St. Clair Earls of Rosslyn
Henry St. Clair born 1660 was the son of John St. Clair of Herdmanston and Catherine Sinclair, daughter and heiress of John, the 9th and last Lord Sinclair of the original Roslin line, descended from the last Sinclair Earl of Orkney’s son, William ‘the Waster’. When his grandfather died in 1674 and with his mother also dead, Henry obtained a crown charter of the Lordship of Sinclair, with the new patent limited to the male heirs of Henry himself, or to those of his brothers and their descendants. This was a separate creation to the original Lordship, which had been in existence from at least 1407, when Henry 2nd Earl of Orkney was styled Lord Sinclair in a charter regarding Herbertshire.
Henry’s second son, General James St. Clair purchased Roslin Castle from William, the last Sinclair of Roslin, in 1735 which, in the event of General James leaving no issue, was to be inherited by the sons of his sisters. When his elder brother, the Master of St. Clair died in 1750 leaving no heirs, General James inherited everything and would have become the next Lord Sinclair but never assumed the title, preferring to retain his seat in the House of Commons where he was M.P. for Dysart. When he died in 1766 without male heirs, the Lordship of Rosslyn was inherited by James Paterson, son of Grizel St. Clair, General 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 General James’ other sister, Catherine, who had married Sir John Erskine of Alva. Sir Henry Erskine married Janet Wedderburn, sister to Alexander Wedderburn, who had become the first Earl of Rosslyn but 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, and their descendants hold the earldom to this day.
Nina Cawthorne
DESCENDANTS
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 of Herdmanston, Lord Sinclair ( -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 Skedduay ( -1762) Major 1st Royal Scots
William St. Clair, natural son
Thomas St. Clair, natural son
Henry St. Clair ( -1766), no issue
Matthew St. Clair ( -1747), no issue
Margaret St. Clair (1688-1756) m. Sir William Baird of Newbyth, Bt.
Elizabeth St. Clair ( -1721) m. aft. 1716 David Wemyss, 4th Earl of Wemyss
Ann St. Clair
Grizel St. Clair (1681-1737) m. John Paterson of Prestonhall
Margaret Paterson (c.1711-1793) m. 1744 John Thomson of Charleton of Fife
Rachel Thomson (c.1748-d. young)
Grizel Maria Thomson (c.1747-1795) m. 1774 Col. John Anstruther of Balcaskie
Lt. Gen. Sir Henry Erskine of Alva (1710-1765) m. 1761 Janet Wedderburn, sister of Alexander Wedderburn, 1st Baron Loughborough and 1st Earl of Rosslyn
Henrietta Maria Erskine ( -1820)
Sir James St. Clair-Erskine (1762-1837), 2nd Earl of Rosslyn m. 1790 Harriet Elizabeth Bouverie, dau. of Hon. Edward Bouverie and Harriet Fawkener
Henry Alexander St. Clair-Erskine (1792-bef. 1804)
Henry Francis St. Clair-Erskine (1804-1829)
Gen. James Alexander St. Clair-Erskine (1802-1866), 3rd Earl of Rosslyn m. 1826 Frances Wemyss, dau. of William Wemyss of Wemyss and Frances Erskine
James Alexander George St. Clair-Erskine (1830-1851)
Robert Francis St. Clair-Erskine (1833-1890), 4th Earl of Rosslyn m. 1866 Blanche Adeliza, dau. of Henry Fitzroy
Alexander Fitzroy St. Clair-Erskine (1870-1915)
Sybil Mary St. Clair-Erskine (1871-1910)
Angela Selina Bianca St. Clair-Erskine (1876-1950)
James Francis Harry St. Clair-Erskine (1869-1939), 5th Earl of Rosslyn [‘broke the bank at Monte Carlo’]
m. (1) 1890 Violet, dau. of Robert de Grey Vyner
m. (2) 1905 Anna Robinson, dau. of George Robinson
m. (3) 1908 Vera Mary Bayley, dau. of Eric E. Bayley
Maj. James Alexander St. Clair-Erskine (1909-1973)
Mary Sybil St. Clair-Erskine (1912-1993)
Maj. David Simon St. Clair-Erskine (1917-1985)
Francis Edward Scudamore St. Clair-Erskine (1892-1929) m. Sheila Margaret McKellar Chisholm, dau. of Harry Chisholm, Sydney, Australia
Peter St. Clair-Erskine (1958- ), 7th Earl of Rosslyn m. 1982 Helen M. Watters, dau. of C. R. Watters
Alice St. Clair-Erskine (1988- )
Lucia St. Clair-Erskine (1993- )
Harry St. Clair-Erskine (1995- )