Ninety years before Christopher Columbus "discovered" America, a Scottish Knight and an Italian Navigator explored North America with a small fleet of 12 ships. The Knight was Prince Henry Sinclair and Nicolo Zeno was the Navigator. A carving on a rock in the centre of Westford, Mass. gives us important evidence of their remarkable exploration of the New World.

Prince Henry's expedition at the time was thought to be insane.The general perception was that the Earth was flat and a fearful journey to the unchartered horizon meant a one way ticket to certain death. No one had ever returned from a journey across the Atlantic Ocean, intense speculation led to the conclusion that there must be a cliff-hanger fall off into the abyss.

Prince Henry's knowledge and ingenious intellectual skills, were greatly assisted by access to archaic maps and documents, found in Jerusalem and taken from the Holy Land to Roslin Castle by his direct relations who served their military missions under the banner of the red cross, esteemed as the Knights Templar.

The family's regard for these prized manuscripts was put into context, when, in 1447, as a ravaging fire overwhelmed the castle, the Prince's Grandson, William Sinclair, now in charge of the Sinclair's heritable property, did not oversee the safe evacuation of the woman and children, no....in his opinion there were more important issues to deal with, his ancestor's three vintage treasure chests were carefully secured and lowered to safety from the burning building.

This encounter with destiny, was to leave an everlasting impression on William Sinclair. Sir William, the chapel builder, is also the direct ancestor of the First Grand Master Mason of Scotland, also named William St Clair (Sinclair) who had a exulting sense of pride when he inherited the title. An akashic oracular time machine centred on the Sun and the Moon would be built to house the ancient library of knowledge. A modern day Solomon's Temple (itself an anagram of Sol-Sun & Mon-Moon). The source of Modern Freemasonry was to leave some figurative allegories to symbolise deeper moral truths, or spiritual meanings. Bloodlines and the inseparable D.N.A. coil symbol that today is considered conventional to portray the blood-group message, was ascribed by Sir William to pay attention in chapter 13 verse 13 to the knowledge and secrets of the 13th disciple.... Matthew's words,......

"Though seeing, they do not see;

though hearing, they do not hear or understand....."

Matthew's name in Hebrew means "Gift from God". In turn the adept Sir William named Rosslyn Chapel in commemoration and respect to Matthew and it was constituted and christened as the "Collegiate Church of St Matthew". Mathew's veneration, integrity and understanding is clearly brought out in the adrenalated sculptural form of the Master Mason's Pillar. The pillar is also referred to as the "Princes Pillar" in "An Account of the Chapel of Roslin (1778)." On the architrave adjoining the pillar, there is the inscription Forte est vinum fortior est rex fortiores sunt mulieres super omnia vincit veritas: "Wine is strong, a king is stronger, women are stronger still, but TRUTH conquers all" (1 Esdras, chapters 3 & 4)

Prompted by divine influence and inspired by ancient scriptures, William's covenant was to include all aspects of the same in his masterpiece, his roof design is an awe inspiring vaulted, treasure-chest roof-lid that has 215 stars and flowers skilfully sculptured into the ceiling. If we consider the half barrel roof as representational of 1/12 or 2160 years indicating the transition from one zodiacal symbol to the next in the precession of the equinoxes 2160 year period on our orbit round the 25920 years great zodiac precession. First detected by the Greek astronomer Hipparchus in about 130BC from the apparent increase in the observed celestial longitudes of stars. It amounts to about 50″.3 per year. Hence the equinoxes move westwards on the celestial sphere by 1 ° in about 72 years, when we calculate the full circle by multiplying 72 x 360 degrees it = 25920 which in turn takes 25 920 years to complete one circuit.

The great masonic seal, as seen on the dollar, with the all seeing eye on top of the truncated pyramid has 72 blocks which represents the degrees of perceived time, in the great precession of the equinoxes.

The Westford Carving provides one of the sparse bits of evidence of Prince Henry's exploration of America. Other testimony includes the Zeno Maps, the narrative written by Zeno, the Micmac legends, and the unique cannon found in Guysborough Harbour.

Further proof of a North American visit can be found in the stone carvings in Roslin Chapel. Representations of native American maize plants ornament the M curved arches, while other carvings include the healing aloe cactus.

Henry Sinclair was born and raised at Roslin Castle. His father was William Sinclair who died in Lithuania, on crusade with the Teutonic Knights. At the age of 24 Henry became the Earl of Orkney, an earldom which extended throughout the islands of Orkney and included Caithness. Coincidentally Orkney is the most northerly point of the Scottish Roseline. By the time he was 35 he had built a fleet larger than Norway's entire navy. As navigators he was fortunate to obtain the services of Antonio and Nicola Zeno whose father was Admiral Carlo 'The Lion' of Venice, famed for saving that Italian City. Setting out from Orkney with a fleet of 13 vessels and 100 men, they followed Zeno's map across the sea to Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. Theirs was a voyage of exploration and settlement. They weren't conquistadores as were many other explorers. Instead, they were welcomed by the Micmac Native Americans. During a winter season they lived peaceably among the Micmac Indians before Zeno returned to Orkney, while Sinclair explored further southward, along the Massachusetts coastline.

Pictured above is the Micmac River where the fleet sailed in and met the Native Americans.

Seeing smoke rising, a group of the explorers marched inland to Prospect Hill to get a better view. Along the way, Sir James Gunn, Sinclair's lifelong friend, died. In his memory, they carved his effigy in a rock ledge. It consisted of many punched holes, outlining the dead Knight. Archaeological experts have confirmed that the holes were punched 600 years ago! The effigy contains elements known only at that time to Northern Europeans. The sword and the shield trace solely to Prince Henry Sinclair and the Gunn Family.

HISTORY OF THE WESTFORD CARVING

1883

The "History of the Town of Westford" by Rev. R Hodgman, published in 1883, describes the presence of markings on the ledge. It is said the rude outlines of the human face have been traced upon it, and the figure is said to be the work of Indians."

1940

Willaim B Goodwin, an insurance executive who was obsessed with his interest in archaeology, and Malcolm Pearson, photographer, published a description of the carvings.

1950

Frank Glynn, president of the Connecticut Archaeology Society, thought the sword was of viking origin. T.C Lethbridge, curator of the University Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology in England, identified the sword as "a large, hand-and-a-half wheel pommel sword of the fourteenth century type." Further he suggested that the arms armour and heraldic emblems were a kin to the first Sinclair Earl of Orkney.

1974

Frederick J. Pohl, student of pre-columbian exploration and writer, made a thorough study of life and travels of the Earl of Orkney, including the carving. He published his findings in "Prince Henry Sinclair, his Expedition to the new World in 1398."

1970's

Allister MacDougall, the Town Historian of Westford, erected a granite monument beside the carving.

1990

Marianna Lines, under contract of Niven Sinclair, made a cloth rubbing of the Westford Knight Carving which revealed more detail than previously seen.

Pictured above is a tribute to The Westford Knight; which can be found in Westford,

THE EPIGRAPHIC TOMB STONE reads

PRINCE HENRY FIRST SINCLAIR OF ORKNEY BORN IN SCOTLAND MADE A VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY TO NORTH AMERICA IN 1398 AFTER WINTERING IN NOVA SCOTIA HE SAILED TO MASSACHUSETTS AND ON AN INLAND EXPEDITION IN 1399 TO PROSPECT HILL TO VIEW THE SURROUNDING COUNTRYSIDE ONE OF THE PARTY DIED. THE PUNCH-HOLE ARMORIAL EFFIGY WHICH ADORNS THIS LEDGE IS A MEMORIAL TO THIS KNIGHT.

Effigy knight below.