John Sinclair (bishop)
John Sinclair was an Ordinary Lord and later Lord President in the Court of Session. He performed the ceremony marrying Mary, Queen of Scots to Lord Darnley.
Family
He was the fourth son of Sir Oliver Sinclair of Roslin by his spouse Margaret, daughter of William Borthwick, 2nd Lord Borthwick. John was a younger brother of Henry Sinclair, Bishop of Ross, and their sister Margaret was married to Robert Lauder, of The Bass. In a Precept of Clare Constat dated 2 May 1566, John, Bishop of Brechin, is referred to as "maternal uncle of Robert Lauder of Popple, knight, heir of Robert Lauder of Bass, and Margaret Sinclare, sister of Robert Sinclare of Over Liberton".Career
Douglas writes: "Dr.John Sinclair, bred to the church, a man of great piety and learning, and for his extraordinary knowledge of our laws, was first appointed one of the Ordinary Lords of Session, then Lord President 'in his brother's place' . He was 'Dean of Restalrig near Edinburgh and was' afterwards preferred to the Bishoprick of Brechin".Before December 1537 he was Prebendary of Corstorphine. Afterwards, as Rector of Snaw, John Sinclair was admitted as an Ordinary Lord in the Court of Session on 27 April 1540. He was afterwards appointed by King James V, confirmed by a Bull of Pope Paul III dated 27 August 1542, as Dean of the Church of St. Mary of Restalrig, a valuable benefice stated to be £60 sterling. He attended his brother Henry to France in 1564, and brought back with him to Scotland the materials which Henry had amassed for a continuation of Boece's History of Scotland. He also succeeded Henry as Lord President of the Court of Session. Shortly after July 1565 he was promoted to the Episcopal See of Brechin, but did not long enjoy the dignity, dying the following year.