VI HENRY SINCLAIR

The same day the Master of Sinclair became caution and surety for William Sinclair of Auchinfranko, and Alexander Sinclair, his brother, to the effect above written. That is to say, the said William, under the pain of 300 merks, and the said Alexander, his brother, under the pain of 300 merks, and John Maxwell of the Hills acted to relieve him. Having duly appeared on the appointed day, Auchinfranco asked for and obtained on the 1st July next thereafter, instruments relieving their sureties, including [William] Master of Sinclair.

Henry, Master [heir apparent] of Sinclair was one of the Lords of Convention at Perth, 27th July 1569, and on 29th, same, recorded his vote against the Queen's divorce. On the 26th December 1571, he becomes caution at Leith for Agnes Sinclair, relict of umquhile [deceased] Patrick, Earl Bothwell, not to intercommune with William Hepburn, bastard son to James, sometime Earl of Bothwell, and Ormiston, sometime of that Ilk [of Ormiston], and other rebels.

He succeeded his father in 1570.

On the 15th August 1573, Henry, Lord Sinclair, admitted that he had let Andrew Little and John Scott to liberty upon band and promise, and on the same day he gives surety to present certain Borderers; he had on the 3rd June previous become a surety. The 4th July 1577, finds an entry by him of obligation of relief to sureties.

He makes complaint 22nd October 1579, that his house of Knockhall, in Aberdeenshire, has been sacked, of which he suspects William Forbes of Speyside, a broken man. An order issued requiring the occupiers to surrender house. On the 6th January 1590-91, caution was taken for £1,000 each from Henry, Lord Sinclair, and James, Master [heir apparent] of Sinclair, that they will not harm William Sinclair of Leyis or Oliver Sinclair of Ravensneuk, his tutor testamentary, for his interests.

On the 24th April 1594, there was registration of a band releasing caution entered into for Henry, Lord Sinclair, and his sons Patrick in Dysart and William. On the 2nd December 1596 Lord Sinclair was ordered to free William Bonar of Rossie, whom he had imprisoned at Ravenscraig, There are many appearances of this lord as a Baron of Parliament.

There is in the Bodleian Library a collection of Manuscript poems by various authors - it is described as "liber Henricii domini Sinclar".

The Manuscript contains 231 folios, and has various writings and signatures scattered throughout, of which are "Mawnis Synclar", "By me Laurence Sincla", "Elezabeth synclar within", "Villam Lord (?)", "by me Patrick schiner", "Jeff [or Jess] Sinclar", and one looking like "Maluin Sin" (perhaps Malcolm). There is a blazon of the arms of Orkney on folio II 8, considered to be the earliest specimen extant of Scottish heraldic art on vellum or paper.

One of the poems in Lord Sinclair's album is "The Kingis Quhair", the authorship of which has been ascribed erroneously to King James I ["Authorship of the Kingis Quhair, a New Criticism" by J.T.T. Brown]

This Lord was one of the party of nobles that rallied round James VI on his escape from the custody of the Ruthvens. [Balfour's Annals]

This lord was chivalrous and high-spirited to a degree. On the death of Mary Queen of Scots at Fotheringay Castle, 8th February 1567, King James had desired his courtiers to appear before him in mourning, and that noble came in a complete suit of armour; upon which the King looked angrily at him, asking if he had not heard of the general order. "Yes !", replied Lord Sinclair, making his coat of mail ring through the court, "This is the proper mourning for the Queen of Scotland". [Catherine Sinclair]

In February 1591-92, the Earl of Huntly, after killing the ex-Regent Moray, took momentary refuge in the Castle of Ravenscraig, belonging to Lord Sinclair, who told him, with a mixture of Scottish caution and Scottish hospitality, that he was welcome to come in, but would have been twice as welcome to have passed by. [Scott's Tales of a Grandfather]

There is an opinion of the Scottish nobility in 1592, which refers to Lord Henry thus: Sinkler, Lord Sinkler, of 65 years. His mother, Oliphant (?); his wife, the Lord Forbes' daughter. Seat, Ravens-Craig. This would make him born 12 years after his father's marriage.

He was twice married: First, to Janet, daughter of Patrick, Lord Lindesay, of the Byres, by whom he had -

1. JAMES, Master [heir apparent] of Sinclair, who died during the lifetime of his father in 1592. He gave caution for £1,000, 4th March 1589-90, in favour of Grissell Gaw or Allardice, Lady Skadney. He married the Lady Isabella, daughter of Andrew Leslie, fourth Earl of Rothes, by whom he had -
   1. HENRY 7th Lord Sinclair.
   2. JAMES 8th Lord Sinclair.
   3. PATRICK 9th Lord Sinclair.
   4. CATHARINE
   5. MARGARET, wife of William Lord Berriedale, eldest son of George III, 43rd Earl of Caithness.
   There is a notice in 1601 as to the recapture of ecclesiastical offenders by Issobell Leslie, Mistress of Sinclair, and John (?) and John Sinclair, her servants, Gilbert Sinclair in Dysart, etc.
2. PATRICK of Balgreggie. He married Catherine, daughter of James Boswell of Balmuto, by whom he was ancestor of a line of Sinclairs of Balgreggie, which did not fail in the male line till 1710, in the person of JOHN SINCLAIR of Balgreggie, who, as he survived the last Lord Sinclair in the male line for 34 years, was during that long period head of the House of Sinclair, and if the title were limited to heirs-male would have had an undoubted right to it. His family is now represented in the female line by Ayton of Inchdairnie. NOTE - Ross of Craigie (cadet of Innernethie), and Ayton of Inchdairnie represent the Sinclairs of Balgreggie through heiresses.
3. SIR ANDREW, member, in 1617, of the Danish Rigsraad - Council of the Realm. He married Kirstine Kaas, a noble Danish lady, by whom he had at least four children, a daughter and three sons. Of these -
   1. CHRISTIAN (born 1607 [Balfour's Annals] 1645), married Elizabeth Below and had two children, who died young.
   2. JAMES, married and left several children, but his family seems to have become extinct in the next generation.
   3. ROBERT.
   Sir Andrew died in 1625, a distinguished member of the Danish aristocracy.
4. MAGNUS.
5. HELEN, wife of Andrew Kinninmont of Kinninmont.

1. [HENRY]
2. LAURENCE
3. WILLIAM
4. ELIZABETH, m Sir Duncan Campbell of Glenorchy, ancestor to the Earl of Breadalbane
5. JANE

The "Genealogical Descendance" of the Swedish Sinclairs begins their pedigree with Henry, eldest son of Henry, sixth Lord Sinclair, by his second wife, the Lady Elizabeth Forbes.

Henry Lord Sinclair died in 1601, and was succeeded by his grandson

VII HENRY SINCLAIR, who died the year following, 1602. There is notice of a precognition, 3rd May 1604, obtained against this Lord Sinclair and Robert Sinclair.

VIII JAMES SINCLAIR, his brother, then succeeded. Dying in 1607, he was succeeded by the third brother

IX PATRICK, as 9th Lord Sinclair. He married Margaret, daughter of Sir John Cockburn of Ormiston, Lord Chief Justice-Clerk of Scotland, by whom he had issue -

1. JOHN, his heir.
2. HENRY, died unmarried, 1670.