Marjorie Adeline Gordon Sinclair, Baroness Pentland DBE, DStJ (7 December 1880 – 26 July 1970) was the daughter of Sir John Campbell Hamilton-Gordon, 1st Marquess of Aberdeen and Temair and

Ishbel Hamilton-Gordon, Marchioness of Aberdeen and Temair Ishbel Maria Hamilton-Gordon, Marchioness of Aberdeen and Temair, (''née'' Isabel Maria Marjoribanks; 15 March 1857 – 18 April 1939) was a British writer, philanthropist, and an advocate of women's interests. As the wife of John Hamilton-Gor ...

. She was educated, mainly, by private tuition. She accompanied her parents to Canada, on the appointment of her father as

Governor-General Governor-general (plural governors-general), or governor general (plural governors general), is the title of an official, most prominently associated with the British Empire. In the context of the governors-general and former British colonies, ...

, in 1893. As a child, she founded and edited Wee Willie Winkie, a periodical for the young. She was interested in Canadian history, and assisted her parents and took part in the "Tableaux Historiques" given by them in

Montreal, Quebec Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

, the historical fancy dress ball given at

Ottawa, Ontario Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

, and the Victorian Era ball given at

Toronto, Ontario Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

. She was the first "

May Queen In the British Isles and parts of the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth, the May Queen or Queen of May is a personification of the May Day holiday of 1 May, and of Spring (season), springtime and the coming growing season. The May Queen is a ...

" elected to preside over the May Court Club at Ottawa, which she helped found. After returning to England, she wrote a dramatized version, in five acts, of Scott's ''Fortunes of Nigel'', and lectured. Her coming out ball was held at

Haddo House Haddo House is a Scottish stately home located near Tarves, Aberdeenshire, Tarves in Aberdeenshire, approximately north of Aberdeen (). The former seat of the Marquess of Aberdeen and Temair, Earls and Marquesses of Aberdeen and Temair, Haddo Ho ...

on 12 September 1899. She made her debut in London society at a ball given by her parents in Grosvenor Street, June 1901. She was presented at Court shortly thereafter. In April 1903 her name was announced as a candidate for the School Board at Methlick, Aberdeenshire. She married

John Sinclair, 1st Baron Pentland John Sinclair, 1st Baron Pentland, (7 July 1860 – 11 January 1925) was a British politician in the Scottish Liberal Party, a soldier, peer, administrator and Privy Councillor who served as the Secretary of Scotland from 1905 to 1912 and t ...

(b. 7 July 1860 – d. 11 January 1925) on 12 July 1904; they had two children: * Henry John Sinclair, 2nd and last Lord Pentland (1907–1984) * Hon. Margaret Ishbel Sinclair (1906–1976) Travelling in India with her husband in 1914, she visited

Travancore The kingdom of Travancore (), also known as the kingdom of Thiruvithamkoor () or later as Travancore State, was a kingdom that lasted from until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore Royal Family from Padmanabhapuram, and later Thiruvanan ...

, where Beatrice A. Vieyra dedicated to her a cookbook, ''Culinary Art Sparklets''. She was invested as a Dame Commander of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(DBE) in 1917. She was also invested as a Dame of Grace, Order of St. John of Jerusalem (D.G.St.J.). A great advocate for better housing for the people of the UK, for many years she was a friend of Anne Muriel Lupton (1888–1967), who, like Pentland, was a vice-chairman of the London Housing Centre. Pentland's mother was also interested in the social issue of housing, supporting the work of both her daughter and Lupton. In 1884, her parents hosted a dinner at

honouring

William Ewart Gladstone William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British politican, starting as Conservative MP for Newark and later becoming the leader of the Liberal Party (UK), Liberal Party. In a career lasting over 60 years, he ...

who, at that time, was

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister Advice (constitutional law), advises the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, sovereign on the exercise of much of the Royal prerogative ...

. Artist Alfred Edward Emslie captured the event in a painting which, in 1953, Pentland presented to the

National Portrait Gallery, London The National Portrait Gallery (NPG) is an art gallery in London that houses a collection of portraits of historically important and famous British people. When it opened in 1856, it was arguably the first national public gallery in the world th ...

King George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of In ...

and his wife

Queen Elizabeth Queen Elizabeth, Queen Elisabeth or Elizabeth the Queen may refer to: Queens regnant * Elizabeth I (1533–1603; ), Queen of England and Ireland * Elizabeth II (1926–2022; ), Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms * Queen B ...

reportedly "sent a message of sympathy to Lady Pentland" when her mother died on 18 April 1939. Marjorie Sinclair, Baroness Pentland died on 26 July 1970, aged 89.

References

External links

*Charles Mosley, editor, ''Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 106th edition'' (Crans, Switzerland: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 1999), volume 1, p. 11. {{DEFAULTSORT:Pentland, Marjorie Sinclair, Baroness 1880 births 1970 deaths British baronesses

Marjorie Marjorie is a female given name derived from Margaret (name), Margaret, which means pearl. It can also be spelled as Margery (name), Margery, Marjory or Margaery. Marjorie is a medieval variant of Margery, influenced by the name of the herb marjor ...

Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire Dames of Grace of the Order of St John Daughters of British marquesses Wives of knights