| Administrative History | Sir George Sinclair, 2nd Baronet (28 August 1790 - 1868), was a politician and author. Sinclair, the eldest son of Sir John Sinclair, 1st Baronet of Ulbster, and Diana, only daughter of Alexander Macdonald, 1st Baron Macdonald, was born in Edinburgh. His brothers John and William Sinclair and sister Catherine. He entered Harrow School, under Dr. Drury, at the age of ten, having for fellow scholars Lord Byron and Sir Robert Peel. Byron described Sinclair as "the prodigy of our school-days. He made exercises for half the school (literally), verses at will, and themes without it. He was a friend of mine, and in the same remove." At the age of sixteen Sinclair quitted Harrow and went to Göttingen. Arrested as a spy, he was brought before Napoleon, who examined him and ordered his release. In 1826 Sinclair issued a privately printed Narrative of the interview (Edinburgh, 1826, 8vo).
Sinclair returned to England, and in 1811 succeeded his father in the whig interest as Member of Parliament for the county of Caithness, which he represented at intervals for many years
His last years were passed in seclusion at Thurso Castle or Torquay. He spent the winter of 1867 at Cannes, and, dying in Edinburgh on 23 October 1868, was buried at Harold's Tower, Thurso. |