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- He succeeded his broth, John who had succeeded their grandfather JOHN SINCLAIR, whose paternal grandmother was of the family of Longformacus, and who is himself said to belong paternally to that family as son of George (charter 1604), second son of Matthew Sinclair of Longformacus, amassed a considerable fortune as a merchant at Edinburgh, of which metropolis he was Lord Provost, and purchased the lands and barony of Stevenson, in the counties of Edinburgh and Haddington, in 1624. He founded a Sinclair Society about 1620. A Scottish song entitled "The Clouting of the Cauldron" was made about this baronet. He was created a Baronet of Nova Scotia 18th January 1636. By his wife Marion, daughter of McMath of Newbyres, he had (besides younger issue) -
JOHN, who died during his father's lifetime 1643, leaving issue by Isabel, daughter of Robert, sixth Lord Boyd: -
SIR JOHN, second baronet
SIR ROBERT, third baronet
ELIZABETH, married Sir John St.Clair of Herdmanston, ancestor of the present St.Clairs of Herdmanston, Lords Sinclair.
Lord Stevenson, who was appointed by King William II in December 1689, sheriff of Haddington, a Privy Councillor in the May following, and one of the Barons of the Exchequer. In 1689 he was Lord Justice-Clerk. He was representative in Parliament for Haddingtonshire 1689-1702.
On 29th July 1680, he was pannelled for factiously opposing Act of Privy Council, levying 5500 militia; on the 13th and 14th March 1683, assoilzied [freed] from damages claimed by Sir John Seton of Garmilton, but on the 30th same, the Chancellor caused the Lords to alter above and make Stevenson liable, though damage was from a cause ab extra. On the 2nd August next thereafter Sir Robert was imprisoned in castle for declining purge in the matter of Test Act, but was presently released. In 1663 he had his lands erected into a barony. Sir Robert married, first, Helen, daughter of John, 14th Earl of Crawford and Earl of Lindsay; and secondly, Anne daughter of Sir William Scott of Ardross, without issue
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