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The
research on the McNokaird's is sound. I know because I have spent hours
rolling microfilm staring at the old hand-written parish records until my
eyes hurt. I have spent countless dollars printing out pages from many
different Argyll parishes' records. WHY? Because it is important to
me to be accurate. Karen and I began researching the McNokaird's
separately - neither knowing the other was doing so.
When
Karen shared with me her findings - as much as I respect her - I did not take a
word for it. I went back and rechecked her entries and continue to push
for more. I have spent hours on the phone with the District Archivist and
others in Argyll, letters to every contact I know or can find connected
scholarly with the history of Argyll, bought every book, hunted down every
magazine article I can find or entry from Historical Review. Hours.
I am
sure for every hour I have put in Karen has put in 2. Karen I applaud you
for your diligence in your research and your deep commitment to help other
Sinclairs with Argyll roots know their heritage.
I have
three of my granny's kilts that she gave me - all various Sinclair tartan's and
I am proud to wear them as my own.
Most
importantly - everybody should check and recheck everything they are ever
told. We have been given a great gift from the LDS Church of both their
on-line site and the microfilmed parish records. Remember never take the
IGI INDEX or the Scots Origin INDEX at their word - get to your local FHC and
have fun actually researching your lineage. The Clan and Tartan are the
trimmings - rejoice in knowing your ancestors through little snap-shots of their
lives. Then follow-up and read everything you can on the local history
during the time period you are researching - it puts much into
context.
Again-
Karen thanks for a great article. Keep up the great work. And John,
thanks again for a great site and this chance to "chat" with other
Sinclair's
Juli
Anderson
Princeton, NJ USA
But Always Argyll
Thanks for the research trail. Iam
aware of Black but as I have not consulted him for a number of years it was
not apparent that he was you major source. Still, you deserve much
credit for the leg-work and analysis you did. Nice to be in
touch..........Rory.
Hi Rory,
I used George F. Black's Surnames of Scotland,
Their Origin, Meaning and History as the basis for my article, as
I'm sure was obvious. George Fraser Black (1866-1948) held a PhD,
and the above book was published in 1946. Surnames of
Scotland, of course, has become the most authoritative source for
Scottish surnames. This view is held by Sharon L. Krossa, whom I
also used as a source. Ms. Krossa is affiliated with Aberdeen
University and maintains a website called "Scottish Names 101"
at
I then used the LDS church's database of Scottish
Church Records as a means of sorting and collating information, while I
also had available to me on microfilm the original, hand-written
parish registers. Through the use of these, I was able to document
the transition of the name and "prove" (as far as possible at
this point in time) George F. Black's statements regarding Argyll
Sinclairs.
Whether they were shinglers or tinklers is not
terribly important--what is important is that the Argyll Sinclairs (and
those in the Western Isles) had roots in the Clan mac na cearda
(gaelic). The Scots form of this name was McNokaird, and from
approximately 1685-1750 the use of McNokaird made its transition to the
English Sinclair. I believe it's important for Sinclairs who trace
their roots back to Argyll to have this information. However, I'm
sure that not every single Sinclair in Argyll were
McNokairds--some undoubtedly originated in the traditional Sinclair
locales.
I agree with you that under the Restoration of the
Clans promoted by Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott, Prince Albert and
Queen Victoria from 1790-1820, all Sinclairs can unite under the current
Clan and Tartan with pride!
I appreciate your interest and your
comments.
Karen Matheson
Hi Karen:
Just read your
McNokaird article and a nice piece of work it is.
Congratulations! It is really very good.
I would add as a codicil to your thesis,
however, the following:
Alexander MacLean Sinclair was an amazingly well-connected,
well-respected scholar both in English and in Gaelic. His work was
published both here and in Scotland at the turn of the century
(His 500 page tome on the MacLeans is still in use today) and it is
a remarkable achievement when one also considers that the man grew
up on an impoverished farm in one of the poorest counties in Nova
Scotia (still is). This does not mean that he could not be
wrong nor does it mean that we do not have new information that he
did not possess. But......I do not have the Gaelic and I do
not know if you do but it would be nervy of me to contradict
Professor Sinclair (a native Gaelic speaker and Gaelic academician)
even 100 years after the fact and state categorically
"The Sinclairs of Argyll were not shinglers".
Similarly, I will not argue with your thesis that they must
have been smiths. "Craftmen" or "people of the
craft" I would like to think might include shinglers and if you
don't think there's an art to shingling, try doing your own roof
next time it needs one. There is veritable skill in roofing and I
should know, I am a contractor and I value my roofers as my
brothers.
Professor Sinclair, I think would agree with your
general thesis that the Argyll Sinclairs are a different
"kettle of fish" and the proof of that is his statement
that they are "out-and-out Highlanders". My opinion
is, as I have said elsewhere, that a connection may well be there
between the Rosslyn-Caithness Sinclairs and those of Argyll but that
opionion and 5 cents would have bought you a coffee in 1946.
Whatever the truth of the connection or not, our Argyll brothers and
sisters are members of our family and nothing can change that.
Juli's remark is on the money when in response to
"Sinclair's by mistake" she responds that, looked at
another way, Norman Sinclairs have no claim to be
Highland.
Yours
aye,
Rory
-----Original
Message-----
From: Matheson <zoo@uswest.net>
To:
Mailing List Sinclair <sinclair@jump.net>
Date:
Monday, May 10, 1999 7:16 PM
Subject: Re:
Sinclairs by mistake?
John,
I believe that is exactly what this
means! However, after the restoration of the clans and the
return of the "romance" of the Scots from about
1790-1820ish, Sinclairs from everywhere can unite and claim
affiliation with the Sinclair Clan (I believe). :)
Sinclairs in Argyll were not
"shinglers." For more
information, read my article "McNokairds: The Early
Sinclairs of Argyll" found on the websites maintained by
both Paul Sinclair (http://kingcrest.com/sinclair)
and John Quarterman (www.mids.org/sinclair/)
under Argyll "Origin of Argyll
Sinclairs."
Karen Matheson
Alexander
Sinclairs book states
> The Gaelic form of the name
Sinclair is Singlear. The Sinclairs
of
>Argyleshire call themselves Clann-na-Cearda or the
Children of the craft or
>trade. It is probable
that the name was given them by their neighbours
>would
naturally take for gratned that Singlear meant
shingler or >flax-dresser. The
Sinclairs of
Argyll are out-and -out Highlanders. >
Forgive me
for being obtuse but does this mean that argyle Sinclairs
may have
no real clain to be descended from the
Norman/Scandiavian Sinclairs?
Yours
Aye
john
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