• General Notes

  Notes from http://awt.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=mskris254&id=I26249
  
  Note:
  William Sinclair (1028-1090), a son of Walderne, also fought at Hastings. After William the Conqueror became King of England, William Sinclair grew disenchanted over the King' s aggressiveness in expanding his new kingdom. Therefore Sinclair chose to leave England and accept the position of Steward for Queen Margaret and King Malcolm III of Scotland . He became known as "William le blond" and "the Seemly St . Clair." *********************************** Although Caithness became the stronghold of the Sinclair family, it was Rosslyn that was the cradle of the family in Scotland. First of the 'Lordly' line of the high St Clair was William 'the Seemly' who had accompanied Margaret, the Saxon Princess, from Hungary to Scotland in 1057. She eventually married Malcom III (known as 'Canmore' or Big Head) whilst William was made her 'cupbearer' because he was `perfect in all his members'. The King gave him Rosslyn in life-re nt but this was eventually changed to 'in free heritage' because of William's service to the King. (He had been killed whilst defending the Scottish borders against an English attack). His son and successor, Henri de St Clair (the first Sinclair to be born in Scotland) took part in, the 1st Crusade and was at the fall of Jerusalem in 1096.
  Note:
  (Research):William 'the Seemly' St Clair had been given the task of defending the border against the possibility of an English attack. When the attack came, Malcolm reinforced the Sinclair forces with those commanded by the Earls of March and Monteith. During the ensuing battle William Sinclair dashed forward with his forces 'to put the enemy out of order' . The report goes on to say: "He was slain by a multitude of his enimnes but not before he made fall many in heaps down by his feet". The news of his death coming to the two other chietains, March and Monteith, they fell 'so boldly upon the enimie that they scarce left any alive'. The King and the Queen lamented this misfortune and gave William's son, Henry Sinclair, the lands of Rosslyn 'in free heritage' (his father had held it in 'life rent'); made him a knight and a captain of 600 men. Henry outlived King Malcolm but was equally respected by King David I of Scotland who gave him the lands of Cardain and the command of 8,000 men. He routed the English army at the Battle of Allerton (now in Yorkshire) thereby avenging the death of his father.
  

Details of The Seemly's family with Agnes de Dunbar