on 6th December 1619. He was a Commissioner of Supply for Zetland in 1661 and 1667. He married (first) Margaret, daughter of James Sinclair of Brew, and (second) Margaret, daughter of George Smelholme, merchant in Leith, and had issue:
   1. George, died young
   2. John, died young
   3. Arthur, his heir
   4. Margaret, died 28th April 1646, married Laurence Sinclair of Brugh
   5. Elizabeth, married 1646, William Bruce of Sumburgh
7. ARTHUR SINCLAIR of Scalloway succeeded his father in Scalloway, and by his married with his cousin Grizel Sinclair of Houss, he also acquired that property. He was a Commissioner of Supply for Zetland in 1678. He had issue:
   1. Arthur, his heir
   2. Charles, see No. X
   3. Laurence of Sandsound, father of John and Catherine
   4. Margaret, married Andrew Bruce, tutor of Muness
8. ARTHUR SINCLAIR of Scalloway married 1692, Katherine, daughter of Laurence Bruce of Symbister, and had issue:
   1. Arthur, his heir
   2. Barbara, married James Mitchell of Girlesta
9. ARTHUR SINCLAIR of Scalloway, bound apprentice to Alexander Guthrie, W.S., in June 1704, died 30th December 1705, succeeded by his uncle,
10. CHARLES SINCLAIR of Scalloway died 3rd July 1710, having married Katherine, daughter of Robert Bruce of Sumburgh, and had issue:
    1. Arthur, drowned going to College at Aberdeen in November 1716
    2. Robert, his heir
    3. Laurence
11. ROBERT SINCLAIR of Scalloway, born 1702, was served heir to his father on 9th July 1728, and died 3rd January 1741. He married (first) in 1721, Philadelphia, daughter of Sir John Dalmahay, Bart., of that Ilk, and had issue:
    1. James, his heir
    2. Anne, born 1722, died 1757, married (contract dated 19th January 1748) John Scott of Melby
    3. Katherine, died 27th August 1772, married in 1750, James Scott, merchant, afterwards of Scalloway
    Robert Sinclair married (second) Barbara, daughter of John Montgomery of Ware, but had no issue. His widow re-married Robert Sinclair of Quendale.
12. JAMES SINCLAIR, last of Scalloway and Houss, born 16th August 1726, died August 1762, unmarried, and was succeeded by his sister Katherine, and his niece Philadelphia, daughter of John Scott of Melby, by whom the estate was disponed on 30th April 1771, to James Scott, merchant in Scalloway, husband of the said Katherine