Exeter Lineage Update
Rand Greubel wrote me to give me a quick update. “It seems that what Mike found was a transcription of letters and other items comprising a set of notes from research conducted by the American genealogist/historian Everett Stackpole in the early 20th Century. The question is, where exactly did Stackpole get his information?”
Click Here to see the PDF of the original Stackpole notes
There are some online records by the Scottish Archive Network that show a list of Dunbar prisoners. On that list is no John Sinclair, only a William Sinclair. So we’ll wait for more clarity on this.
Everett Schermerhorn Stackpole is no lightweight. He was fascinated with the history of New England and wrote:
- History of Durham, New Hampshire
- Old Kittery and Her Families
- Genealogy of the Stackpole Family
- History of Winthrop, Maine: with genealogical notes
- History of New Hampshire
Hopefully, we can verify this work and find his original sources. MIke and Rand are already looking for these.
My original posting is here –
A researcher named Mike Hamilton called to say he had found something wonderful regarding the Sinclairs of Exeter, New Hampshire. In the R. Stanton Avery Special Collections Department in Boston, Mike found one of those rare gems that make this process of genealogy so wonderful. In this case, it’s a list of important captains from the Battle of Dunbar.
In his wonderful write-up on our Exeter Lineage, Rand Greubel pointed out the oft-overlooked research regarding the battles of Worcester and Dunbar. Roger Coone, a descendant of John Sinkler raised questions about this with Rand. And sure enough, they were right. Mike found this list of ‘Scotch Prisoners’ captured 3 September, 1650 at the Battle of Dunbar.
Generally all men captured with the rank of captain and below were earmarked for transportation. Those above the rank of captain were generally imprisoned. Note the bottom of the first page shown here – “As all below the rank of captain were liable to be sent to the plantations, there are 171 names on this list of that rank.”
On that list, number 97, is John Sinclair.
See Rand’s article here to fully understand why it’s now very likely this was the same John Sinclair of Exeter.
The fact that John Sinclair is on the list of captains has even more significance. It means he was not an unimportant person in Scotland. They didn’t award ranks to just anyone. The fact that he was a captain means he was likely related to someone important, or even noble.
There are other names on that list of great interest:
- Alexr Bogle
- James Hay
- William Cahoon (Colquhoun)
- Alexander Douglas
Those surnames were associated in business, marriage, and land records with the Sinclairs of Rosslyn.
I have found a reference to a Captain John Sinclair who served in Sir Patrick Hepburn’s Regiment. This unit was recruited in East Lothian in 1643 and served with the Parliamentary Army in England during the Civil War. In 1646 the regiment had a new commander, Sir Adam Hepburn of Humbie. The source for this information is the book – The Army Of The Covenant 1639-1651 by Stuart Reid.
From Wikipedia under Patrick Hepburn of Waughton:- Sir Patrick was a Lieutenant-Colonel who raised a 400 strong infantry regiment in East Lothian, which served in General Leslie’s army of the Covenant, entering England on 20 August 1640. Sir Patrick was one of the commissioners to the negotiations at Ripon in Yorkshire. The regiment served at the sieges of York and Newcastle-upon-Tyne and at the battle of Marston Moor.[9] “Wauchtoun’s regiment” with Sir Patrick Hepburn as commander is recorded as being quartered and then in skirmishes with the Royalists at Todcaster and York in April 1644.[10]
From late 1644 until January 1647 it remained in England doing garrison duty, its strength being between 631 and 651 infantrymen. In 1646 Sir Adam Hepburn of Humbie, the army treasurer and commissary general, became the colonel, and the numbers increased to 893 and reached a maximum of 1030 foot soldiers in September. The regiment disbanded in February 1647.
There is reference to a John St.Clair on the St.Clair of Longformacus website. He was born in 1620 to George St.Clair and Rachael Hepburn.
Thank you Roger. Great work on this.