James Sinclair, 14th Earl of Caithness

James Sinclair, 14th Earl of Caithness FRS (16 August 1821-28 March 1881), styled Lord Berriedale from 1823 to 1855, was a Scottish Liberal politician, scientist and inventor.

Caithness was the son of Alexander Sinclair, 13th Earl of Caithness, and his wife Frances Harriet, daughter of the Very Reverend William Leigh, Dean of Hereford, and succeeded his father in the earldom in 1855. He was elected a Scottish Representative Peer in 1858 and served in the Liberal administrations of Lord Palmerston and Lord Russell as a Lord-in-Waiting (government whip in the House of Lords) between 1859 and 1866. The latter year Caithness was created Baron Barrogill, of Barrogill Castle in the County of Caithness, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, which entitled him to an automatic seat in the House of Lords. Between 1856 and 1881 he held the post of Lord-Lieutenant of Caithness. He was also a respected scientist and inventor and was a Fellow of the Royal Society. His inventions included a steam carriage and the Caithness gravitating compass.

Lord Caithness married firstly Louisa Georgiana, daughter of Sir George Richard Philips, 2nd Baronet, in 1847. They had one son and one daughter. After her death in 1870 he married secondly Marie, daughter of José de Mariategui, in 1872. They had no children. In 1879 she was created Duchess of Pomar by Pope Leo XIII. Lord Caithness died in New York City in March 1881, aged 59, and was succeeded in the earldom by his only son George. The Countess of Caithness died in November 1895.

References

*Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). "Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage" (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990.
* [http://www.angeltowns.com/town/peerage/ Leigh Rayment's Peerage Page]
* [http://www.thepeerage.com/ www.thepeerage.com]
* [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9502E3DE133CEE3ABC4850DFB566838A699FDE "The New York Times" article on the death of Lord Caithness]