The Brunswick times. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 188?-1900, 1897-07-18
FOR AN EARL'S TITLE
MINNESOTA PREACHERS CLAIM TO
THE EARLDOM OF CAlTHNESS.

Inc Title NOW Held by q Dakota Farmer
Is to Be Contested by the Rev. John
sinolair-The Estates May Also Go With
the Title.
A few years ago poor North Dako-
ia farmer awoke one morning to find
himself the Earl of Caithness. He had
not sought the title, and he knew only
in vague way that he was some sort
of distant relative of the noble family
of Sinclair. Now, James Sinclair-for
that is the mans name-is likely to be
dispossessed of the title which came to
him so unexpectedly. This time it prob
ably will go to the Rev. John Sinclair,
Presbyterian minister at Redwood
Falls, MINI.
The preacher has been recently in
formed of the probability that he is the
real heir to the title of Earl of Cath
ness and an income of $50, 900 year
through two cousins from Scotland who
have looked him up to recognize him as
the head of the family. These two oous-
ms are Mrs. E. g. Sinclair and her
| daughter, Ella Sinclair. In consequence
of their representations the country
minister will soon go to Scotland to
claim his own. The substance of his
claims may be outlined as follows:
James Sinclair, the de facto fifteenth
earl Of Caithness, is the son of George
Sinclair, the fourteenth earl, who lived
only three years after he left his Aber-
deem banking house to become a peer of
the realm. But he came into the title
only after long period of uncertainty,
and then had to begin a hunt for his
son James, whose whereabouts in Amer
lea was unknown to the father. This
uncertainty as to the succession was
caused by the fact that the thirteenth
earl died at the age of % without issue.
Having no near relative and being in
formed that death was near, he had the
estates taken out of entail and willed
them to his former tutor, Percy Heath
cote, an Englishman. Heathcote attach
ed the family name to his own and be-
came Heathcote- Sinclair of Barogile
castle, Caithness. But the title was
finally awarded to George Sinclair.
The title had been practically ad-
judged to belong to George Sinclair
when John Sinclair of Edinburgh, and
at that time a member of parliament
for Ayrsburghs, became convinced that
the title was his and directed his at
torneys to begin proceedings in his be-
half. These were two of the leading
members of the Edinburgh bar, and
they were so sure that the title belong
ed to their client that they engaged not
to charge a cent for their services if
they did not put John Sinclair in pos
session of the title within two years.
The suit was begun, but before it was
half through the devious processes en-
forced by the English courts Sinclair
died. If the title belongs to this branch
of the family at all, it now goes to the
minister, the Rev. John Sinclair Of
Redwood Falls, cousin to the member
of parliament and Oldest male child of
John Sinclair's next younger brother.
The minister knew that his cousin
was claimant for the title and that on
his death all his rights fell to him, but
he had not thought it worth his while
to bestir himself for what was, after
all, vain title. Now, however, he is
assured that he has something more
than claim to the title, and that
moreover, it is not entirely empty.
Strangely enough, too, his claims are
to be pitted against those of another
minister of the same name and same de-
nomination-the Rev. John Sinclair Of
Rannock, Perthshire, Scotland - who
has recently filed his claims
The American minister would not
push the matter if it were only for the
title-for he is thoroughly republican
and cares nothing for it-but now the
lawyers come forward with the asser-
ton that the thirteenth earl violated
the law when he disentailed the estates
It was thought that he was within his
rights at the time, but it now appears
that such was not the case. If this dis
covery of the lawyers is upheld by the
courts, Heathcote- Sinclair of Barogile
castle will lose his estates with their
/ $50, 600 year, and they will go to the
man who succeeds in getting the title.
Genealogical experts say, however,
that there is no questioning that the
Redwood Falls minister is the lucky
person who will get both the estate and
the title They estimate the value of the
three contending claims thus: John Sin
clair, the American minister, is the
eat-great~grandchild of the ninth earl
of Caithness and is, therefore, only four
removes from direct consanguinity, the
North Dakota ranchman and present
holder of the title is at least IL removes
from any former earl, and the Scottish
minister is 10 or 16 removes from the
titular blood. Chicago Record.
She Was Beset With Snakes.
Miss Stauer q achnnlteachar Of