Forss House and the estate of Forss are in the parish of Latheron.
Some photos can be seen on www.caithness.org/atoz/forss/forsshotel
It has its own website on www.forsshousehotel.co.uk
It should not be confused with Forse
Previous to 1557 the lands of Forss and Baillie belonged to the Bishopric, but in that year they were feued out to John, Earl of Sutherland, and Eleanor, his wife; and in January 1560 they were granted in feu by the Earl and his Lady to David Sinclair of Dun, in liferent, and to his three sons, William, Alexander, and Henry, and to the heirs-male of their bodies lawfully begotten, in succession, in fee. Who David Sinclair of Dun was is uncertain, further than that he was in all probability of the Caithness family. It is understood that in the charter of 1560 he is styled by the Earl and Countess "nostrum consanguineum germanum", but no such near connection as cousins-german can be traced; and it is stated, on the authority of a gentleman who has given much attention to the subject, that only in modern times does such a phrase mean more than "of the same blood". For particulars regarding the origin of the family of Dun reference is made to the "Notes" on the Sinclairs of Dun and Southdun.
The considerations in respect of which the abovementioned charter was granted are set forth therein at some length, such as services rendered, improvements to be effected on the lands, etc. They are much. the same as those contained in the charter granted in 1557 by the Bishop and Chapter to the Earl of Sutherland, and are generally in the style not unusual at the time. The services alluded-to as having been rendered by Sinclair of Dun to the Earl cannot have reference, as supposed by the late Mr. Sinclair of Forss, (See his letter, dated November 1860, regarding the family of Dun, inserted in Calder's "History") to his having rescued the Earl, when a minor, from the Earl of Caithness; for it was not Earl John, but his son, Earl Alexander, who, after his father's death, fell into the Earl of Caithness's hands.
I. DAVID SINCLAIR OF DUN, AND FIRST SINCLAIR OF FORSS, seems to have died in March 1560. In May 1561 his son, William, fiar of Forss, was admitted vassal in Forss by the Earl of Sutherland; and at the same date he gave a liferent right in Forss to one Mary Stirling, transactions not likely to have taken place had his father, who had Forss in liferent, been then still alive. This David Sinclair had certainly four sons: -
V. GEORGE SINCLAIR OF FORSS married, first, Jean, daughter of David Sinclair of Dun, and, secondly, Mary, daughter of Sir James Sinclair of Murkle. By his first marriage he had a daughter-
Margaret, who married Malcolm Grote of Warse.
By his second marriage he had a son John, his successor.
VI. JOHN SINCLAIR OF FORSS was three times married; first, to Janet, daughter of William Sutherland of Geise, of the family of Sutherland of Forse; secondly, to Barbara, daughter of John Sinclair of Rattar; and, thirdly, to Elizabeth, daughter of Richard Murray of Pennyland. By his first marriage he had a son George, his successor.
By his second marriage he had three sons and a daughter: -
VIII. JOHN SINCLAIR OF FORSS, half-brother of George, was minister of Watten in 1733, and died in 1753. He married Esther, daughter of Alexander Sinclair of Olrig, and had a son, Alexander.
IX. ALEXANDER SINCLAIR OF FORSS died unmarried, and was succeeded by his uncle, James Sinclair of Holbornhead. He seems to have been somewhat eccentric in his habits.
X. JAMES SINCLAIR OF FORSS AND HOLBORNHEAD married, in 1737, Jean, daughter of Robert Sinclair of Geise, Advocate, son of James Sinclair of Lybster, and great-grandson of John of Assery, natural son of James Sinclair of Murkle. James Sinclair of Holbornhead married, apparently after 1775, a daughter of John Sinclair of Scotscalder, but had no issue by this his second wife.
The social habits of the county in the early part of last century (1737) are illustrated in an account of Holbornhead's marriage, given by a gentleman who was present: "We had a rantin bridal and a brave jolly company of ladies and gentlemen; your sisters and the ladies of the familie; Freswick, Brabster, Scotscalder, Assery, Thura, Lybster, Mass John Sinclair [Rev. John Sinclair, minister of Watten], the Frenchman [it does not appear who he was], Mr. Harry Innes, John of Bower, Toftkemp, etc. We danced four days out, and drank heartily, and thereafter went home with the young wife, where we renewed our mirth to a height",
James Sinclair had three sons and two daughters: -
XII. JAMES SINCLAIR OF FORSS, TWELFTH LAIRD, married his cousin, Jessie, daughter of William Sinclair Wemyss of Southdun, and had issue, thirteen sons and four daughters, of whom eight sons and three daughters survived him. He died at Forss, 1st March 1876, aged 73.
His children were: -
XI. JAMES SINCLAIR OF FORSS, third son of James Sinclair of Holbornhead, succeeded his father. He served as Lieutenant in the Army; married Johanna, daughter of George McKay of Bighouse, and had four sons: -
And five daughters: -
He was succeeded by his eldest son, James.
The following account of the Sinclairs of Forss is taken from a MS. of the late William Sinclair of Freswick, written apparently about 1770.
Many pretend just now to call the legitimacy of this family (of Forss) in question: Who do it now but such whose family's ly under an imputation of spuriousness not easily to be wipt out, with the most of which I'd hold no argument, as being bastards of yesterday. Such circumstances as they think seem to favor their assertion are easily acounted, from the method of their first outset, a manner that they despise, but which in the opinion of those who will judge with candour and propriety, adds a lustre to them not here to be paraleled, as it is evident that even in that unpolished time, when nothing but the tyes of blood were regarded by others, our progenitor bravely stood forth in support of his friend's family, neither valuing the connexion he had with Lord C. (Caithness), or the effects of the fury of his followers. At a time when from Lord S.'s (Sutherland's) minority he had little hopes of assistance, and reward far distant, he could have no other motive than that of a generous friendship for Lord S. and an indignation at G. E. of C. (George, Earl of Caithness) devilish intentions against Lord S.'s family. But to proceed to our intended narrative, 'tis not to be wondered at if we consider family accidents, that they had no patrimony. William (the second Earl of Caithness) died fighting for his country; his son John might have done something for David, but as they both fell together in Orkney, where his interest or love for his brother led him (we are not to enter on the merits of the expedition); the tye of cousin-german was not strong enough, thought young William and George; he accordingly offered his service to Lord S., who accepted of them.
James of Holbornhead married Jean, second daughter of Robert Sinclair of Giese, Advocate, and has issue: -
Firstly. That, while there is a general concurrence in the fact that the ancestor of the family was a David Sinclair; there is no evidence that William, second Earl of Caithness, had a son of this name.
Secondly. The charter of Forss in 1560 was granted by John, Earl of Sutherland, and his wife, Eleanor, to David Sinclair of Dun, his son, William, and other sons in succession. This David Sinclair died in 1560, and Earl John lived till 1567, when he left his eldest son a minor, no doubt; but the charter of 1560 could not have been for services rendered to him. Earl John himself was also a minor in 1529 when his father died, and possibly the charter of 1560 might have been granted to David Sinclair for services rendered to him. But, on the other hand, according to the pedigree, David Sinclair, the alleged son of Earl William, was killed in Orkney in 1529. In 1561 Earl John granted to William Sinclair a precept admitting him a vassal in Forss.
Thirdly. William Sinclair's wife was certainly Janet Urquhart, and not Janet Murray, as appears from a sasine in their favour. David Sinclair, son of William, married Janet Murray of Pulrossie.