Author: Sinclair, George
Biography:
SINCLAIR, George (1790-1868: ODNB)
The eldest son of Diana (Macdonald) and Sir John Sinclair (q.v.), first baronet of Ulbster, Caithness, he was born at his grandmother’s house in the Canongate, Edinburgh. He was sent to Harrow school at the age of ten; there he met Byron (q.v.) and Robert Peel. Byron remembered him as a friend and a prodigy although the two later fell out. At sixteen, he went to Germany to study at Göttingen University. While there, he was arrested as a spy and examined by Napoleon (his account of the interview is included in Grant). In 1811, after he had returned to Britain, he succeeded his father as MP for Caithness; he held the seat intermittently for many years and sat as an independent whig. He was in favour of Catholic emancipation, the emancipation of the West Indian slaves, and the 1832 Reform Bill; he was also known for steadfast adherence to his religious beliefs and he later became a member of the Scottish Free Church. In 1816 he married Lady Catherine Camilla Manners; they had three sons and three daughters. His wife predeceased him in 1863; he died at Edinburgh and was buried at the family home, Thurso Castle. His other works include works on religion and politics; his first publication was the two volume Travels in Germany, privately printed and circulated in 1819. (James Grant, Memoirs of Sir G. Sinclair, Bart. [1870]; ODNB 26 Oct. 2020)