General Notes

REFN: 5108AN
28 Aug 1455 - Created 1st Earl of Caithness
1470 - Resigned his Earldom of Ork ney into the hands of King James I
II of Scotland.
Admiral of Scotland
High Chancellor
7 Dec 1476 - Resigned his Earldom of Caithness to his 2nd son by hi s 2
nd wife.
Had two sons William, one by each of his two wifes. The first Wi lliam "T
he Waster", although the eldest, was set asiDe by his father from successi
on to the Earldom after a jury of nobles found him "incompos mentis et fat
uus". The second William (by his second wife) succeeded to the Earldom.
[from Burke's Peerage]:
1st Earl of Caithness so created 28 Aug 1455 in settle ment of a cla
im to the Lordship of Nithsdale through his mother, as also earl ier 14
49 Lord Sinclair, and 3rd Earl of Orkney till 1470, when he resign
ed th e Earldom to James III as Orkney had been part of the latter's wife
's dowry o n her marriage with James, receiving in exchange Ravenscraig Ca
stle, Fife, and its lands 16 Sep 1470; founder Collegiate Church of Rossly
n, Midlothian 1453; High Chancellor of Scotland 1454-58; Ambassador Engla
nd 1471-73; made over the Earldom of Caithness to his son William 2 Dec 14
76 but reserved life rent. William Sinclair, d. 1480, Lord Sinclair, 3rd E
arl of Orkney (which earldom he resigned into the hands of King James I
II 1470), created 28 Aug 1455 Earl of Caithness, Admiral of Scotland and H
igh Chancellor;
m. (1) Elizabeth Douglas, d. c 1451, daughter of Archibald Douglas, 4th E
arl of Douglas and Margaret, daughter of Robert III Stewart, King of Scots
;
m. (2) before 15 Nov 1 456 Marjory, daughter of Alexander Sutherland of Du
nbeath. [Magna Charta Sure ties] 7 Dec 1476 - Resigned his Earldom of Cait
hness to his 2nd son by his 2nd wife.
Sir William Sinclair, was also active at the sea. The husband of Sir Jam
es Douglas's niece, and brother-in-law to Sir James himself, he had been a
ppointed Grand Admiral of Scotland in 1436, and was subsequently to beco
me Chancellor as well. But his greatest achievement, which was to link h
im forever with Masonic and other esoteric traditions, lay in the sphe
re of architecture. It was under Sir William's auspices that, in 1446, t
he foundations for a large collegiate church were laid at Rosslyn. In 145
0, the structure was formally dedicated to St Matthew and work proper bega
n. While it proceeded, another William Sinclair, probably the nephew of Ro
sslyn builder, became the first member of his family to enrol in the Sco
ts Guard and rose to prominence in the unit.
The building of Rosslyn Chapel was to take forty years. It was finally com
pleted in the 1480's by Sir William's son Oliver Sinclair, a close associa
te of Lord George Seton, who swore fealty to Oliver Sinclair for life at t
his time. Oliver Sinclair never proceeded with the rest of the church, pro
bably because, by now, it appears, Sinclair energies were diverted elsewhe
re. Sir William's grandson, also named Oliver, was a military officer, clo
se confidant and Master of the Royal Household to James V. In 1542, he com
manded the Scottish army at Solway Moss, where he was captured. On givi
ng his parole to aid the English cause, he was released, but seems n
ot to have held to his oath. In 1545, he was ordered to return to pris
on in England, whereupon he proceeded to disappear from history, presumab
ly going to ground in the Scottish hinterlands or perhaps abroad.
That in 1441 James II, King of Scotland, appointed St Clair Patron and Pro
tector of Scottish Masons; that the office was hereditary; that after h
is death, circa 1480, his descendants held annual meetings at Kilwinning,.
..the nomination of Craft Office-Bearers remained a prerogative of the Kin
gs Of Scotland; that it was neglected by James VI when he became King of E
ngland...
It is important to note that "Masonry" in this context does not imply Free
masonry as we know it today. On the contrary, it refers to the guild or gu
ilds of pr