George Sinclair, 6th Earl of Caithness

George Sinclair (died 1676) was a Scottish nobleman, 6th Earl of Caithness, and chief of the Clan Sinclair, a Scottish clan of the Scottish Highlands.

Early life

George Sinclair, 6th Earl of Caithness was the son of John Sinclair, Master of Berriedale and his wife Jean, daughter of Colin Mackenzie, 1st Earl of Seaforth. His paternal grandparents were William Sinclair, Lord Berriedale and Mary, daughter of Henry Sinclair, Lord Sinclair. William Sinclair, Lord Berriedale was in turn a son of George Sinclair, 5th Earl of Caithness.

George Sinclair, 6th Earl of Caithness succeeded his great-grandfather and was served heir to John, Master of Berridale, his father in the earldom of Caithness on 21 March 1644.

Earl of Caithness Civil War After the Stuart Restoration the Earl of Caithness had become a royalist and was active in suppressing the Covenanters. He was a member of the Privy Council of Scotland and Lord Lieutenant of the county of Caithness. A Sinclair clansmen, John Sinclair of Dunbeath Castle, joined the royalist James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose and was with him at the Battle of Carbisdale in 1650.

George Sinclair, 6th Earl of Caithness was present with Archibald Campbell, 1st Marquess of Argyll when Oliver Cromwell was proclaimed "Chiefe Magistrate of thir thrie nations, ouer the Crose of Elb". However, in 1681 the Privy Council of Scotland made a proclamation in favor of Sinclair of Keiss who became the 7th Earl of Caithness and Campbell of Glenorchy was created Earl of Breadalbane and Holland.