This series of family history articles by Ian C. Sinclair
was originally written for Girnigoe magazine.
Ian C. Sinclair
is a retired solicitor who specialized in water and
environmental law; he now runs Sinclair Consultancy Services.
He and his wife Janet live in Solihull, in the West Midlands,
England, but travel extensively — click here for details.
(Photo: William Penny)
Sinclairs Around Edinburgh
In my two previous articles, “The Sinclairs of South Leith”
and “The Sinclairs of Kelso”, I traced my ancestors from
James Sinclair whose son John was born in Kirknewton, East Calder
in 1665, through to my grandfather, Charles Purves Sinclair,
who died in 1940 in London.
In this article, I would like to mention some of the other
members of the family, siblings of the main characters, and so
stimulate readers to make their own contributions to the wider
Sinclair story.
As you will realise, the further back you get, the more
difficult it is to be sure that you can find out the true facts,
because recording such information was either optional, or not
compulsory or not enforced, and also mistakes were made.
You will also know how difficult it is to be sure that
you have the story correct, as only a relatively few Christian
/ given names were commonly used, and there was often a wide
spread of ages in families, often living in the same house or area.
But it all helps to build up a picture of a way of life very
different to the privileged existence which many of us live today.
I am constantly amazed to see what difficulties our ancestors
overcame, and yet they lived useful lives and brought up many more
children than we feel is right nowadays.
So how far have I got with my "family detective
story"? It is always a temptation to make facts fit
the situation — the matches may, or may not, be correct!
With that caveat, here goes!
Probably the earliest "firm date" so far is
the baptism of John Sinclair on 27 June 1665 at Kirknewton,
East Calder — the register entry reads, "baptised
to James Sinclair – one child". No mention of
the mother, and the two witnesses are not Sinclairs —
they are John Gray and David Johnston.
I know from the Burial Register of South Leith that
John Sinclair died on 1 Sept 1718 "in the 54th year
of his age". Thus, he must have been born in 1663–65,
and so far, the only John Sinclair who was born in this period
in the likely area is John, the son of James. But, of course,
he could have been born in a completely different place!
Such are the frustrations of family history research!
In the Register of Burials of South Leith, there is
an entry: "James Sinclare [note the different spelling]
Horseman in Leith, aged 57 years, died 4 Feb 1705".
If he is the father of John Sinclair, he would have been born
in 1648, and so would have been 17 at the time of his son’s
birth. It is sad that there are gaps in the records, from May
1660 to June 1694 in the Calderclear (East Calder) register
and 1655 1663 in the Kirknewton register. Tracing is also
hampered because, at this time, there is often no mention of
occupation, name of spouse, or residence.
We do know that a John Sinclair married a Bessie Hodge
and that they had children, but, so far, I have not been
able to find the definitive evidence of that marriage and
so establish which John Sinclair married which Bessie Hodge!
I do have information on the births of other John Sinclairs,
born between 1674 and 1650, but, so far, no other John Sinclair
seems to fit the known facts.
So who was Bessie Hodge? We have a record of her death as
"relict of John Sinclair, Taylor" in Leith on
11 September 1731 "about the 76th year of her age".
This gives a probable birth date between 1654 1656. So far,
I have traced three Bessie or Elizabeth Hodges who might fill
this requirement.
- "Elizabeth, dtr of Jone [John] Hodge &
Marion Jonstone, 5 December, 1655, St Cuthberts,
Edinburgh". If she married John Sinclair, she would
have been 49 at the birth of her son David Sinclair
in 1704.
- "Bessie, dtr of Robert Hodge & Janet Beattie,
20 Sept, 1659, Edinburgh". This Bessie was 4 years
younger than the other, and is not so likely if her death
information is correct., but she seems to be the only one
baptised as "Bessie".
- "Elizabeth, dtr of James Hodge and Marione Stark
– 15 Feb, 1659, Edinburgh". Again, this Elizabeth
is 4 years younger than the one born in 1655.
When we move on to the children of John and Bessie,
we are on firmer ground, and find sons who could have
carried on the family name of Sinclair:
- The first was John, born 26 April –
baptised 30 April, 1696.
- Thomas, born 18 May, and baptised 25 May, 1699.
- Robert, born 7 Sept and baptised 28 Sept, 1701.
- David, born 19 and baptised 21 March, 1704, who seems
to have died in early childhood, before the birth of the next child.
- David, born 3 March 1707.
All were of "ye heads" in South Leith.
As at present, I cannot be sure of the families
of the parents, I cannot comment on the Christian names
used, except to say that John does seem to have been
the eldest son of his father John, the usual family tradition.
There is a record in the Burial Records of South Leith of
"John Sinclair, Gardiner in Canonmills, aged 82,
died 21st, buried 23rd April 1778, buried in the
Sailors' Ground." As this gives a birth date
in 1696, he may be the eldest son of John Sinclair
and Bessie Hodge.
To us today, it is worth noting how soon after birth
children were baptised, and how soon after death people
were buried. It tells us of the different social and housing
conditions in the early 18th Century. It is also worth
noting that the witnesses were fellow workers in
"ye heads", all male, and with trades
such as "cordiner", "joyner"
and "saddler".
If people are interested in seeing how the Sinclair name
was carried on in the South Leith area, it would be worthwhile
following up these names. However, we must remember that there
would have been other Sinclairs living in that area, and it
is easy to be confused. I have found in the Register of Burials
"John Sinclare, son to John Sinclare, a soldier in Holland,
died (being one year old) near the foot of the Shepherd Wynd,
on 23rd and was buried on the 24th October, 1705".
This is a reminder of the many Scots, and many Sinclairs, who
over the centuries have served in the Armed Forces, not only
of Britain, but of other foreign powers.
Many will know of the many aristocratic members of
the Sinclair family who served in the Scots Guard*,
the personal elite personal guard of the Kings of France,
but here is a reminder of a very ordinary man, based in
the seaport of Edinburgh but serving as a soldier in
the wars that were then going on in the Low Countries.
But my ancestor seems to have been the David Sinclair,
born 3 March 1707, as, on 2 June 1730, this David
married Issabell Liddell (born 20 Nov 1708 –
daughter to Charles Liddell and his wife Anna Stevenson.
When his father-in-law died 31 March 1768, the note
in the burial register spelled his name "Liddale"
and stated: "Gardener, buried 1st"April, in his
own burial place, eastward of the school".
David died and was buried the same day, on 20 March
1760. Isabell died on 1 May 1779. As is often the case,
her name is sometime spelt Isabel , sometimes "Issabell", sometimes "Issobell". Her
entry in the Burial Register states, "Isabel Liddell,
Relict of David Sinclair, Corkcutter
in Leith, aged 70 years, died 1st, buried 3rd, May 1779 in the
Taylors Ground". Her father-in-law John had been a "taylor".
David Sinclair was a Cork-cutter, a trade associated
with making the corks for the bottles into which the barrels
and hogsheads of wine imported into the port of Leith would
have been dispensed throughout Scotland.
The original name of Leith appears to have been Restalrig,
but the name Leith, or Inverleith, seems to have been used
as early as the charter of Robert I in 1329, by which
the City of Edinburgh obtained a grant of the port and mills
of Leith. In 1606, North Leith was detached from the parish
of Edinburgh and created as a separate parish. By the time
of the Statistical
Accounts of Scotland compiled by Sir John Sinclair, Bart,
written in 1793, we find the name "Restalrig" used
as one of the constituent parts of South Leith.
As early as 1430, the Order of the cannons of St Anthony
(who were brought by Logan of Restalrig from Vienne
in France) — their preceptory, gardens, orchard and
hospital — were funded by the wine trade. In addition,
the Abbey of Holyrood held land near The Vaults and received
income from wine landed at the Wine Quay on The Shore.
The preceptory was linked with the Vaults by an underground
passage to The Vaults, and (it is said) this passage can
still be traced under the line of the old Kirkgate.
The connection with the Sinclairs of South Leith is that,
in the 18th Century, this family lived in the Kirkgate and
David Sinclair was a Cork-cutter, a necessary occupation in
the wine trade.
Wine was a vital part of the economy of Scotland in the 17th and 18th centuries. It is claimed that, by 1692, over
one-third of Edinburgh's income came from duty on wine landed
in Leith. The inhabitants of Leith were allowed to keep ale-houses,
but they were forbidden to deal in wine as that was a foreign
product, and so the preserve of the burgesses of Edinburgh.
It is true that the endowments of the King James Hospital
for the Poor in Leith (which survived until 1822) was originally
supported by duties on wine. In addition, these duties provided
money for the King James Fund, which still exists to pay out
small sums to the needy of Leith. By the late 17th and 18th
centuries, the sons of nobles and gentlemen were entering
the wine trade. They set up firms to supply claret, sherry
and port, and later whisky, to the southern part of Scotland,
and also to the five northern counties of England. In the
19th Century, the supplies went to all parts of the British Empire.
By the 19th century, high taxes on wine had forced
most Scots to turn to whisky, while the once universally–enjoyed
claret became the drink of the rich and fashionable people
of Edinburgh.
David and Isabell Sinclair seem to have been very unfortunate
with their children, as so many died in infancy or when very young
— a heartbreaking tragedy for the family, as a result
of poor housing and medical and other social conditions, all too
common at that time.
- Mary, born 30 April 1731 – died 17 June 1756,
aged 25, after marrying David Russel.
- Barbara, 1732 – 17 Jan 1733, "died in
the Hill, being 3 months old", buried the same day.
- Charles, 20 Nov 1733 – 1 Nov 1736,
"being near 3 years old, died at the Head of the
Burgess, buried 2 Nov 1736.
- William, Dec 1741 – 1 Jan 1742, aged 8 days,
"died in the Potterrow", buried 1 Jan 1742.
- Lilias, 13 Apr 1751 – 31 May 1765,
aged 14, and finally
- Agnes, 1755 – 31–Dec 1780, buried 1 Jan 1781
in the Wright’s ground, aged 26, after marrying James Duncan, Carpenter.
In view of the usual tradition of carrying on family names,
it is surprising that no daughter appears to have been called
Isobel or Elizabeth/Bessie, and no son was called David or John.
The only one who lived to carry on the name of the Sinclair
family was Andrew Sinclair, 31 October 1737 to 29 Dec 1812.
He married Mary Hastin (otherwise Houston or Hastings) on 4 June 1764.
I hope the telling of this tale will encourage others to see
if they can "fill in the blanks" in this story,
and also to fill in further details into their own family history.
If you think you may have something to contribute to building up
the total picture, please communicate with me.
Ian C. Sinclair
ianc@clansinclaircanada.ca
* For further information on the Sinclairs
who served in the Scots Guard, see "Chapter 7. The Scots
Guard" of The Temple and the Lodge by Michael Baigent
and Richard Leigh, ISBN 0-552-13596-8, published in paperback
by Corgi Books.
According to that source, between 1551–1553, there
were four Sinclairs in the Scots Guard; in 1587, there was also
a Sinclair in the Guard. There is also a reference to the son
of Lord James Sinclair, at the time of the Siege of Londonderry,
remaining "loyal to the Crown" while his son was
an officer in the Scots Guard, dying at the Battle of the Boyne.
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