SINCLAIR OF SKÄLLBY, JACOB [SSNE 3441]

Surname

SINCLAIR OF SKÄLLBY

First name

JACOB, JAMES

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

Departed 1657-12-31, as COLONEL

Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY

SWEDEN, SCOTTISH REGIMENT

Departed 1658-12-31, as COLONEL

Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY

SWEDEN, BAHUSLAN CAVALRY REGIMENT

Departed 1660-12-31, as COLONEL

Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY

SWEDEN, KALMAR REGIMENT

Departed 1660-12-31, as COMMANDANT

Capacity COMMANDANT, purpose MILITARY