Lords Herdmanston and Sinclair – Part One

When John Sinclair the 9th Lord Sinclair died on 10 November 1674 at Agés, near Burgos in Spain, his last child Catherine had already died in childbirth eight years earlier. Lord Sinclair was the last of the male line descended from the Sinclairs of Roslin through Earl William Sinclair, via his eldest son, William ‘the Waster’ (d. 1487).

John’s daughter Catherine had provided heirs in the shape of two sons, Henry and John, in addition to a daughter Mary, by her husband, John St. Clair of Herdmanston. Henry, their eldest son, was only 6 years old when his mother died on 13 July following the birth of his sister, then his father also died unexpectedly and was buried on 17 July 1666 in Greyfriars Kirkyard. From his father, Henry inherited the barony of Herdmanston and, in 1677, he obtained a crown charter of the title of Lord Sinclair, which he inherited from his maternal grandfather, John, Lord Sinclair. The new patent was limited to the male heirs of Henry himself, or to those of his brothers and their descendants, and was a separate creation to the original Lordship.

Henry’s son John, the Master of St. Clair, was attainted in 1715 for his participation at the battle of Sheriffmuir during the first Jacobite uprising, which prevented him from inheriting the title or the estates. When Henry died in 1723, the master’s brother, General James St. Clair, inherited their father’s lands instead but both peerages remained forfeited. In 1735, Gen. James purchased Roslin Castle from William, the last Sinclair of Roslin which, in the event of Gen. James leaving no issue, was to be inherited by the sons of his sisters. In 1736 the Master of St Clair obtained an act of parliament which enabled him to inherit the lands but not the peerages, at which point, his brother Gen. James transferred their father’s properties back to him. When the Master died in 1750 leaving no heirs, his brother, Gen. James inherited everything and would have become the next Lord Sinclair but for the attainder. When he died in 1766 without male heirs, the Lordship of Rosslyn was inherited by James Paterson, son of Grizel St. Clair, Gen. James’ eldest sister, who had married John Paterson of Preston Hall. James Paterson adopted the name St. Clair and on his death without heirs in 1789, Rosslyn was inherited by Sir Henry Erskine, the son of Gen. James’ other sister, Catherine, who had married Sir John Erskine of Alva. Sir Henry Erskine married Janet Wedderburn, sister to Alexander Wedderburn, 1st Earl Rosslyn, who also died without heirs. The Rosslyn earldom next devolved to Alexander Wedderburn’s nephew, Sir James Erskine, the son of Sir Henry Erskine and Janet Wedderburn, who adopted the name St. Clair-Erskine. [See Lords Herdmanston and Sinclair – Part Two].

The tree below follows the maternal line from Grizel St. Clair (1681-1737) and her descendants, through the Paterson, Thomson and Anstruther families. The older creation of Lord Sinclair remains forfeit under the attainder and the right to contest and reverse the attainder remain with the descendants of Grizel St. Clair. The second creation of Lord Sinclair from 1677 was reinstated in 1782 following a decision in the House of Lords and devolved to Charles St. Clair, great-grandson of Dr Matthew St. Clair (d. 1728), the uncle of Henry, 1st Lord Sinclair of the Herdmanston line. [See Lords Herdmanston and Sinclair – Part Two].

Nina Cawthorne


DESCENDANTS

Sir John St. Clair of Herdmanston [M.P. for Haddington] m. c.1629 Elizabeth Sinclair, dau. of Sir John Sinclair of Stevenston and Marion McMath
Dr Matthew St. Clair (1647-1728)
m. (1) 1705 Margaret dau. of John Hume of Nynewells (Berwickshire)
m. (2) Margaret, dau. of Sir Thomas Carre (Kerr) of Cavers (Roxburghshire) and Grizel Halket
Charles St. Clair (1692-1775) [later 2nd Lord Sinclair] m. Elizabeth, dau. of Andrew Hume, Lord Kimmerghame and Elizabeth Douglas
Dr Andrew St. Clair (1697-1760) [Physician to King George II, Prof. of Medicine at Edinburgh University] m. 1736 Elizabeth, dau. of James Drummond of Blair Drummond
Anna St. Clair (1700- ) m. William Molleson, merchant in London
John St. Clair of Herdmanston (1632-1666) m. 1659 Catherine Sinclair, dau. of John, (10th) Lord Sinclair and Mary Wemyss, dau. of John Wemyss, 1st Earl Wemyss (Fife)
John St. Clair (1663-aft.1687)
Mary St. Clair (1666-c.1721) m. George Wilson, merchant in Edinburgh
Henry St. Clair Lord of Herdmanston, 1st Lord Sinclair (new creation) (1660-1723) m. 1680 Barbara, dau. of Sir James Cockburn of Cockburn, Bt., and Grizel Hay of Barra
John St. Clair, Master of St. Clair (1683-1750)
m. (1) c.1733 Margaret, dau. of James Stewart, 5th Earl of Galloway and Catherine Montgomery
m. (2) 1750 Amelia Murray, dau. of Lord George Murray and Amelia Murray of Glencarse and Strowan
Gen. James St. Clair ( -1766) m. c.1745 Janet Dalrymple, dau. of Sir David Dalrymple of Hailes, Bt., and Janet Rochead of Inverleith, no issue
Maj. William St. Clair of Skeddoway, Fife (1689-1762)
David St. Clair (c.1748-aft.1774), natural son
Thomas St. Clair (c.1750-bef.1774 in India), natural son
Lt. William St. Clair of Skeddoway (natural son) (1746-1830) m. 1773 Augusta, dau. of Isaac JohnTinling, and Johanna Stubbs of Minorca, Spain
Col. James Pattison St. Clair (1780-1867)
m. (1) 1809 Charlotte, dau. of Michael Head, Halifax, Nova Scotia
Maj. William Augustus St. Clair (1811-1879) m. 1846 Emma, dau. of George Crawshay of Colney Hatch, Middlesex, no issue
Lt. James Louis St. Clair (2nd of Staverton Court, Glos.) (1816-1886) m. 1848 Juliet, dau. of George Crawshay of Colney Hatch, Middlesex
Col. James Latimer Crawshay St. Clair (1850-1940) m. 1889 Ethel Mary, dau. of Henry Gray Philpott [surgeon]
Capt. William Farhill St. Clair (1890-1967) m. 1931 Mary Joan Bernice, dau. of Dr Thomas Brown Hutcheson
Audrey St. Clair St. Clair (1894-1971), unmarried
David Farhill St. Clair (1852-1901), unmarried
Capt. William Augustus Edmond St. Clair (1854-1923) m. 1886 Louise Gabrielle, dau. of Walter Crawshay of Nièvre, France
Doreen Gabrielle St. Clair (1896-1935), unmarried
Charlotte Elizabeth Louisa St. Clair (1850-1901), unmarried
Juliet Matilda St. Clair (1856-1945), unmarried
Capt. David John St. Clair (1819-1866) m. 1845 Harriet Ann, dau. of Robert Bond, no issue
Charlotte Myers St. Clair m. 1838 Andrew Thomas Turton Peterson of Wakefield, Yorks.
m. (2) 1830 Susannah, dau. of Sir Thomas Turton, Bt., of Starborough Castle, Surrey
Rosabella Mary Elizabeth St. Clair (1835-1905), unmarried
Capt. David Latimer St. Clair (1st of Staverton Court, Glos.) (1783-1861) m. 1819 Elizabeth Isabella, dau. of John Farhill of Chichester, Sussex, no issue
Capt. William St. Clair (c.1782-1809, Martinique, W. Indies)
Louisa Matilda St. Clair (c.1784-1858), unmarried
Maj. Gen. Thomas Staunton St. Clair (1785-1847) m. 1817 Caroline Woodbridge, no issue
Augusta St, Clair (1788-1848), unmarried
David St. Clair (1691-1712, Aix-le-Chapelle, France)
Charles St. Clair (1692- )
Henry St. Clair ( -1766), no issue
Matthew St. Clair ( -1747), no issue
Margaret St. Clair (1688-1756) m. 1611 Sir William Baird of Newbyth (Haddington)
Elizabeth St. Clair (1693-1721) m. aft. 1716 David Wemyss, 4th Earl of Wemyss (Fife)
Ann St. Clair
Catherine St. Clair (1685-aft. 1719) m. 1705 Sir John Erskine of Alva (Fife)
Maj. Sir Charles Erskine of Alva (1709-1747) m. Henrietta Fraser, dau. of Lt. Col. Hugh Fraser and Christine McNaughton
Lt. Gen. Sir Henry Erskine of Alva (1710-1765) m. 1761 Janet, dau. of Peter Wedderburn, Lord Chesterhall and Janet, dau. of Capt. David Ogilvy
John Erskine ( -1817) m. 1802 Mary, dau. of Sir John Mordaunt and Elizabeth Prowse
Henrietta Maria Erskine (1764-1820)
James St. Clair-Erskine, 2nd Earl of Rosslyn (1762-1837) m. 1789 Harriet Elizabeth, dau. of Edward Bouverie and Harriet Fawkener
Grizel St. Clair (1681-1737) m. John Paterson of Prestonhall (Midlothian)
John Paterson [adopted the name St. Clair 1766] ( -1789), unmarried
Margaret Paterson (1711-1793) m. 1744 John Thomson of Charleton (Fife)
John Thomson (c.1745-1762)
Rachel Thomson (c.1748- ) m. (?) Col. MacDonald of Lochgarry
Grizel Maria Thomson (c.1747-1795) m. 1774 Col. John Anstruther
James Anstruther (1779- )
Phillip Anstruther (1780- )
John Anstruther-Thomson of Charleton (1776-1833) m. 1807 Clementina, dau. of William Adam of Blair Adam and Eleanor Elphinstone
Eleanor Anstruther-Thomson (1808-1878) m. 1835 James Montgomery
Margaret Louisa Anstruther-Thomson (1812-1883)
Clementina Grizel Anstruther-Thomson (1811-1894)
Mary Elphinstone Charlotte Anstruther-Thomson (1817-1871) m. 1848 Rev. Andrew Ramsay Campbell
Jean St. Clair Anstruther-Thomson (1821-1893)
Lt. Col. William Adam Anstruther-Thomson (1823-1865) m. 1849 Isabella Eliza, dau of Gen. James Steel
Clementina Susan Adelaide Anstruther-Thomson (1858-1929)
Charles James Anstruther (1859-1948) m. 1894 Olive, dau of Wyndham Slade
William Anstruther (1896-1940)
John Anstruther-Thomson of Charleton (1818-1904)
m. (1) 1852 Maria Caroline Agnes Robina, dau. of Rev. John Hamilton Gray of Carntyne
m. (2) 1891 Isobel, dau of Lt. Gen. Robert Bruce of Glendouglie
John St. Clair Anstruther-Thomson (1853-1873)
Clementina Caroline Anstruther-Thomson (1857-1921)
Lt. Col. William John Anstruther-Gray (1859-1938) m. 1891 Jessie Clayre, dau. of Andrew Tennant and Rachel Ferguson, South Australia
William John St. Clair Anstruther-Gray (1906-1985) m. 1934 Monica Helen, dau. of Lt. Geoffrey Lambton and Dorothy Leyland
Jean Helen St. Clair Anstruther-Gray (1901-1956) m. 1923 Alistair Campbell, Lord Stratheden and Campbell
Mary Ruth St. Clair Anstruther-Gray (1892-1916)
Rosia Maria Anstruther-Thomson (1862-1956)
m. (1) 1892 Col. David Bryce Burn
m. (2) 1920 Edward Chapman Clayton
Olivia Beatrice Louisa Anstruther-Thomson (1870-1941) m. 1895 Francis W. Blackburne
Arthur St. Clair Anstruther-Thomson (1872-1904)
Rachel Jean Anstruther-Thomson (1892-1968) m. 1923 Michael Willoughby Gordon-Cumming
Charles Frederick St. Clair Anstruther-Thomson of Charleton (1855-1925) m. Agnes Dorothea, dau. of James Alexander Guthrie of Craigie and Elinor Stirling
John Arnold Anstruther (1888-1914)
Grisel Margaret Anstruther (1882-1970) m. 1911 Baron Knut Corfitz Bonde
Ann Margerita Charotta Bonde (1912-1967)
Beata Maria Bonde (1914- )
Maria Sophia Angelica Bonde (1921- )
John Anstruther Carl Knutsson Bonde of Charleton (1918-2009) m. 1944 Brita Christina, dau. of Dr Harald Fogelberg
St. Clair Knut Harald Jöns Bonde of Charleton (1946- )
Sophie Margaretha Patricia Bonde (1953- )
Ann Cecilia Maria Bonde (1955- )
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