| Battle: | Battle of Dunbar in Dunbar, East Lothian, Scotland |
| Ship/Arrival: | Unity, Dec 1650 |
| Prisoner and List: | |
| Name Variations: | |
| Residences: | |
| Other SPOW Associations: |
Published on: 1 Feb 2016, Updated: 24 May 2019
Page contributors: Dr. Andrew Millard, Teresa Rust
John Sinclair, #97 on “The Dunbar Prisoners” list
IMPORTANT UPDATE! (July 2018)
According to, Christopher Gerrard, Pam Graves, Andrew Millard, Richard Annis, and Anwen Caffell, Lost Lives, New Voices: Unlocking the Stories of the Scottish Soldiers at the Battle of Dunbar 1650, (England: Oxbow Books, 2018), on page 252, John is categorized as:
Probable [that he is a Dunbar prisoner transported on the Unity]
Sinclair/Sinkler/Sinklar, John. Residences: Exeter NH. Appears: 1659. D.1700. Probably worked for Nicholas Lissen. [Exiles; DR; SPOWS]
For explanations of the category, abbreviations and references see List of Dunbar prisoners from Lost Lives, New Voices.
First Generation in the New World
1. JOHN SINCLAIR, was born presumably in Scotland about 1612 and died in New Hampshire in 1700.
Biographical Notes:
1. It is believed that John Sinclair/Sinkler was a Battle of Dunbar prisoner of war and arrived in Massachusetts Bay in late 1650.
2. “the seven men who were indentured to Nicholas Lissen were: John Bean, John Barber, Alexander Gordon, John Sinclair, John Hudson, John Thompson, and Walter Jackson. All were to be lifetime friends of John Bean” (Bean 1977:6)
3. The Scottish POWs specifically mentioned by Barbara of the Exeter Historical Society are: Alexander Gordon, Henry Magoon, John MacBean and John Sinclair.
Sources and Notes:
Possibly lived in Exeter, NH, see Exeter History Minute
John Sinkler of Exeter, New Hampshire by Rand Greubel
Here are two excellent sites with information about John Sinclair and his family:
Who was John Sinkler?
Sinklers of Exeter