1 01-02 12 Nov 1889 NORTHERN ENSIGN, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER
1 01-02 12 Nov 1889 NORTHERN ENSIGN, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1889 THE EARLDOM OF CAITHNESS NEW LIGHT ON THE SUCCESSION. MR THOMAS SINCLAIR, M.A, contributes an article of peculiar interest to the November number of the Highland Monthly. It is entitled the “Fortunes of the Ratters," and commences with a reference to the recent papers on Castle Girnigoe and the Sinclairs of Ratter" by Mr Macdonald, Town Clerk of Inverness. The keynote to Mr Sinclair's contribution is contained in the following sentences:— " That they (the article* by Mr Macdonald) have an extremely practical interest since the death of the young Earl of Caithness, especially as to who has now the proper right to the northern Earldom, adds to their general historic value. Indeed, they go far towards completely proving that all the Earls, since the death of Alexander in 1765, have been usurpers, some of them willingly." This is a startling statement, and we shall give a few extracts from the article to how the statement in supported. Mr Sinclair has the following with regard to THE IMPRISONED MASTER OF CAITHNESS Before discussing so novel a view of the immediate situation of the Caithness peerage, which would preclude the Aberdeen banker of the Durran family from the title, it is necessary to follow the account given of the Ratters, two of whom were among the usurping earls of this latest information. The first of them, Sir John Sinclair of Ratter, knight, was the third son of John the Master of Caithness, who died 16th March 1576, in the dungeon of Girnigoe Castle, after being imprisoned from September, 1572, by his father, George, the fourth earl.
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