Clan Sinclair
also St Clair
Earls of Orkney and Caithness — and builders of Rosslyn.
Draft entry · awaiting community review
Motto
Commit thy work to God
What does the Sinclair name mean?
From Saint-Clair-sur-Elle in Normandy. The family came to Scotland with the Normans in the 12th century and rose to hold the earldoms of Orkney and Caithness.
The history of Clan Sinclair
The Sinclairs came to Britain from Saint-Clair-sur-Elle in Normandy. By the 14th century they held the earldom of Orkney from the Norwegian crown, and from 1455 the earldom of Caithness from the Scottish crown.
Sir William Sinclair, 1st Earl of Caithness, founded Rosslyn Chapel in the mid-15th century — its richly carved interior the subject of centuries of speculation about Templar and Masonic connections.
The Sinclairs of Caithness held their lands at the very north of mainland Scotland and remained a power in the region into the modern era; cadet branches spread across Scotland, Scandinavia and the New World.
Notable bearers of the Sinclair name
- Sir William Sinclair, founder of Rosslyn Chapel
Frequently asked
What does the surname Sinclair mean?
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Is St Clair the same family as Sinclair?
Editor notes
- · Verify earldom dates and chapel founder attribution.