SINCLAIR OF SKÄLLBY, JACOB [SSNE 3441]
- Surname
- SINCLAIR OF SKÄLLBY
- First name
- JACOB, JAMES
- Title/rank
- COLONEL
- Nationality
- SCOT
- Social status
- NOBILITY
Text source
James Sinclair of Skällby was the son of Francis Sinclair [SSNE 3504] and Johanna Sutherland [SSNE 2835].
James Sinclair became a captain in 1651 and served as commandant in Kalmar for a time.
In 1655 James Sinclair was promoted to colonel of a recruited regiment of infantry, which he was to recruit in Scotland. With these he served in Karl X Gustav's wars in Prussia and Poland.
In 1658 James Sinclair became colonel of a new regiment of cavalry in Båhuslan.
James Sinclair married Elisabeth Clerk [SSNE 2836], in her 2nd marriage (the first was to lieutenant colonel James Drummond [SSNE 1622] who died in 1645). Elisabeth Clerk is sometimes noted as the daughter of Admiral Hans Clerk [SSNE 4159] and thus the sister of Admiral Richard Clerk the younger [SSNE 4138]. However information for the early, pre-Sweden lives of Hans (John) and Admiral Richard Clerk the elder (often given as Hans' brother) are lacking. There were three distinct Scottish Clerk families living and active in Stockholm in the first half of the seventeenth century.
James Sinclair died in Elbing, either in August 1659 or August 1660.
Sources: Swedish Riksarkiv, P. Sondén, Militärachefer i svenska arméen och deras skrivelser; Stockholm Krigsarkiv, Muster Roll, 1658/6,11; Svenska Adelns Ättartavlor, vol. 7, p.273; Swedish Riksarkiv, Adolf Johans Arkiv i Stegeborgssamlingen, 2 letters of Jacob Sinclair to Duke Adolf Johan, no dates.
Service record
- SWEDEN, SWEDISH ARMY
- Arrived 1651-01-01, as CAPTAIN
- Departed 1657-12-31, as COLONEL
- Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY
- SWEDEN, SCOTTISH REGIMENT
- Arrived 1655-01-01, as COLONEL
- Departed 1658-12-31, as COLONEL
- Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY
- SWEDEN, BAHUSLAN CAVALRY REGIMENT
- Arrived 1657-01-01, as COLONEL
- Departed 1660-12-31, as COLONEL
- Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY
- SWEDEN, KALMAR REGIMENT
- Arrived 1658-01-01, as COMMANDANT
- Departed 1660-12-31, as COMMANDANT
- Capacity COMMANDANT, purpose MILITARY