Viscount Thurso
Encyclopedia
Viscount Thurso, of Ulbster in the County of Caithness
, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom
. It was created in 1952 for the Scottish
Liberal
politician and former Secretary of State for Air
, Sir Archibald Sinclair, 4th Baronet
. His son, the second Viscount, served as Lord Lieutenant of Caithness
from 1973 to 1995. As of 2009 the titles are held by the latter's son, the third Viscount, who succeeded in 1995. Known as John Thurso, he is a Liberal Democrat
politician. Thurso lost his seat in the House of Lords
after the passing of the House of Lords Act 1999
. However, he was elected to the House of Commons
in 2001, thereby becoming the first hereditary peer of the United Kingdom allowed to sit in the Commons without first disclaiming
his title.
The Sinclair Baronetcy, of Ulbster in the County of Caithness, was created in the Baronetage of Great Britain in 1786 for the first Viscount's great-great-grandfather, the Scottish politician and writer John Sinclair
. Both his son, the second Baronet, and grandson, the third Baronet, represented Caithness in the House of Commons. The latter was the grandfather of the fourth Baronet, who was elevated to the peerage as Viscount Thurso in 1952.
The heir apparent
is the present holder's son the Hon. James Alexander Robin Sinclair (b. 1984)
Caithness
Caithness is a registration county, lieutenancy area and historic local government area of Scotland. The name was used also for the earldom of Caithness and the Caithness constituency of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . Boundaries are not identical in all contexts, but the Caithness area is...
, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom
Peerage of the United Kingdom
The Peerage of the United Kingdom comprises most peerages created in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland after the Act of Union in 1801, when it replaced the Peerage of Great Britain...
. It was created in 1952 for the Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
politician and former Secretary of State for Air
Secretary of State for Air
The Secretary of State for Air was a cabinet level British position. The person holding this position was in charge of the Air Ministry. It was created on 10 January 1919 to manage the Royal Air Force...
, Sir Archibald Sinclair, 4th Baronet
Archibald Sinclair, 1st Viscount Thurso
Archibald Henry Macdonald Sinclair, 1st Viscount Thurso KT, CMG, PC , known as Sir Archibald Sinclair, Bt between 1912 and 1952, and often as Archie Sinclair, was a British politician and leader of the Liberal Party....
. His son, the second Viscount, served as Lord Lieutenant of Caithness
Lord Lieutenant of Caithness
The Lord Lieutenant of Caithness is the British monarch's personal representative in an area defined since 1975 as consisting of the local government district of Caithness, in Scotland. This definition was renewed by the Lord-Lieutenants Order 1996...
from 1973 to 1995. As of 2009 the titles are held by the latter's son, the third Viscount, who succeeded in 1995. Known as John Thurso, he is a Liberal Democrat
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
politician. Thurso lost his seat in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
after the passing of the House of Lords Act 1999
House of Lords Act 1999
The House of Lords Act 1999 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that was given Royal Assent on 11 November 1999. The Act reformed the House of Lords, one of the chambers of Parliament. For centuries, the House of Lords had included several hundred members who inherited their seats;...
. However, he was elected to the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
in 2001, thereby becoming the first hereditary peer of the United Kingdom allowed to sit in the Commons without first disclaiming
Peerage Act 1963
The Peerage Act 1963 is the Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that permitted peeresses in their own right and all Scottish hereditary peers to sit in the House of Lords, and which allows newly inherited hereditary peerages to be "disclaimed".-Background:The Act resulted largely from the...
his title.
The Sinclair Baronetcy, of Ulbster in the County of Caithness, was created in the Baronetage of Great Britain in 1786 for the first Viscount's great-great-grandfather, the Scottish politician and writer John Sinclair
Sir John Sinclair, 1st Baronet
Sir John Sinclair, 1st Baronet was a Scottish politician, writer on finance and agriculture and the first person to use the word statistics in the English language, in his vast, pioneering work, Statistical Account of Scotland, in 21 volumes.Sinclair was the eldest son of George Sinclair of...
. Both his son, the second Baronet, and grandson, the third Baronet, represented Caithness in the House of Commons. The latter was the grandfather of the fourth Baronet, who was elevated to the peerage as Viscount Thurso in 1952.
Sinclair Baronets, of Ulbster (1786)
- Sir John Sinclair, 1st Baronet (1754–1835)
- Sir George Sinclair, 2nd BaronetSir George Sinclair, 2nd Baronet-Life:George, eldest son of Sir John Sinclair, 1st Baronet of Ulbster, and Diana, only daughter of Alexander Macdonald, first lord Macdonald, was born in Edinburgh on 28 August 1790. His brothers John and William Sinclair and sister Catherine....
(1790–1868) - Sir John George Tollemache Sinclair, 3rd Baronet (1824–1912)
- Sir Archibald Henry MacDonald Sinclair, 4th BaronetArchibald Sinclair, 1st Viscount ThursoArchibald Henry Macdonald Sinclair, 1st Viscount Thurso KT, CMG, PC , known as Sir Archibald Sinclair, Bt between 1912 and 1952, and often as Archie Sinclair, was a British politician and leader of the Liberal Party....
(1890–1970) (created Viscount Thurso in 1952)
Viscounts Thurso (1952)
- Archibald Henry Macdonald Sinclair, 1st Viscount ThursoArchibald Sinclair, 1st Viscount ThursoArchibald Henry Macdonald Sinclair, 1st Viscount Thurso KT, CMG, PC , known as Sir Archibald Sinclair, Bt between 1912 and 1952, and often as Archie Sinclair, was a British politician and leader of the Liberal Party....
(1890–1970) - Robin Macdonald Sinclair, 2nd Viscount Thurso (1922–1995)
- John Archibald Sinclair, 3rd Viscount ThursoJohn Sinclair, 3rd Viscount ThursoJohn Archibald Sinclair, 3rd Viscount Thurso , known as John Thurso, is a Scottish businessman and Liberal Democrat politician...
(b. 1953)
The heir apparent
Heir apparent
An heir apparent or heiress apparent is a person who is first in line of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting, except by a change in the rules of succession....
is the present holder's son the Hon. James Alexander Robin Sinclair (b. 1984)