Page:The Complete Peerage Ed 2 Vol 2.djvu/494

 478 CAITHNESS of the hostages for James I when allowed to return to Scotland in 1421; was Admiral of Scotland and, as such, conveyed the Princess Margaret of Scotland to France on her marriage, in 1436, to the Dauphin (Louis XI). He was a Lord of Pari., as Lord Sinclair [S.], as far back as 1449. ('') High Chancellor [S.], 1454-58. C") On 28 Aug. 1455, he was cr. EARL OF CAITHNESS [S.] "to him and his heirs." The isles of Orkney, having, on the marriage of James III, come under the Scottish dominion, he, in 1470, resigned the Earldom of Orkney [S.] to the King, receiving the Castle of Ravenscraig, fife, co. Fife, in exchange, by charter 17 Sep. 1470. He was Ambassador to England 1471-73. On 2 Dec. 1476 he resigned his Earldom to his s. and successor, William. He w., istly, Elizabeth, widow of Sir Thomas Stewart, and before that of John (Stewart), Earl of BucHAN [S.], da. of Archibald (Douglas), 4th Earl of Douglas [S.], by Lady Margaret Stewart, da. of Robert III. She d. about 145 1. He »?., 2ndly, before 15 Nov. 1456, Marjory, da. of Alexander Sutherland, of Dunbeath.() He w., 3rdly, Janet Yeman. He d. apparently early in 1480, when his pension ceased to be paid,() leaving by his ist wife a s. and h., William Sinclair,^) who sue. him in such honours and lands as he had not otherwise disposed of, and a yr. s., by the 2nd wife, also named William, who sue. to the Earldom of Caithness as below. His widow was living 5 July 1483. XXI. 1476. 2. William (Sinclair), Earl of Caithness [S.], in consequence of a resignation to that effect by the late Earl, to whom he was a yr. s., being 2nd s. by the 2nd wife.(') He obtained a crown charter of the whole lands of the Earldom "to him and his heirs whatsoever," on 7 Dec. 1476. He m. Mary, da. of Sir William (*) Exchequer Rolls [S.], vol. viii, Preface, p. xlvii. C") In 1453, when Earl of Orkney, he founded the Collegiate Church and built the beautiful Chapel of Rosslyn, in Midlothian, as appears by an inscription on the south side. V.G. if) See note iuh John, Earl of Sutherland [1460]. {^) Exchequer Rolls, vol. iv, p. 78; Diet. Nat. Biog. V.G. (*) This William Sinclair, who was reputed to be more or less imbecile, was ancestor of the Lords Sinclair [S.] (see that title). He received from his father, in 1459, the Barony of Newburgh, co. Aberdeen, but seems, in consequence of his prodigal habits, to have been almost disinherited by him, the Earldom of Caithness being left to William, and s. by the 2nd wife, and the estate of Rosslyn, fefc, to Oliver, 1st s. by the 2nd wife. After his father's death, however, he succeeded in effecting an arrangement, by which the lands in Fife, which had been acquired in compensation for the Earldom of Orkney, were made over to him by his half brother. Sir Oliver Sinclair. In a deed, 9 Feb. 1481, he is called "s. and h. of umquhile William, Earl of Caithness and Lord of Saint Clair." See Riddell, p. 609, note, and see, also, as to the succession of the Barony of Sinclair [S.], Exchequer Rolls [S.], vol. viii, preface, p. xlvii. (') His elder br. of the whole blood, Oliver, was ancestor of the Sinclairs of Rosslyn. V.G.