Malcolm Sinclair

Malcolm Sinclair (born 22 September, 1801 in Inverary, Argyll, Scotland (civil parish of Inveraray). He was christened on 26 September, 1801 at Inverary, Argyll, Scotland.

He was the father of Rachel Sinclair (born about 1837). He married Agnes Campbell (born about 1799, Argyll, Scotland - possibly 12 November 1798, Invearay, Argyl - see below). Malcolm was a shoemaker. In 1841 they were living at Cross Houses.

The parents of Malcolm Sinclair were Duncan Sinclair and Dorothy Fletcher. The parents of Agnes are possibly Donald Campbell and Elizabeth (see IGI below).

Their children also included: Agnes (born about 1831, Inveraray, Argyll, Scotland); Mary (born about 1833, Inveraray, Argyll, Scotland); Catherine (born about 1835, Inveraray, Argyll, Scotland; Duncan (born about 1839, Inveraray, Argyll, Scotland).

IGI Record

Malcolm Sinclair
Birth: 22 SEP 1801; Christening: 26 SEP 1801 Inveraray And Glenaray, Argyll, Scotland

Father: DUNCAN SINCLAR
Mother: DOROTHY FLETCHER
Batch No.: C115136

1841 - Family Members

Agnes Sinclair abt 1831 Argyll, Scotland Inverarary Argyll 513
Am Sinclair abt 1799 Argyll, Scotland Inverarary Argyll 513
Catherine Sinclair abt 1835 Argyll, Scotland Inverarary Argyll 513
Duncan Sinclair abt 1839 Argyll, Scotland Inverarary Argyll 513
Malcom Sinclair abt 1801 Argyll, Scotland Inverarary Argyll 513
Mary Sinclair abt 1833 Argyll, Scotland Inverarary Argyll 513
Rachel Sinclair abt 1837 Argyll, Scotland Inverarary Argyll 513

Malcom Sinclair - father

Age: 40
Estimated birth year: abt 1801
Gender: Male
Where born: Argyll, Scotland
Civil parish: Inveraray
County: Argyl
Address: Cross Houses
Occupation: Shoemaker
Parish Number: 513
ED: 1
Page: 4

Am (sic: Ann?) Sinclair

Age: 42
Estimated birth year: abt 1799
Gender: Female
Where born: Argyll, Scotland
Civil parish: Inverarary
County: Argyll
Address: Cross Houses
Parish Number: 513
ED: 1
Page: 4

Possibly . . .

Agnes Campbell
Birth: 12 NOV 1798 Inveraray, Argyll, Scotland
Father: Donald Campbell Family
Mother: Elizabeth Campbell
Film Number: 452076

The Argyll Sinclairs have been a bit of a puzzle as it is quite clear that they are not known to be related to the Sinclairs of Roslin or Caithness. And if they are not, how then did they acquire the name? - From an online article.

McNokairds: The Early Sinclairs of Argyll

By Karen J. Matheson

How is it possible that the McNokairds of Argyll became known by the surname Sinclair? For it is certain that the McNokairds of Argyll and their descendants became Sinclairs in the late 17th and early 18th centuries.

The transformation of the name McNokaird to Sinclair was not as strange and convoluted as may first appear. Instead, the transition can be easily shown, its various stages occurring through the three languages that have been used in Scotland over the centuries: Gaelic, Scots and English.

The name change took place on both a phonetic level and a literal, or meaning, level. The same transformation occurred with the Gaelic Mac an fhucadair, which meant "son of the fuller of cloth". The phonetic Scots spelling became MacNucator, while the Scots meaning was "wauker". The English version of this name became Walker. Thus, many of the Walkers in Scotland descend from the clan Mac an fhucadair.

According to George F. Black's Surnames of Scotland: Their Meaning, Origin and History, McNokaird roots are in the Gaelic Mac na cearda, which means "son of the smith". Specifically, a cerd worked in brass.

Anciently, the ceard was a craftsman par excellence. Black states that these craftsmen created many of the fine old Highland plaid brooches of brass, which are exhibited at Edinburgh’s Scottish National Museum of Antiquities. However, "the term was degraded and applied to the poorest class of itinerant artificers, patchers of pots and pans, and equated with Scots tinker."

Black then quotes part of Robert Burns's poem The Jolly Beggar, which I include more fully:
" When thus the caird address'd her:
My bonnie lass, I work in brass,
A tinkler is my station:
I've travell'd round all Christian ground
In this my occupation;
I've taen the gold, an been enrolled
In many a noble squadron;
But vain they search'd when off I march'd
To go an clout [mend] the cauldron."


So, at the time Robert Burns wrote the poem (1780s-1790s), we know that the term caird was still associated with tinkler. One can imagine that this nickname derived from the actual tinkling sound made by the pots and pans as they were being re-shaped, pounded, molded and patched.

"Tinkler" replaced ceard and came to be negatively associated with wandering, gypsy-like pot-patchers. The word has further been refined to the English "tinker". Tinkler was found only once in the Argyll parish records as a surname: Duncan Tinkler, son of Duncan Tinkler and Cristin NcTaylor [sic], was christened on 6 September 1668 in Inveraray and Glenaray. No further reference to this family was found. A handful of other Tinklers were found in Renfrew and Stirling. Therefore, it seems that "tinkler" became a slang term, while Sinclair, as I will show, became the surname for those descendants of the early mac na ceards or McNokairds.

Black makes specific reference to McNokairds in early records, a few of which I include here:
Gillecreist M'Conoquhy Duy VcNocarde in record in Arygll, 1574; again in 1580 as Gillcreist Makonchy Duff V'Nokerd, native servant to Campbell of Glenurquhy;
Patrick Dow M'Nokerd in Auchinchalden and Angus M'Nokerd in Braklead, 1638;
Archibald M'Nokaird was merchant burgess of Inveraray, 1695; and
Dond. McNougard in Gerrich, ISLAY, 1741.

The lists of rebels and fencible men as seen in Duncan C. MacTavish's The Commons of Argyll include McNokairds. The List of Rebels in 1685 includes the following:
John McNokerd in Stonalbanach (Kilmichell parish, Glassarie);
Martin Mcinkerd in Lagandaroch (Kilmartin parish);
Gilbert Mcnokerd in Barbreckmore (Craignes parish);

Malcom McNokaird in Durren (Dallaich parish);
Martin Mcinkerd in Bovuy (Kilchrenan and Inchaell parishes);
John, Duncan, Malcom McNokerd in Killean (Glenaray parish).

The 1692 List of Fencible Men lists numerous McNokairds. Included in Kilmore and Kilbride "excepting Lochnell's and Dunstaffnage's lands" are Ard. SINKALLAR and Jon SINKALLAR, as well as Ard. MCNACAIRD and Hugh MCNAKAIRD.

The McNokairds lived in northern Argyll and into present-day Perth as well, whose western borders adjoin Argyll. An article printed in The Kist made reference to Sinclairs, known as McNokairds, who lived at Coulfochan at the foot of Shira Glen in Argyll. "Their land stretched from the south end of the Dhuloch to Portinstonich, where the salmon for the table at Inveraray Castle was netted. The house of the Sinclairs has long since disappeared but was probably sited near the present day lodge house at the Boshang Gate, entrance to the Castle avenue. This family were not really Sinclairs at all, but McNokairds."

Parish registers in Inveraray & Glenaray are some of the earliest extant for Argyll. Available documentation does not show Sinclairs living in Coulfochan, but instead reveal that McNokairds did, indeed, live in Coulfochan: Donald McNokaird and Ann McNokaird of Cualfochan [sic] christened their son Duncan on 25 April 1860, while Duncan McNokerd and Mary McInturner lived in Cuilfochan [sic] in 1704.

Other residences for McNokairds noted in parish registers include Brenthoill/Bromhoil, Auchinbreck, Bralockan, Killian, Penmore, Bracherban and Stronshiray (spelling questionnable on all).

Analysis of families in Argyll reveal two in particular that appear to be the closest thing to proof of the name change.
The first family is that of Malcolm McNokaird and Ann Crawford, who were "of Stronshiray" in Inveraray & Glenaray parishes. Their first three children (daughters) were:

Jonet, christened 17 Apr 1705;
Margaret, christened 4 May 1707; and
Mary, christened 30 May 1708.
Then Malcolm SINCLAIR and Ann Crawford, "of Stronshiray" had the following two sons christened under the name Sinclair, not McNokaird:

Donald Sinclair, christened 7 March 1721; and Patrick Sinclair, christened 25 August 1723.
The coincidence of same names and same locale, with the only variation being the surnames of McNokaird and Sinclair, cannot be quickly dismissed. Indeed, it suggests a definite time period when Malcolm’s surname underwent its transformation. (The gaps in birth years of children is explained away by many years when christening records weren't kept and various other losses.)
The second suggestion or proof was also found in parish registers and is illustrated by the following: Archibald Sinclair, son of Neil Sinclair, married Janet Reid, sister of John Reid, on 14 November 1720. When Archibald Sinclair and Janet Reid christened their daughter Mary on 13 November 1721, the witnesses were recorded as John Reid and Neil McNokaird. It appears that the father Neil was known interchangeably as both Sinclair and McNo-kaird. From the same family, it appears that Mary McNokaird, daughter to the above Neil McNokaird/Sinclair, married Patrick McGregor, a shoemaker. Their daughter Helen McGregor was christened in November 1723, and Mary’s name was McNokaird. When their son Duncan was christened in July 1725, Mary’s maiden name was given as Sinclair. In 1727, Mary’s maiden name was recorded as McInkaird [sic] and in 1728 again as Sinclair. Thus we have strong evidence of the name change that took place in this particular family.

McNokairds were found extensively in the parish records for Perth as well, under the spelling McIncaird. (A few McNokairds were also found in Stirling and Moray Shires.) The same name change took place in Perth as well, although the use of the McNokaird name continued here later than it did in Argyll. It was in Perth parish records that definitive proof of the name change was discovered.
Donald MCNAKEARD "alias Sinclar" married Kathren Anderson on 8"December 1739 in Kenmore parish, Perth. Six years later, John SINCLAIR, born to Donald SINCLAIR "alias McIncaird" and Katrine Anderson, was christened 7 January 1746 in Kemore. The fact that Donald was known by both names, first McNakeard [sic] and later by Sinclair, leaves no doubt that the name change did take place.

The use of the surname McNokaird died out by about 1750. The parish registers and other records show the rising use of Sinclair in its place. The increase of Sinclair appearances in Argyll records is due to this changeover more than sudden populations of Sinclairs appearing in Argyll.

The name transformation also explains the close relationship between the "Sinclairs" of Argyll and the Campbells at a time when the Campbells and members of the traditional Clan Sinclair were engaged in a dispute over the title and lands of Caithness. This dispute culminated in the bloody battle at Altimarlach, near Wick, between these two clans.

It is certain that some of the Sinclairs in Argyll (possibly those listed as "strangers" in the Cowal peninsula) came in response to advertisements and demand for labor, and were members of the traditional clan Sinclair whose origins can be found in Caithness, the Orkney, and Lothian. However, most of the Sinclairs in Argyll are descendants of the craftsmen par excellence who were members of the Clan Mac na cearda.

Ships in Port in UK - 1881 - SHIPS IN CAITHNESS, SUTHERLAND & ROSS & CROMARTY, SCOTLAND

Vessel: "Clansman" - Malcolm SINCLAIR M 57 M Inverary, Argyll, Scotland Master