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<DIV><FONT size=4>Rt Hon. The Earl of Caithness</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Dear Malcolm,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Thank you for granting me permission to use the photos from
your website. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>I was somewhat familiar with Brian Smith's challenge to the
Sinclair/New World theory, but had not seen his most recent article.
Thanks for helping me locate it. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>The trail I'm following is more tied to Templar activity
and possible Sinclair travels to America with or without Native
America/Zeno folklore. I'm sure you are familiar with the Newport
Tower. I've attached a photo of a Templar building in Jerusalem, the Dome
of the Ascension, believed by some to be where Jesus ascended into
heaven. It had been an open octagon which Muslims later bricked
in. For me, the similarities are striking (despite the rough New England
stone materials found at Newport). </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>I also found the Sir James Gunn, Westport Knight markings
striking (about a 45 minute drive from my house.) </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>I wonder if Smith has actually visited these
sites?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>I'm currently reading, "The Knights Templar of the Middle
East, the Hidden History of the Islamic origins of Freemasonry," by Prince
Michael of Albany. Are you familiar with the book? I'm investigating
motives as well as artifacts to see if there might have
been Templar voyages to the East Coast - and specifically, New
England. The Kirk at Corstorphine has distinct Templar
features/artifacts and includes the first instance </FONT> <FONT size=4>of
Arabic numerals in Scotland. David Thomson of Corstorphine's arms contain
a cross pattee fitche; the cross pattee without the knife point contains 8
points as do the Newport Tower octagon and certain Templar buildings as noted
(as opposed to Crusader sites). </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Yes, trying to put all the pieces together can sound almost
ludicrous. But there seemed to be a core of tolerance among the original
members of the Council for New England, which is more indicative of early
Masonic philosophical leanings than the Puritan groups which soon
followed. Though Francis Bacon was not a member of the Council, he was
close to many of its members and had been a Newfoundland "adventurer" in terms
of financial support - looking for a New World - a possible Utopia? He
actually died at Thomas Howard, the Ear of Arundel's residence. (I sent
you a link to Thomson's letter to the Earl in my earlier correspondence.
See below.) </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>There is also another lead I'm investigating involving a cross
engrailed seal with roses between the arms. (Sinclair??) It was
found with Samuel Maverick's belongings. He was David Thomson's closest
friend and married his widow.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Once again, thank you for granting permission regarding the
pictures. It was wonderful hearing from you.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Genevieve</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>(Massachusetts, USA)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>PS I will be publishing the book under my pen name, G.
Thomson Fraser.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>PS My articles on David Thomson can be found on the
Scottish Genealogical Society site:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><A
href="http://www.scotsgenealogy.com/online/DavidPart01.htm">http://www.scotsgenealogy.com/online/DavidPart01.htm</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><U><FONT color=#810081><A
href="http://www.scotsgenealogy.com/online/DavidPart02.htm">http://www.scotsgenealogy.com/online/DavidPart02.htm</A></FONT></U></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3><A
href="http://www.scotsgenealogy.com/online/DavidPart03.htm">http://www.scotsgenealogy.com/online/DavidPart03.htm</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3>There is also a 4th published article which has not been put
online.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=chief@clansinclair.org href="mailto:chief@clansinclair.org">Malcolm
Caithness</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=gcfraser@peoplepc.com
href="mailto:gcfraser@peoplepc.com">gcfraser@peoplepc.com</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, March 08, 2009 1:13
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> RE: permission request &
Templar/Masonic research</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3></FONT><FONT size=3></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=078424616-08032009><FONT
color=#0000ff>Dear Genevieve</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=078424616-08032009></SPAN><FONT color=#0000ff>A<SPAN
class=078424616-08032009>pologies for not replying earlier. I would be
delighted for you to use the two etchings of the castle with the
appropriate accreditation.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff><SPAN
class=078424616-08032009></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff><SPAN class=078424616-08032009>What an interesting
link. between the Thompsons, Forresters and Sinclairs which I did not
know.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff><SPAN
class=078424616-08032009></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=+0><SPAN class=078424616-08032009><FONT color=#0000ff>As to
the Zeno saga there are those who swear by it and those that don't. Have a
look at </FONT>
<P><A
href="file:///C:/Program%20Files/Common%20Files/Microsoft%20Shared/Stationery/www.users.zetnet.co.uk/ahamilton/sinclair.htm"><U>www.users.zetnet.co.uk/ahamilton/sinclair.htm</U></A><FONT
color=#0000ff> <SPAN class=078424616-08032009>and see what you think. I
would like to think his fleet did reach the New World but as far as I am
concerned the jury is still out.</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=#0000ff><SPAN class=078424616-08032009></SPAN></FONT> </P>
<P><FONT color=#0000ff><SPAN class=078424616-08032009>Best
wishes</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=#0000ff><SPAN class=078424616-08032009></SPAN></FONT> </P>
<P><FONT color=#0000ff><SPAN
class=078424616-08032009>Malcolm</SPAN></FONT></P></SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff><SPAN
class=078424616-08032009></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff><SPAN
class=078424616-08032009></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader lang=en-us dir=ltr align=left>
<HR tabIndex=-1>
<FONT face=Tahoma><B>From:</B> gcfraser@peoplepc.com
[mailto:gcfraser@peoplepc.com] <BR><B>Sent:</B> 09 February 2009
23:59<BR><B>To:</B> chief@clansinclair.org<BR><B>Subject:</B> permission
request & Templar/Masonic research<BR></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>211 Dana Road</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Orange, Massachusetts USA </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>01364</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<P><FONT size=4>Castle Sinclair Girnigoe<BR>Wick<BR>Caithness<BR>KW1
4QT</FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=4>Dear Rt Hon The Earl of Caithness,</FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=4>I was deeply impressed by the Sinclair-Girnigoe
website and request permission to use the two etchings of the castles for
a book I am writing, "In Search of David Thomson (died 1628) and the Alchemy
of American Democracy." (see attached Thomson seal) </FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=4>To date, I have had four articles published by the Scottish
Genealogical Society entitled, "DAVID THOMSON, THE SCOTTISH FOUNDER OF
NEW HAMPSHIRE... A GENTLEMAN, AND A SCHOLAR." The book will be an
expansion of the theories documented in the articles plus additional research
conducted over the past several years. David Thomson was named Governor
of the Massachusetts grant (1623) under the Council for New England. He
was also granted 6,000 acres in Piscataqua (now New Hampshire).</FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=4>After extensive research (including many primary source
documents) in the USA, Scotland, and England, I have come to the conclusion
that David Thomson was of Corstorphine, Midlothian and of a family that
had married into the Forresters of Corstorphine. David was born about
1588, and his grandmother from the previous century would have been Jean
Sinclair married to Sir John Forrester. According to Sinclair
genealogies I have had access to, Jean Sinclair Forrester's brother, William,
was the builder of Rosslyn Castle.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=4>There is a three page letter written by David Thomson to
Thomas Howard, the Earl of Arundel - <A
href="http://www.wellswooster.com/tommies/arundel_letter.html">http://www.wellswooster.com/tommies/arundel_letter.html</A> - that
the Duke of Norfolk granted me permission to have photographed and use.
The Earl of Arundel was a member of the Council for New England, along with
King James I's cousin, Ludvick Stuart, the Duke of Lennox. Arundel
was believed to have been a grandmaster of an early Freemasonic order in
London, succeeding in the title following the death of his brother-in-law,
Philip Hebert, Earl of Pembroke. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=4>If you examine the Thomson seal, you will note the Templar
Cross and the ouroboros in chief. David's closest friend in New England
was Samuel Maverick who married his widow, Amias Cole. Maverick was
later named Royal Commissioner under Charles II. He used the Thomson
seal in that capacity and also a seal with an engrailed cross with roses
between the extensions. Maverick's actual heraldic arms were three
hatchet. I wondered if the engrailed cross was also one held by David
Thomson. (Maverick was from Exeter, England.)</FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=4>There is one additional element in the story with a possible
Sinclair connection. Thomson's Island in Boston Harbor was held by
David, not through the Council for New England, but from an earlier
claim. According to Miles Standish of the Plymouth Pilgrims fame, David
Thomson had shown him an "ancient map" with the Isle Thomson on it.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=4>Whether or not the Zeno saga is truly about Earl Henry
Sinclair, the Earl's travels to North America might have been fact
or perhaps others of the Sinclair family might have embarked on such a
voyage. Alexander Thomson (reputed to be the grandson on Sir Thomas
Stewart , the Earl of Mar's son according to Thomson of Corstorphine
genealogy) married Margaret Forrester in the later part of the 15th
century. Are there archives of other voyages taken by the
Sinclairs? If they are hidden away in a charter chest, I would be
delighted to have access to them through the National Archives, and/or
would be happy to follow through with any other source/suggestion you might
have.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=4>Thank you for your kind indulgence.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=4>Sincerely,</FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=4>Genevieve Fraser</FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=4>a.k.a. G. Thomson Fraser</FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=4><A
href="mailto:gcfraser@peoplepc.com">gcfraser@peoplepc.com</A></FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=4>978-544-1872 (Massachusetts, USA)</FONT></P>
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