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VIII SIR WILLIAM SAINT CLAIR, of Roslin

In 1523 he was in possession, for in that year he mortifies some parcels of ground for the use of the Prebendars of the College of Roslin. In the enumeration in this document reference is made to William, formerly Earl of Orkney and Caithness, and Lord de St.Clair, Chancellor and Great Justiciary of the Scots; Marjory Sutherland, his spouse; Oliver Sinclair, quondam [deceased] of Roslin, Knight, and his spouse Elizabeth Borthwick; Alexander Stewart [Cousin to Sir William, being son of his aunt Katharine Sinclair and the Duke of Albany], Commendator of the Monastery of Scone; Sir William himself; his wife, Allisone Hume; his sons, William and Gilbert; and his brothers, Oliver and Alexander. The seal was red upon white wax, a ragged cross. On the 27th November 1526, a confirmation passed to Sir William Sinclair, of Roslin, and Alison Hume, his spouse, and in 1527 he received a charter from King James V confirming him in Roslin Castle, the barony and burgh of Roslin, Otislee, Lee, Dryden; Westercaikmure, Netleflat, Coubrehill, Catonne, Baxterland de Inverleith, 20 merks annually from the lands of Lany, Halderston, Easter Ravinsnuke, Wester Ravinsnuke and Cairnhill, the right of patronage to the Collegiate Chapel of Roslin and the Chapel of St.Mathew there, the lands of the Barony of Herbertshire, etc. In 1531 he gave his son, Alexander St.Clair, a charter of the lands of Cuthilton and Little Deny, which is attested, amongst others, by James Sinclair in Lee. King James V gave him, in 1533, a charter renewing some older ones of Roslin to his ancestor Henry Earl of Orkney; and in 1542 he executed an entail of Roslin and Herbertshire to his sons William, Gilbert, Patrick, Alexander, John, Oliver, Mathew, and Edward successively, whom failing to his brothers Oliver, Alexander, Arthur, and James. The next year, 1541, William, Lord Borthwick's retour is made coram [in presence of] honorabilibus viris, Alexandro Heburne et Magistro Johanne Sinclar, Vicecomitibus deputalis de Edinburgh, per istos honorabiles viros subscriptos, viz., Edwardum Sinclar de Drydane, etc., etc. Seasine to Catune is granted in 1544, by Sir William, in the presence of, amongst others, Edward Sinclair. Sir William received an annual pension of 300 merks from the Queen-Dowager, Marie of Guise, in 1546, for his allegiance to the crown of Scotland. He lastly appears in an obligation of John Lord Borthwick, 23rd June 1551, two of the attesting parties being Oliver and Thomas Saintclair.

Sir Willian was in a high degree of favour with King James V, who by his special writ of summons called him frequently to sit in Parliament, as appears from the Registers thereof. He married Alison Hume, daughter of George Lord Home, by whom he had issue -

  1. SIR WILLIAM, his successor, retoured in 1554
  2. GILBERT.
  3. PATRICK.
  4. ALEXANDER, of Cuthilton and Little Denny, who had a son
    1. HERCULES, perhaps the reverend iconoclast of Shetland
  5. JOHN
  6. OLIVER [of West Ravensneuk]
  7. SIR MATHEW.
  8. EDWARD SINCLAIR, of Dryden and of Ethay, in Orkney (vide Charter 28th October 1533), see the Sinclairs of The Isle of Ethay

Dying before 1554, Sir William was succeeded by his eldest son

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