Sir John Sinclair, 1st Baronet facts for kids

Quick facts for kids John Sinclair PC, MP, FRS, FRSE, FSA
portrait by Henry Raeburn
1st Baronet
In office 1786–1835
Member of the British Parliament for Caithness
In office 1780–1784
Member of the British Parliament for Lostwithiel
In office 1784–1790
Member of the British Parliament for Caithness
In office 1790–1796
Member of the British Parliament for Petersfield
In office 1797–1802
Member of the British Parliament for Caithness
In office 1802–1811
Personal details
Born	10 May 1754 Thurso Castle, Caithness
Died	21 December 1835 New Town, Edinburgh
Spouses	Sarah Maitland Diana MacDonald
Children	15, including Janet George John William Catherine
Alma mater	Edinburgh Glasgow Trinity College, Oxford
Known for	Statistical Accounts of Scotland

Sir John Sinclair, 1st Baronet (born May 10, 1754 – died December 21, 1835) was an important Scottish politician, military officer, and writer. He is famous for being one of the first people to use the word "statistics" in the English language. He used it in his major work, the Statistical Accounts of Scotland, which was published in 21 volumes.

Sir John Sinclair's Life and Work

Sir John Sinclair was born at Thurso Castle in Caithness, Scotland. He was the oldest son of George Sinclair of Ulbster. He went to the High School in Edinburgh.

Education and Early Career

After school, John Sinclair studied law at the Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow. He also studied at Trinity College, Oxford. He finished his law studies in London in 1774.

He became a lawyer in Scotland in 1775. He also qualified to be a lawyer in England. However, he never worked as a lawyer because he had inherited his father's lands in 1770. This meant he had enough money and did not need to work.

Political Career

In 1780, Sinclair became a member of the House of Commons for the Caithness area. He served in Parliament for many years, representing different areas until 1811.

He helped create the Board of Agriculture and was its first president. This board worked to improve farming in Britain. In 1788, he also helped start the African Association. This group aimed to learn more about Africa.

Military Service

In 1794, Sinclair raised a military unit called the Rothesay and Caithness Fencibles. This was one of the first Highland Fencible Corps that could serve anywhere in Great Britain. Later, he raised another unit, the Caithness Highlanders. They served in Ireland during the Irish Rebellion of 1798.

Financial Expertise

Sinclair was known as an expert in finance and economics. In 1784, he published his book History of the Public Revenue of the British Empire. He also gave advice that helped the government during difficult financial times. For example, in 1793, he suggested a plan that helped prevent widespread financial problems.

Later Life and Legacy

From 1800 to 1816, he lived with his family in Edinburgh. During his life, Sir John Sinclair owned land in Saint Vincent. On these lands, people were forced to work as slaves. When the British Parliament ended slavery in 1833, Sinclair applied for money as compensation for the loss of the enslaved people. However, he died before he received the payment.

Sir John Sinclair passed away in Edinburgh in 1835. He is buried in the Royal Chapel at Holyrood Abbey.

Sir John Sinclair's Family

Sir John Sinclair became a baronet in 1786. He was married two times.

First Marriage

In 1776, he married Sarah Maitland. They had two daughters, Hannah and Janet. Janet became a religious writer. Sarah died in 1785.

Second Marriage

In 1788, Sinclair married Diana MacDonald. They had 13 children together. His oldest son, George, also became a writer and a Member of Parliament. Another son, also named John, became an important church leader. His fourth daughter, Catherine Sinclair, became a well-known author.

Contributions to Science and Knowledge

Sir John Sinclair made important contributions to the study of agriculture and statistics.

Statistical Account of Scotland

He oversaw the creation of the Statistical Account of Scotland. This huge project involved collecting information from ministers in every parish (local area) across Scotland. It was published in 21 volumes between 1791 and 1799. This work became known as the "Old Statistical Account."

Sinclair explained why he used the word "statistics." He learned the word in Germany, where it meant studying a country's political strength. He used it to mean "an inquiry into the state of a country, for the purpose of ascertaining the quantum of happiness enjoyed by its inhabitants." For Sinclair, statistics meant collecting facts, not just numbers.

Agricultural Improvements

Sinclair was a strong supporter of new farming methods. On his land in Caithness, he rented out large areas to farmers who raised new types of animals, like Cheviot sheep. This sometimes meant that old tenants had to move to smaller, tougher plots of land. Many of these displaced people eventually moved away from Scotland.

Memberships and Honors

Sinclair was a member of many agricultural groups in Europe. He was also a member of the Royal Society of London and the Royal Society of Edinburgh. These are important scientific societies. He was also a member of the Antiquarian Society of London, which studies old things.

In 1797, he was chosen as an honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 1810, he became a member of the Privy Council, which advises the King or Queen.

When the Statistical Society of London (now the Royal Statistical Society) was started in 1834, Sinclair was its oldest original member.

Measuring Wellbeing

Around 1790, Sinclair wrote about trying to measure the "quantum of happiness" of the people in Scotland. This shows his interest in understanding the well-being of the population.

Recording History

Sinclair's work also helped record details about archaeological sites in Scotland. For example, the Catto Long Barrow in Aberdeenshire was first mentioned in his writings in 1795.

Key Writings

Sir John Sinclair wrote several important books:

• Statistical Accounts of Scotland (1791–1799)
• History of the Public Revenue of the British Empire (1784)
• The Code of Health and Longevity (1807)
• Code of Agriculture (1819)

He also wrote a pamphlet in 1815 called "Hints Regarding the Agriculture State of the Netherlands, Compared with that of Great Britain." This was after he visited farms in Flanders.

Images for kids

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  Thurso Castle, where Sir John Sinclair was born.

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  Sir John Sinclair's grave in Holyrood Abbey.