14th earl of James Sinclair Caithness

Born in Edinburgh on 16 August 1821, James Sinclair became the 14th Earl of Caithness in 1855 after previously being styled Lord Berriedale. He was a Scottish Liberal politician, but he was also remembered for his curiosity about science and practical invention, which made him stand out from the usual picture of a Victorian peer.

He served in public life as a representative peer for Scotland and held office as a lord-in-waiting during the reign of Queen Victoria. Beyond politics, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society and wrote on scientific subjects, reflecting a serious engagement with the scientific culture of his time rather than a passing hobby.

Sinclair died in New York on 28 March 1881. Today he is often noted as an unusual nineteenth-century figure: an earl who was not only involved in government and society, but also deeply interested in experimentation, discovery, and the possibilities of modern science.