SINCLAIR, MALCOLM [SSNE 4919]
Text source
Malcolm Sinclair (f.1690-1739) served as a soldier in the Swedish Army between 1690-1739. He was the son of William Sinclair [SSNE 3519] and Catherine Hamilton, and grandson of David Sinclair [SSNE 3503]. Sinclair started off his military career as an ensign with the Life Guard in 1708. Sinclair was captured by the Russians at the battle of Perovolchician and was not returned until 1722. He thereafter resumed his commission as a lieutenant and went on to serve in the Dutch Republic between 1724 and 1726 He eventually held the rank of Major with the Upplands Regiment by 1637. The following year he a member of a secret mission to Turkey led and was murdered in Grunberg in Silesia by Russian agents on his way home from Constantinople with dispatches. There is a famous Swedish song about him and his murder. His portrait was painted in 1728 by J. H. Scheffel and now hangs in Gripsholm Slott in Sodermanland, just outside Mariafred. There is a painting of Malcolm that used to hang at Gripsholm castle, Stockholm, but is now at the home of the royal Lifeguard. His funerary monument is located in a side chapel of Nikolaikirche/Marktkirche in Stralsund.
Swedish Riksarkiv, Biographica Microcard, E0189 5/8; P. Englund, The Battle of Poltava: The Birth of the Russian Empire (London, 1992), Biographical Appendix, p.276; A. Lewenhaupt, Karl XII:s Officerare Biografiska anteckningar (2 vols., Stockholm, 1920), II, p.630; S. Strömbom, ed. Index över svenska porträtt 1500-1850 i svenska porträttarkivets samlingen, 2 vols (Stockholm, 1935, 1939), vol.2, p.756. With thanks to Angus Fowler for updates.
Service record
- SWEDEN, SWEDISH ARMY
- Arrived 1708-08-13, as ENSIGN
- Departed 1709-12-31, as LIEUTENANT
- Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY
- SWEDEN, RUSSIA
- Arrived 1709-07-01, as LIEUTENANT
- Departed 1722-12-31, as LIEUTENANT
- Capacity PRISONER, purpose MILITARY
- SWEDEN, SWEDISH ARMY
- Arrived 1722-01-01, as LIEUTENANT
- Departed 1723-12-31, as LIEUTENANT
- Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY
- SWEDEN, THE DUTCH REPUBLIC, THE DUTCH REPUBLIC
- Arrived 1724-01-01, as LIEUTENANT
- Departed 1726-12-31, as LIEUTENANT
- Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY
- SWEDEN, UPPLAND REGIMENT
- Arrived 1727-01-01, as LIEUTENANT
- Departed 1739-12-31, as MAJOR
- Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY
- SWEDEN, CONSTANTINOPLE, TURKEY
- Arrived 1738-01-01
- Departed 1739-12-31
- Capacity DIPLOMATIC COURIER, purpose DIPLOMACY
- SWEDEN, GRUNBERG, SILESIA
- Arrived 1739-01-01
- Departed 1739-12-31
- Capacity DIPLOMATIC COURIER, purpose DIPLOMACY