Marjorie Sinclair, Baroness Pentland

Marjorie Adeline Gordon Sinclair, Baroness Pentland, DBE, DStJ, was born on December 7, 1880, and died on July 26, 1970. She was the daughter of Sir John Campbell Hamilton-Gordon, 1st Marquess of Aberdeen and Temair, and Ishbel Hamilton-Gordon, Marchioness of Aberdeen and Temair. Her education was primarily through private tuition.

In 1893, she accompanied her parents to Canada when her father was appointed as Governor-General. During this period, she founded and edited a children’s periodical titled "Wee Willie Winkie." She developed an interest in Canadian history and participated in various historical reenactments, including the "Tableaux Historiques" in Montreal, a historical costume ball in Ottawa, and a Victorian Era ball in Toronto.

She was the first "May Queen" elected to preside over the May Court Club in Ottawa, an organization she helped establish. After returning to England, she authored a dramatized five-act version of Sir Walter Scott’s "Fortunes of Nigel" and engaged in lecturing activities. Her debut in London society occurred at a ball at Grosvenor Street in June 1901, hosted by her parents, and she was presented at the Royal Court shortly afterward.

In April 1903, her name was announced as a candidate for the School Board in Methlick, Aberdeenshire. On July 12, 1904, she married John Sinclair, 1st Baron Pentland, who was born on July 7, 1860, and died in January 1925. They had two children: Henry John Sinclair, who became the 2nd and last Lord Pentland (1907–1984), and Hon. Margaret Ishbel Sinclair (1906–1976).

In 1914, she traveled to India with her husband, visiting Travancore, where she was presented with a cookbook titled "Culinary Art Sparklets" by Beatrice A. Vieyra. She was appointed as a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 1917 and was also made a Dame of Grace in the Order of St. John of Jerusalem (D.G.St.J.).

Throughout her life, she was an advocate for improved housing for UK residents. She maintained a long-standing friendship with Anne Muriel Lupton, a vice-chairman of the London Housing Centre, and her mother was also involved in the social issue of housing reform, supporting the efforts of both women.

In 1884, her parents hosted a dinner at Haddo House in honor of then-Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone. This event was later depicted in a painting by artist Alfred Edward Emslie, which she donated to the National Portrait Gallery in London in 1953.

Following her mother’s death on April 18, 1939, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth reportedly sent her a message of sympathy. Marjorie Sinclair, Baroness Pentland, passed away on July 26, 1970, at the age of 89.