Arthur St. Clair's Lineage
by:
Laurel Fechner, Historian Clan Sinclair USA
George 4th (Sinclair) Earl of Caithness
John Sinclair Master of Caithness
James Sinclair
John Sinclair
James Sinclair
James Sinclair
William Sinclair
General Arthur
At the time of Arthur St. Clair's birth on March 23, 1736, there was no
Earl of Rosslyn only a Baron of Rosslyn until 1801 when the first Earl of
Rosslyn was created. The Caithness Earls broke off from the Rosslyn Barons in
1455 when King James broke up the wealth and power of the St. Clairs at Rosslyn
among 3 heirs. The Rosslyn branch kept the name of St. Clair whereas the
Caithness branch took on the name of Sinclair.
In most cases history books have the wrong date for Arthur St. Clair's
birth as 1734 was a general statement in history but there is no research to
support it. On pg 43 "History of the Sinclair Family in Europe and North
America" by Leonard Morrison "In searching the Kirk session books of
Thurso was found this entry: 'On the 24th of March 1736, William Sinclair,
merchant in town, had his son Arthur (who was born about five o'clock of the
preceding day) baptized by the Rev. William Innes, Minister here.'
That would make the sate of his birth to be March 23, 1736. In a personal letter
from Rev. J. Stewart Miller of Thurso, dated July 2, 1891, he gives the date,
and says 'he had a brother James born in 1738. His mother's name was probably
Murray.'.... and Morrison goes on to say: "General St. Clair was not a grandson
of the Earl of Roslin as is stated in Appleton's Cyclopaedia of American
Biography, Vol. 5, p. 368, and in other works, as none then existed, but he was
a relative, descended from a common ancestor. "
Arthur St. Clair was born Arthur Sinclair most likely and during his early
years (or his father's) they decided to change the name back to what it had been
originally since 1054 when the first St. Clair arrived from Normandy. That
William the Seemly of St. Clair sur Elle (Normandy) was also a cousin of William
the Conqueror but we do not think he fought with the conqueror since there was
bad blood between them. Arthur continued to pronounce his name as if it were
Sinclair with the the accent on the first syllable as in Scotland would
have sounded like Sink'ler. My first Sinclair ancestor was a John Sinclair who
came as an English prisoner to Exeter, NH around 1652. When he pronounced his
name, it was written instead as Sinkler and so it was retained for generations.
Later a descendant, my ancestor, went to visit Gen. Arthur in retirement and was
convinced by the General to change his name back to the original St. Clair also,
however, they were so Americanized that it was pronounced by our branch as we
would St. Clair today, in the English manner.
To see much more on the Sinclairs at
www.clansinclairusa.org.
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