James Sinclair, 12th Earl of Caithness was a Scottish noble,

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 have ...

and chief of the

Clan Sinclair Clan Sinclair ( gd, Clann na Ceàrda ) 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. Th ...

, a Highland

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

. James Sinclair was born at Barrogill Castle ( Castle of Mey) on 31 May 1766. He was the son of Sir John Sinclair of Mey, Baronet who he succeeded in the baronetcy in 1774. He succeeded as 12th earl of Caithness in 1789, as nearest lawful male heir of

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 Cast ...

. His claim to the peerage was sustained by the House of Lords. He was lord-lieutenant of the county 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 by ...

and lieutenant-colonel of the

Ross-shire Ross-shire (; gd, Siorrachd Rois) is a historic county in the Scottish Highlands. The county borders Sutherland to the north and Inverness-shire to the south, as well as having a complex border with Cromartyshire – a county consisting of ...

militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

. He married at

Thurso Castle Thurso Castle (alternatively, Castrum De Thorsa, Castle of Ormly, and Castle of Ormlie) is a ruined 19th-century castle, located in Thurso, Caithness, in the Scottish Highlands. Situated in Thurso East, off Castletown Road, east of the River Thu ...

on 2 January 1784 Jane, second daughter of Alexander Campbell of Bareldine who was deputy governor of Fort George. They had the following children: #John Sinclair, Lord Berriedale who died in 1802 aged 14. #Alexander Sinclair, 13th Earl of Caithness. #Four other sons and three daughters.

References

{{s-end Lord-Lieutenants of Caithness Earls of Caithness 1823 deaths Clan Sinclair

See also

References