SP Correction: Elizabeth Sinclair (d. bef 1510) and her marriages

Friday, 14 October, 2005

Hello All,

In the pedigree for Leslie, Earl of Rothes, the account of the
career of Sir Andrew Leslie, Master of Rothes identifies his wife
as

' Elizabeth, daughter of William, Earl of Orkney and
Caithness. ' [1]

Interestingly, the previously published pedigree for Sinclair,
Earl of Caithness shows no such (identified) daughter. Concerning
this gap, Andrew B. W. MacEwen advises that he has discovered the
correct relationship:

John P. Ravilious...

<<<<<<<<<<<<<< SNIP >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

1. Elizabeth Sinclair was the daughter of William Sinclair,
Earl of Orkney (to 1470) and Caithness (from 1455), by
his first wife, Elizabeth Douglas, dau. of Archibald,
4th Earl of Douglas.

2. She was the full sister to William 'the Waster', eldest
son of Earl William and his wife Elizabeth Douglas; the
contract for her marriage to Andrew Leslie most likely
occurred ca. 29 April 1458, when there was a dispensation
for the marriage of her brother William ('the Waster') and
Christian/Christina Leslie, sister of Andrew Leslie [2].

3. Andrew Leslie, Master of Rothes, d.v.p. in 1471 or
shortly before [3]. Elizabeth Sinclair then married (2ndly)
Sir John Houstoun of that Ilk: she is erroneously 'lumped
in' with the issue of William Sinclair by his 2nd wife
Marjory Sutherland as ' 10. Elizabeth, married to the
Laird of Houston ' [4].

The 3-generation pedigree provides the corrected descent for the
issue of Sir John Houstoun of that Ilk and his wife Elizabeth Sinclair,
which affects certain known descendants (Alexander Hamilton for one),
but does not impact that of the subsequent lairds of Houstoun (their
descent allegedly by another wife of Sir John). This modifies the
biography of Elizabeth Sinclair, an ancestress of Prince Charles, but
does not affect HRH's ancestry insofar as I know.

Cheers,

John

NOTES (to post):

[1] SP VII:276, sub _Leslie, Earl of Rothes_.

[2] SP VII:569-570, sub _Sinclair, Lord Sinclair_.

[3] SP VII:275-6, concerning Andrew Leslie, states he died
'before [21] January 1477-78, when his son is named as heir
to his grandfather.' Donald Whyte, F.S.A., "The Houstouns of
Houstoun," The Scottish Genealogist, Vol XV, No. 4, Dec 1968,
86-92 shows Sir John Houstoun and Elizabeth Sinclair having
married in 1471.

[4] SP II:334, sub _Sinclair, Earl of Caithness_.

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1 William Sinclair