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Earl of Caithness is a title that has been created several times in the
Peerage of Scotland The Peerage of Scotland ( gd, Moraireachd na h-Alba, sco, Peerage o Scotland) is one of the five divisions of peerages in the United Kingdom and for those peers created by the King of Scots before 1707. Following that year's Treaty of Unio ...
, and it has a very complex history. Its first grant, in the modern sense as to have been counted in strict lists of
peerage A peerage is a legal system historically comprising various hereditary titles (and sometimes non-hereditary titles) in a number of countries, and composed of assorted noble ranks. Peerages include: Australia * Australian peers Belgium * Be ...
s, is now generally held to have taken place in favor of
Maol Íosa V, Earl of Strathearn Malise V, Earl of Strathearn and Caithness, Jarl of Orkney ( gd, Maol Íosa; died ) was the last of the native Gaelic earls of Strathearn. Biography He succeeded to the Earldom of Strathearn in 1329, on the death of his father Malise IV, Earl ...
, in 1334, although in the true circumstances of 14th century, this presumably was just a recognition of his hereditary right to the ancient
earldom Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Scandinavian form ''jarl'', and meant " chieftain", particula ...
/ mormaership of
Caithness Caithness ( gd, Gallaibh ; sco, Caitnes; non, Katanes) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. Caithness has a land boundary with the historic county of Sutherland to the west and is otherwise bounded ...
. The next year, however, all of his titles were declared forfeit for treason.


History

Earlier, Caithness had been intermittently held, presumably always as fief of Scotland, by the Norse
earls of Orkney Earl of Orkney, historically Jarl of Orkney, is a title of nobility encompassing the archipelagoes of Orkney and Shetland, which comprise the Northern Isles of Scotland. Originally founded by Norse invaders, the status of the rulers of the N ...
, at least since the days of the childhood of Thorfinn Sigurdsson in c.1020, but possibly already several decades before. The modern reconstruction of holders of peerage earldoms do not usually include those of Mormaerdom of Caithness, although there is no essential difference between them and, for example, those of mormaers of Lennox, mormaers of Strathearn and mormaers of Angus. The next grant after Maol Íosa was to David Stewart, a younger son of
Robert II of Scotland Robert II (2 March 1316 – 19 April 1390) was King of Scots from 1371 to his death in 1390. The son of Walter Stewart, 6th High Steward of Scotland, and Marjorie, daughter of King Robert the Bruce, he was the first monarch of the House of S ...
. His heiress, Euphemia, resigned the title in 1390 in favour of her uncle Walter, 1st Earl of Atholl. Walter himself resigned the title in 1428, in favour of his son Allan, but he retained the earldom of Atholl for himself. Upon Allan's death, Walter again came to hold both earldoms. However, both were lost when he was executed for high treason in 1437, his titles being forfeit. The third creation of the title was for Sir George Crichton in 1452, but he surrendered the title in the same year. The final creation of the earldom was made in 1455 for William Sinclair, 3rd Earl of Orkney. He surrendered the Orkney title and all associated lands to James III in 1470, in return for the Castle of Ravenscraig, in Fife. James III had in 1469 received the rights of the king of Norway to Orkney territories as pledge of dowry of his wife Margaret of Denmark. In this way, the Scottish crown tightened its grip to Orkney and Shetland, a former Norwegian territory, by moving all other important holders away. Six years later, Earl William wished to disinherit his eldest son, who was known as "the Waster". Therefore, so that his earldom would not pass to him, he resigned the title in favour of his second son from his second marriage, another William. General
Arthur St. Clair Arthur St. Clair ( – August 31, 1818) was a Scottish-American soldier and politician. Born in Thurso, Scotland, he served in the British Army during the French and Indian War before settling in Pennsylvania, where he held local office. During ...
was reportedly descended from George Sinclair, 4th Earl of Caithness.
George Sinclair, 6th Earl of Caithness George Sinclair (died 1676) was a Scottish nobleman, 6th Earl of Caithness, and chief of the Clan Sinclair, a Scottish clan of the Scottish Highlands. Early life George Sinclair, 6th Earl of Caithness was the son of John Sinclair, Master of Ber ...
, was the last earl to cause a disturbance in the normal succession of the title. In 1672, he agreed that, at his death, all of his lands and titles would pass to Sir John Campbell, who was his creditor. In 1677, the sixth earl died, and King Charles II granted him a patent creating him Earl of Caithness. Later, however, the sixth earl's heir, also named George, was confirmed in his titles by the law. Therefore, in order to compensate for the loss of the earldom, Charles II created Campbell Earl of Breadalbane and Holland. Thereafter, the earldom of Caithness has passed solely within the Sinclair family, without any further resignations or other irregularities. The Earl of Caithness also holds the title of ''Lord Berriedale'', which was created in the Peerage of Scotland in 1455. That title is used as a
courtesy title A courtesy title is a title that does not have legal significance but rather is used through custom or courtesy, particularly, in the context of nobility, the titles used by children of members of the nobility (cf. substantive title). In some con ...
for the earl's eldest son and heir.


Earls of Caithness, First Creation (c. 1334)

*
Maol Íosa V, Earl of Strathearn Malise V, Earl of Strathearn and Caithness, Jarl of Orkney ( gd, Maol Íosa; died ) was the last of the native Gaelic earls of Strathearn. Biography He succeeded to the Earldom of Strathearn in 1329, on the death of his father Malise IV, Earl ...
(died before 1353) (forfeit 1335)


Earls of Caithness, Second Creation (c. 1375)

* David Stewart, 1st Earl of Caithness (died before 1389) * Euphemia Stewart, 2nd Countess of Caithness (died 1434) (resigned 1390) * Walter Stewart, 3rd Earl of Caithness, 1st Earl of Atholl (died 1437) (resigned ) * Allan Stewart, 4th Earl of Caithness (died 1431) * Walter Stewart, 3rd Earl of Caithness, 1st Earl of Atholl (died 1437) (forfeit 1437)


Earls of Caithness, Third Creation (1452)

*
George Crichton, 1st Earl of Caithness George Crichton, 1st Earl of Caithness (''ca.'' 1409 – August 1454/1455), was a Scottish peer. Succeeding his father as sheriff of Linlithgowshire, he was knighted before 1438. In 1441 he was ambassador to the Brittany to negotiate the marriag ...
(died 1455) (resigned 1452)


Earls of Caithness, Fourth Creation (1455)

*
William Sinclair, 1st Earl of Caithness William Sinclair (1410–1480), 1st Earl of Caithness (1455–1476), last Earl (Jarl) of Orkney (1434–1470 de facto, –1472 de jure), 2nd Lord Sinclair and 11th Baron of Roslin was a Norwegian and Scottish nobleman and the build ...
(died 1484) (resigned 1476) *
William Sinclair, 2nd Earl of Caithness William Sinclair (1459 – 9 September 1513) was a nobleman, the 2nd Earl of Caithness and chief of the Clan Sinclair, a Scottish clan of the Scottish Highlands. Early life William Sinclair, 2nd Earl of Caithness was born at Ravenscraig Cas ...
(died 1513) *
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 ...
(died 1529) * George Sinclair, 4th Earl of Caithness (died 1582) (resigned 1545) **
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, 2n ...
( – Sep 1575) * George Sinclair, 5th Earl of Caithness (1566–1643) *
George Sinclair, 6th Earl of Caithness George Sinclair (died 1676) was a Scottish nobleman, 6th Earl of Caithness, and chief of the Clan Sinclair, a Scottish clan of the Scottish Highlands. Early life George Sinclair, 6th Earl of Caithness was the son of John Sinclair, Master of Ber ...
(died 1677) (resigned 1672) * John Campbell, 1st Earl of Breadalbane and Holland (1633–1717) (resigned 1681) * George Sinclair, 7th Earl of Caithness (died 1698) * John Sinclair, 8th Earl of Caithness (died 1705) * Alexander Sinclair, 9th Earl of Caithness (1685–1765) * William Sinclair, 10th Earl of Caithness (1727–1779) * John Sinclair, 11th Earl of Caithness (1757–1789) *
James Sinclair, 12th Earl of Caithness James Sinclair, 12th Earl of Caithness was a Scottish noble, Earl of Caithness and chief of the Clan Sinclair, a Highland Scottish clan. James Sinclair was born at Barrogill Castle (Castle of Mey) on 31 May 1766. He was the son of Sir John Sincl ...
(1766–1823) * Alexander Campbell Sinclair, 13th Earl of Caithness (1790–1855) * James Sinclair, 14th Earl of Caithness (1821–1881) * George Philips Alexander Sinclair, 15th Earl of Caithness (1858–1889) * James Augustus Sinclair, 16th Earl of Caithness (1827–1891) * John Sutherland Sinclair, 17th Earl of Caithness (1857–1914) * Norman Macleod (Sinclair) Buchan, 18th Earl of Caithness (1862–1947) *
James Roderick Sinclair, 19th Earl of Caithness Brigadier James Roderick Sinclair, 19th Earl of Caithness, CVO, CBE, DSO (29 September 1906 – 8 May 1965) was a British Army officer during World War II and was also chief of Clan Sinclair. Sinclair joined the Gordon Highlanders and rose to ...
(1906–1965) * Malcolm Ian Sinclair, 20th Earl of Caithness (born 1948) (elected to remain in the House of Lords in 1999) The
heir apparent An heir apparent, often shortened to heir, is a person who is first in an order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person; a person who is first in the order of succession but can be displaced by the b ...
is the present holder's son Alexander James Richard Sinclair, Lord Berriedale (born 1981)


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Caithness Earldoms in the Peerage of Scotland Clan Sinclair Forfeited earldoms in the Peerage of Scotland 1334 establishments in Scotland Noble titles created in 1334 Noble titles created in 1375 Noble titles created in 1452 Noble titles created in 1455