Hello Betty & Tricia
What follows this explanation is merely the first paragraph of a very long concluding letter by Thomas SINCLAIR as part of a correspondence in the letters to the editor columns of the old caithness newspaper, the Northern Ensign, that went on regarding the succession of the earldom of caithness, and much more besides, during 1889-1891. Yes, David SINCLAIR who married Margaret MORE was the son of David SINCLAIR of Broynach & Janet EWEN, Broynach's older brother being the earl of caithness. In the 1760s the earldom should have gone to David & margaret's son, captain James SINCLAIR H.E.I.C.S. in Reiss, but Broynach's second marriage to his housekeeper Janet EWEN was in question. In the period 1889-1891 Thomas SINCLAIR was going in to bat for the descendants of Donald SINCLAIR the sailor, the younger brother of David SINCLAIR who married Margaret MORE. By then David's heir-male descendants had died out. Thomas fixed the claim to the earldom on the grandson James SINCLAIR of Alexander SINCLAIR who married Elizabeth Sutherland, Alexander the grandfather being the son to the first marriage of James SINCLAIR the chamberlain, son of Donald the sailor.. Another correspondent to the Northern Ensign was "Scrutator" (Rev. John SINCLAIR), who claimed the earldom for himself as a descendant of William SINCLAIR who went to Avoch in Ross-shire, who is also supposed to be a son of Donald the sailor. Thomas and Scrutator went head to head in their letters as to whether James the chamberlain or William was the elder son. James & William had plenty of siblings including "Holy John" the father of Alexander SINCLAIR who married Elizabeth SINCLAIR the parents of Kennedy SINCLAIR. I have heard from a descendant of John, Kennedy's brother.
I need your addresses to send the rest of this stuff (112 pages of a word document!) as an attachment.
"THE BROYNACHS AND THE EARLDOM OF CAITHNESS
CONCLUDING EVIDENCE, WITH PEDIGREE.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE NORTHERN ENSIGN.
"SlR,—It was calculated, by a general analysis, that the birth year of James, the tenth earl of Caithness, Captain Sinclair, H.E.l.C.S., was 1744. New light as to this most important date is to be gained from close attention to the evidence of Alexander Ross and Alexander Macleod in Ratter's proof of 1767. The latter accompanied David, the father of James, part of the way from Thurso to Wick, when he had the rout to go as a recruit to join the British forces in Flanders for the Dutch war. David Sinclair signed on the road four or five miles from Thurso the confession of paternity of James, which Macleod wrote out for the mother, Margaret More, who had followed the departing soldier, the child yet unborn. If the date of this incident can be fixed, the birth of Captain James will be ascertained within a few months."
