Sinclair, Wm & Son

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The Sinclair bagpipe makers begins (we assume) with Alexander (b. 1846) who first made bagpipes using a treadle lathe. It is not known when or where Alexander (Sandy) acquired his skills. Whatever the case, a business called “William Sinclair and Son” appears in the Glasgow Trade Directory in 1931. William was Alexander’s son.

Much of the information below was provided by Mark Lee (inventor of the famous Rocket Reed) through his conversations with Alistair Sinclair.

William Sinclair was born in Leith in 1875. He was well-regarded as a piper with the Queen’s Edinburgh Rifles at the end of the century. He rejoined them at the onset of WWI, later becoming Pipe Major of the 4th/5th Battalion. He died in 1956. He started making bagpipes commercially around 1931 although Allistair recalls his father telling him that the business opened in 1933. He had a close relationship with the MacAllisters of Shotts and Dykehead fame. He also had a close relationship with Hugh MacPherson, who gained control of the business in 1955. Apparently there was an injunction that prevented the Sinclairs from making bagpipes for five years.

Sinclair is known for their famous chanter, which has been a favorite among top competing pipers and bands for since the 1960’s. Prior to 1957, the chanter was stamped “Sinclair Leith” at the top and “Wm Sinclair” in script (his actual signature) and “Scotland,” just below the signature, at the bottom.  William Sinclair Jr. had nothing to do with pipemaking from 1957 until 1959 when he went to work at the Hugh MacPherson office from 1959 – 1962. In 1962 Wm. Sinclair and Son started back up at 1 Medeira Street, Leith Edinburgh, the address they occupied in 1948.  Chanters were stamped “W. Sinclair & Son.” The Sinclair chanter from the 70’s through the 90’s was preferred by bands worldwide. The top hand was strong and clean. The ground shook.  We played them in Clan MacFarlane and again with Niagara Police with great success. The combination of Sinclair chanters and MacAllister reeds was simply outstanding.

There are conflicting statements about the TPI. One source claimed Sinclair combed 24 threads per inch and another said it was 26. Both agree that Sinclair used a nine-tooth tool. That means eight teeth are standing up.

In 1962, Allistair, now age 16, joined his father in restarting the business. All new tooling was made and this is the time Allistair thinks that the narrower bores became standard on Sinclair pipes. These were widened again about 1995.

In an unknown year (Allistair can’t recall exactly) they stopped cutting the deep scribes in the tops/faces of their solid caps. Solid caps didn’t come on the scene until the early 1950s. Prior to that, the tops had rings and bushes. That said, I have pictures of one Sinclair bagpipe that is purported to have been purchased from MacPherson’s in St. Catharines in 1946… with solid one-piece caps. The information it considered reliable. From 1933 through 1957 the top of every top projecting mount had a cut-in – the flat part on the top of the projecting mount. Sometime in 1962, the cut-in disappeared.