William (Sinclair) Sinclair Second Earl of Caithness (abt. 1459 - 1513)

Biography

William (Sinclair) Sinclair Second Earl of Caithness is a member of Clan Sinclair.

Sir William (Sinclair) Sinclair Second Earl of Caithness was killed in Action during the War of the League of Cambrai at the Battle of Flodden Field.

William was his father's third son, and not the expected heir to the earldom of Caithness. Unfortunately, the eldest son was known as "William the Waster" Sinclair, famous for profligacy, and the earl did not want to pass on his title or estate to this eldest son. The second son, Oliver, was not apparently a big spender, but he was the full brother of William the Waster. The third son, another William, was by the earl's second wife; perhaps she was seen as more trustworthy than his first wife? William the Waster was sent off without much of an inheritance, Oliver received the best of his father's land, and William the younger received the title. In fact, the younger William's son, Henry Sinclair, had the title Lord Sinclair bestowed upon him by the Scottish Parliament to make sure that the line of succession continued per his grandfather's wishes.

William was born in about 1459 and died in 1513.

William Sinclair, 2nd Earl of Caithness (1459 – 9 September 1513) was a Scottish nobleman born in Ravenscraig Castle, Kirkcaldy, Scotland to William Sinclair, 1st Earl of Caithness and Marjory Sutherland. He married Margaret Keith, daughter of Sir Gilbert Keith. He fought and died in the Battle of Flodden Field in September 1513.

(The Battle of Flodden or Flodden Field was fought in the county of Northumberland in northern England on 9 September 1513, between an invading Scots army under King James IV and an English army commanded by Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey. It ended in a victory for the English and a bloody defeat for the Scots and was the largest battle (in terms of numbers) fought between the two nations).

William and Margaret had issue:

• • John, 3rd Earl of Caithness
  • Alexander
  • Margaret^[1]

William Sinclair was the person reputed to have brought Enochian Magick to Scotland.

Property

• Property: In 1470, William received Ravenscraig Castle.

To learn about Ravenscraig castle, click [HERE]

Note

• Note: William, Second Earl
  • http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=document&guid=4f962844-76ae-4f92-972d-231a40af2419&tid=24279608&pid=1501848753
• Note: Sources
  • http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=document&guid=0f3b39d9-8b4f-42c2-a758-b036c3c3424c&tid=24279608&pid=1501848753
• Note: Ravenscraig
  • http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=image&guid=e7bddc54-4205-494c-acc9-bfe17739deb0&tid=24279608&pid=1501848753
• Note: Ravenscraig from sea
  • http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=image&guid=b11c3f23-6dc1-4d67-8fdd-cf2394c7cb70&tid=24279608&pid=1501848753
• Note: Earldom / Jarldom
  • http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=document&guid=12b707b0-066c-4928-82ca-e7a1c281a37e&tid=24279608&pid=1501848753

Sources

1. ↑ Given as the daughter of the 2nd Earl of Caithness: Kirkpatrick of Closeburn (London, 1858) https://archive.org/details/kirkpatrickofclo00kirk/page/30/mode/1up?view=theater

• Pedigree Resource File CD 49 (Salt Lake City, UT: Intellectual Reserve, Inc., 2002)
• Ancestral File (TM), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, June 1998 (c), data as of 5 JAN 1998
• hofundssonAnces.ged
• Ancestry Profile: #1501848753
• http://www.geni.com/people/William-Sinclair-2nd-Earl-of-Caithness/6000000003615703135

Acknowledgments

• Thanks to Dana Jones, Michael Stephenson, Arlin Nusbaum, Eric Allen and to all who contributed to this profile. Click of the CHANGES tab to see the details of contributions and edits.