George Sinclair (died 1582) was a Scottish nobleman, the 4th

Earl of Caithness Earl of Caithness is a title that has been created several times in the Peerage of Scotland, and it has a very complex history. Its first grant, in the modern sense as to have been counted in strict lists of peerages, is now generally held to hav ...

and chief of the

Clan Sinclair Clan Sinclair ( ) is a Highland Scottish clan which holds the lands of Caithness, the Orkney Islands, and the Lothians. The chiefs of the clan were the Barons of Roslin and later the Earls of Orkney and Earls of Caithness. The Sinclairs are be ...

, a

Scottish clan A Scottish clan (from Scottish Gaelic , literally 'children', more broadly 'kindred') is a kinship group among the Scottish people. Clans give a sense of shared heritage and descent to members, and in modern times have an official structure r ...

of the

Scottish Highlands The Highlands (; , ) is a historical region of Scotland. Culturally, the Highlands and the Scottish Lowlands, Lowlands diverged from the Late Middle Ages into the modern period, when Scots language, Lowland Scots language replaced Scottish Gae ...

Early life

He was the son of

John Sinclair, 3rd Earl of Caithness John Sinclair (died 1529) was a Scottish nobleman, 3rd Earl of Caithness and chief of the Clan Sinclair, a Scottish clan of the Scottish Highlands. Early life He was the son of William Sinclair, 2nd Earl of Caithness and Margaret, daughter of S ...

and Elizabeth, daughter of

William Sutherland, 5th of Duffus William Sutherland, 5th of Duffus (died 1529) was a member of the Scottish nobility and a cadet of the Clan Sutherland. Early life He was the son of William Sutherland, 4th of Duffus who died in 1513 and his mother may have been Janet Innes La ...

Earl of Caithness

George Sinclair, 4th Earl of Caithness resigned his earldom into the hands of

Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was List of Scottish monarchs, Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legit ...

who in turn granted a

charter A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiority (or sovereignty), and that the ...

to the earl's son and heir, John Sinclair, on 2 October 1545, under the reservation of life-rent and

terce Terce is a canonical hour of the Divine Office. It consists mainly of psalms and is held around 9 a.m. Its name comes from Latin and refers to the third hour of the day after dawn. Along with Prime, Sext, None, and Compline, Terce belongs ...

. He appears as a member of the

Privy Council of Scotland The Privy Council of Scotland ( — 1 May 1708) was a body that advised the Scottish monarch. During its existence, the Privy Council of Scotland was essentially considered as the government of the Kingdom of Scotland, and was seen as the most ...

and records of the Council show that for many years prior to 1553, there had been feuding between the Earl of Caithness and the

Clan Mackay Clan Mackay ( ; ) is an ancient and once-powerful Scottish Highlands, Highland Scottish clan from the far north of the Scottish Highlands, but with roots in the old Mormaer of Moray, Kingdom of Moray. They supported Robert I of Scotland, Rober ...

. The Council had ordered the Earl of Caithness on 18 September 1553 to meet with the

Earl of Huntly Marquess of Huntly is a title in the Peerage of Scotland that was created on 17 April 1599 for George Gordon, 6th Earl of Huntly. It is the oldest existing marquessate in Scotland, and the second-oldest in the British Isles; only the English ma ...

who was Her Majesty's Lieutenant-General in the North, and the Bishop of Ross, at

Inverness Inverness (; ; from the , meaning "Mouth of the River Ness") is a city in the Scottish Highlands, having been granted city status in 2000. It is the administrative centre for The Highland Council and is regarded as the capital of the Highland ...

"under pain of rebellion". He met with Mary, Queen of Scots in 1555 at Inverness in order to settle disorders in that part of the country. According to Roland Saint-Clair, the earl was required to bring his countrymen with him to the court which he either neglected or declined to do and as a result he was imprisoned at Inverness,

Aberdeen Aberdeen ( ; ; ) is a port city in North East Scotland, and is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, third most populous Cities of Scotland, Scottish city. Historically, Aberdeen was within the historic county of Aberdeensh ...

and

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

successively, and was not released until he had paid a considerable sum of money. On 18 December 1556 George, Earl of Caithness received a remission under the

Great Seal of Scotland The Great Seal of Scotland (; also the Scottish Seal; formally the Seal appointed by the Treaty of Union to be kept and made use of in place of the Great Seal of Scotland) is a seal used by the first minister of Scotland to seal letters pate ...

for oppression of the lieges. He also received two charters for the office of Justicar from Portinculter to the

Pentland Firth The Pentland Firth (, meaning the Orcadian Strait) is a strait which separates the Orkney Islands from Caithness in the north of Scotland. Despite the name, it is not a firth. Etymology The name is presumed to be a corruption of the Old Nors ...

, which his predecessors had held, on 22 December 1561. On the night of the murder of

David Rizzio David Rizzio ( ; ; – 9 March 1566) or Riccio ( , ) was an Italian courtier, born in Pancalieri close to Turin, a descendant of an ancient and noble family still living in Piedmont, the Riccio Counts di San Paolo e Solbrito, who rose to bec ...

on 9 March 1566, the Earl of Caithness was with the party who tried to rescue the Queen, but being outnumbered retired from the contest. Two days later the Queen escaped to

Dunbar Castle Dunbar Castle was one of the strongest fortresses in Scotland, situated in a prominent position overlooking the Dunbar Harbour, harbour of the town of Dunbar, in East Lothian. Several fortifications were built successively on the site, near th ...

with Lord Darnely where they were joined by their friends including the Earl of Caithness. The Earl of Caithness's commission as Justiciary was extended on 14 May 1566. He was foreman of the trial of

James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell James Hepburn, 1st Duke of Orkney and 4th Earl of Bothwell ( – 14 April 1578), better known simply as Lord Bothwell, was the third husband of Mary, Queen of Scots. He was accused of the murder of Mary's second husband, Henry Stuart, Lord ...

for the

murder of Lord Darnley The murder of Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, second husband of Mary, Queen of Scots, took place on 10 February 1567 in Edinburgh, Scotland. Darnley's lodgings were destroyed by gunpowder; his body and that of his servant were found nearby, appar ...

, on 12 April 1567. In 1570, the Battle of Torran-Roy took place between the forces of George Sinclair, 4th Earl of Caithness and

Alexander Gordon, 12th Earl of Sutherland Alexander Gordon, 12th Earl of Sutherland (died 1594) was a Scottish landowner. Early life He was the son of John Gordon, 11th Earl of Sutherland and his second wife Lady Helen Stewart, daughter of John Stewart, 3rd Earl of Lennox and widow of ...

. Caithness was initially defeated by Sutherland's

vassals A vassal or liege subject is a person regarded as having a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch, in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. While the subordinate party is called a vassal, the dominant party is called a suzerai ...

the Murrays of Aberscross, but he returned to besiege the Murrays at

Dornoch Dornoch (; ; ) is a town, seaside resort, parish and former royal burgh in the county of Sutherland in the Highlands of Scotland. It lies on the north shore of the Dornoch Firth, near to where it opens into the Moray Firth to the east. ...

after which several of them were beheaded. The Earl of Caithness later imprisoned his son, the Master of Caithnes, for making peace with the Murrays. The Master of Caithness died at Castle Sinclair Girnigoe in 1576. George, 4th Earl of Caithness also obtained a remission to imprison his younger brother David Sinclair in Castle Sinclair Girnigoe. George Sinclair, 4th Earl of Caithness died at Edinburgh on 9 September 1582 and was buried in

Rosslyn Chapel Rosslyn Chapel, also known as the Collegiate Chapel of Saint Matthew, is a 15th-century Scottish Episcopal Church, Episcopal chapel located in the village of Roslin, Midlothian, Roslin in Midlothian, Scotland. The chapel was founded by William Si ...

. The grave lies at the west end of the north aisle. At his own request, his heart was extracted and encased in a leaden casket that was sent to

Caithness Caithness (; ; ) is a Shires of Scotland, historic county, registration county and Lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area of Scotland. There are two towns, being Wick, Caithness, Wick, which was the county town, and Thurso. The count ...

and deposited at the church in

Wick Wick most often refers to: * Capillary action ("wicking") ** Candle wick, the cord used in a candle or oil lamp ** Solder wick, a copper-braided wire used to desolder electronic contacts Wick or WICK may also refer to: Places and placenames ...

. On

Barrogill Castle The Castle of Mey (also known for a time as Barrogill Castle) is located in Caithness, on the north coast of Scotland, about west of John o' Groats. In fine weather there are views from the castle north to the Orkney Islands. History The lands ...

(Castle of Mey) there is an ancient carving of the arms of George Sincalir, 4th Earl of Caithness.

Family

George Sinclair, 4th Earl of Caithness married Lady Elizabeth Graham, daughter of

William Graham, 2nd Earl of Montrose William Graham, 2nd Earl of Montrose (1492 – 24 May 1571) was a Scottish nobleman and statesman, who successfully steered a moderate course through the treacherous waters of mid-16th century Scottish politics. Origins Graham was the eldes ...

, and had the following children: #

John Sinclair, Master of Caithness John Sinclair, Master of Caithness (died 1576) was a Scottish nobleman. Early life John Sinclair, Master of Caithness was the eldest son of George Sinclair, 4th Earl of Caithness and his wife Lady Elizabeth Graham, daughter of William Graham, 2 ...

(d.1576), who married Jean, daughter of

Patrick Hepburn, 3rd Earl of Bothwell Patrick Hepburn, 3rd Earl of Bothwell (1512 – September 1556) was the son of Adam Hepburn, Lord Hailes, who died at the Battle of Flodden the year after Patrick's birth. Hepburn was known as the ''Fair Earl''. He owed this more to his look ...

, and left children, including

George Sinclair, 5th Earl of Caithness George Sinclair (died 1643) was a Scottish nobleman, the 5th Earl of Caithness and chief of the Clan Sinclair, a Scottish clan based in northern Scotland. Early life George Sinclair, 5th Earl of Caithness was the eldest son of John Sinclair, Ma ...

. #William Sinclair, first laird of Mey and ancestor of the Sinclairs of

Ulbster Ulbster is a scattered crofting hamlet on the eastern coast of Caithness, within the parish of Wick, in the Scottish Highlands, within the Highland Council area. The town of Wick is located seven miles north of the village along the A99 road. To ...

. His son William was at High School in Edinburgh in 1595 and shot

John MacMorran Baillie John MacMorran (1553-1595), a merchant and Baillie of Edinburgh, was killed during a riot at Edinburgh High School. His house at Riddle's Court is a valued monument on Edinburgh's Lawnmarket. Career John MacMorran was a merchant involv ...

. #George Sinclair of Mey, Chancellor of Caithness. #David Sinclair. #Barbara Sinclair or Beatrix Sinclair, who married

and divorced him by 1573. #Elizabeth Sinclair, who married firstly, Alexander Sutherland, son of Alexander Sutherland, 8th of Duffus, and secondly,

Huistean Du Mackay, 13th of Strathnaver Huistean Du Mackay (Hugh Mackay), 13th of Strathnaver (d. 1614), was the thirteenth chief of Clan Mackay, a Highland Scottish clan. Early life Huistean Mackay was the eldest son from the second marriage of his father, Iye Du Mackay, 12th of Strat ...

. #Margaret Sinclair, who married William Sutherland, 9th of Duffus. #Barbara Sinclair, married to Alexander Innes of Innes. #Janet Sinclair, second or third wife of Robert Munro, 16th Baron of Foulis, but who died childless. In 1582 she received a ''Tack of the

Parsonage A clergy house is the residence, or former residence, of one or more priests or ministers of a given religion, serving as both a home and a base for the occupant's ministry. Residences of this type can have a variety of names, such as manse, pa ...

of Spittal''. #Agnes Sinclair, who married as the second wife of

Andrew Hay, 8th Earl of Erroll Andrew Hay, 8th Earl of Erroll ( – 8 October 1585) was a Scottish nobleman and politician. Biography He was the son of George Hay by his first wife, Margaret Robertson. His father inherited the earldom after the death of his uncle, Willia ...

. *General

Arthur St. Clair Major-General Arthur St. Clair ( – August 31, 1818) was a Scottish-born American military officer and politician. Born in Thurso, Caithness, he served in the British Army during the French and Indian War before settling in the Province of Pe ...

of the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

was reportedly descended from George Sinclair, 4th Earl of Caithness.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Caithness, George Sinclair, 4th Earl of

16th-century Scottish people

George George may refer to: Names * George (given name) * George (surname) People * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Papagheorghe, also known as Jorge / GEØRGE * George, stage name of Gior ...

Earls of Caithness

Early life

Earl of Caithness

Family

See also

References