John Sinclair (archdeacon of Middlesex) explained

The Rev John Sinclair^[1] FRSE (20 August 1797 - 22 May 1875)^[2] was a religious author and amateur biologist, He served as Archdeacon of Middlesex^[3] from 1844^[4] until his death.^[5]

Life

He was the son of Sir John Sinclair, 1st Baronet of Ulbster,^[6] and his second wife, Diana Macdonald, daughter of Alexander Macdonald, 1st Baron Macdonald. He was born at 9 Charlotte Square in Edinburgh but the family moved to 6 Charlotte Square around 1810.^[7]

He studied Divinity at Pembroke College, Oxford,^[8] graduating BA in 1819. There he was one of the founders of the Rhetorical Society.^[9] He was made a Deacon in 1820 and ordained as a priest in 1821 and spent one year at Sutterby in Lincolnshire. In 1822 he joined his parents in Edinburgh and took a post of Incumbent at Old St Paul's Church on Jeffrey Street.

In 1829 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (for his contributions to biology). His proposer was Archibald Alison. In 1839 he left Old St Paul's to be Secretary of the National Bible Society of Scotland.^[10]

In Edinburgh he lived at his late father's house at 133 George Street.^[11]

He was appointed Vicar of Kensington^[12] in 1842,^[13] a post he held while also archdeacon.^[14]

His private secretary in later life was George Charles Silk (b. 1822), a close friend of Alfred Russel Wallace.^[15]

He died in Kensington on 22 May 1875.^[16]

Family

He was unmarried and had no children

His sister was the author Catherine Sinclair.^[17]

Publications

• Dissertation Vindicating the Church of England (1836)
• The Life and Times of the Right Hon John Sinclair (1837) a biography of his father

Notes and References

1. http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/rd/7fd7c225-5e9a-4166-b533-432450b0513c National Archives
2. "We regret to announce the death of the Archdeacon of Middlesex after a short and sharp illness", The Times (London, England), 24 May 1875, p. 10.
3. https://janus.lib.cam.ac.uk/db/node.xsp?id=CV%2FPers%2FSinclair%2C%20John%20(1797-1875)%20Archdeacon%20of%20Middlesex%20Educationist;sib0=7408 Janus
4. "Church News", The Morning Post (London, England), 9 January 1844.
5. "Death of Archdeacon Sinclair", The Morning Post (London, England), 24 May 1875, p. 5.
6. http://www.fionamsinclair.co.uk/genealogy/isles/Ulbsters.htm "The Able Ulbsters"
7. Edinburgh Post Office Directories 1800-1810.
8. "Alumni oxonienses: the members of the University of Oxford, 1715-1886; their parentage, birthplace and year of birth, with a record of their degrees. Being the matriculation register of the University" Foster, J. (ed) Vol IV, p. 1301, Oxford, Parker & Co 1888.
9. Web site: Sinclair, John Lang, 1879-1947 - Social Networks and Archival Context. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20180629155250/http://snaccooperative.org/ark:/99166/w6q53pss. 2018-06-29.
10. Book: Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002. July 2006. The Royal Society of Edinburgh. 0-902-198-84-X. 2018-06-29. 2016-03-04. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304074135/https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp2.pdf. dead.
11. Edinburgh Post Office Directory 1838.
12. The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, Volume 13 (1865) Burkhardt, F. (ed), p. 463: Cambridge, CUP, 2002
13. 'Memorials of Twickenham: parochial and topographical' Cobbett,R.S. p33: London, Smith Elder & Co, 1872.
14. "A Charge delivered to the Clergy of the Archdeaconry of Middlesex at the Visitation, held at St Paul's Covent Garden, Ware, Dunmow and Halstead, April 26 & 30th, and May 1 & 2, 1844", Sinclair, J., London Francis & John Rivington, 1844.
15. Alfred Russel Wallace (ed. John van Wyhe and Kees Rookmaaker) Letters from the Malay Archipelago (OUP, 2013) p. xxiv.
16. Web site: Letters of Rev. John Sinclair (1797-1875) - Archives Hub.
17. Web site: Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 52.djvu/301 - Wikisource, the free online library.