Henry Sinclair (bishop) facts for kids

Henry Sinclair (1508–1565) was an important Scottish leader. He served as a top judge and also as a bishop. He was known for his work in law and his role in the church.

Henry Sinclair was the brother of Oliver Sinclair. He studied at St. Leonard's College in St. Andrews. In 1537, he became a judge. Later, in 1541, he was named the head of Kilwinning Abbey. He helped negotiate a peace treaty between Flanders and Scotland in 1548. He also became the dean of Glasgow in 1550.

From 1550 to 1554, Henry Sinclair lived in France. He helped with important treaties in 1556 and 1559. He became the President of the Court of Session, which was Scotland's highest court. He also became the Bishop of Ross. In 1561, he joined Queen Mary's special advisory group, the privy council. He tried to stay neutral in religious debates. Henry Sinclair also added to History of Scotland by Hector Boece. He passed away in Paris in January 1565.

Henry Sinclair's Early Life and Career

Henry Sinclair was born in 1508. He was the second son of Sir Oliver Sinclair of Roslin. His brothers included Oliver Sinclair, a general, and John Sinclair, who became the bishop of Brechin.

Henry studied at the University of St. Andrews. He joined St. Leonard's College in 1521. He gained the favor of King James V of Scotland.

Becoming a Judge and Church Leader

On November 13, 1537, Henry became an ordinary lord of session. This meant he was a judge in Scotland's main court. On December 16 of the same year, he became the rector of Glasgow.

In 1541, he was named the abbot, or permanent head, of Kilwinning Abbey. In 1550, he traded this role with Gavin Hamilton. He then became the dean of Glasgow. While he was dean, he bought and sold some land from Melrose Abbey. He made a good profit from these deals.

Important Missions and Roles

In 1548, Henry Sinclair traveled to Flanders. His mission was to negotiate a peace treaty between Flanders and Scotland. This shows his skill as a diplomat.

On August 11, 1550, he received permission to travel to France. He stayed there for several years, returning to Scotland in 1554.

Reforming the Courts and Serving the Queen

When he returned, he worked with Robert Reid. Reid was the Bishop of Orkney and the Lord President of the Court of Session. Together, they made new rules to make court processes faster and fairer.

Henry was a commissioner for the Treaty of Carlisle in 1556. He also helped with the Treaty of Upsettlington in 1559. These treaties were important agreements for Scotland.

On December 2, 1558, he became the Lord President of the Court of Session. This was a very powerful position in the Scottish legal system. In the same year, he also became the Bishop of Ross. He was officially consecrated as bishop in 1560.

In 1561, Queen Mary chose him for her privy council. This council had twelve members, and Henry was the only church leader among them. That same year, he and other bishops offered to give up a quarter of their church income. On December 28, 1563, he joined a commission. This group worked to set up courts in different parts of the country.

Religious Views and Legacy

Henry Sinclair did not seem to strongly favor either the old Catholic religion or the new Protestant one. He wanted to keep his position as bishop. As president of the court, he made sure laws were followed. This was true whether the laws helped Protestants or Catholics.

For example, when Queen Mary asked for his advice about Catholics who had attended Mass, he said she must enforce her laws. He believed that if she did not, people would not obey her.

Dealing with John Knox

On the other hand, John Knox wrote a letter in 1563. Knox asked Protestants to gather to protect people who had entered a chapel during Mass. Sinclair sent a copy of this letter to the Queen. Because of this, Knox called him a "perfect hypocrite" and an "enemy to Christ Jesus."

However, Knox also admitted that Sinclair voted to clear him of charges. Knox said Sinclair explained his vote. He said it was "neither affection to the man [Knox], nor yet love to his profession." Instead, it was "the simple truth." This shows that Sinclair tried to be fair, even to his opponents.

Final Years and Death

In 1562, Bishop Jewell's book Apologia came out. Randolph, the English ambassador, sent a copy to Sinclair. Randolph later described Sinclair as "of that sort of men the best in Scotland."

On February 20, 1564, Queen Mary asked Queen Elizabeth for permission for Sinclair to travel to France. He needed to seek treatment for a kidney stone. He had an operation for the stone, but he died in Paris on January 2, 1565.

Henry Sinclair's Writings

Henry Sinclair added to Hector Boece's History of Scotland. His brother, John Sinclair, brought these additions back from Paris after Henry's death.

It is believed that his brother John, not Henry, wrote Sinclair's Practicks. This is a legal work found in a manuscript in the Advocates' Library in Edinburgh.

Some historians, like Dempster and Thomas Tanner, thought there were two different Henry Sinclairs. They believed one was the dean of Glasgow and a judge, and the nephew of the Bishop of Ross. This "nephew" was credited with several legal works. However, it is now thought that these works are just different names for Sinclair's Practicks.

Sinclair and Conrad Gesner

Henry Sinclair helped the Swiss scientist Conrad Gesner. He provided descriptions and drawings of Scottish animals for Gesner's book, Historiae Animalium.

These animals included the solan goose from the Bass rock. He also described the Scottish bloodhound. Another animal he included was the White cattle found at Cumbernauld.