James St Clair

General James St Clair (c. 1690 – 30 November 1762) was a Scottish soldier and Tory politician.

The younger son of the 10th Lord Sinclair and Grizel Cockburn, he served in the 1st Battalion, Royal Regiment becoming Ensign in 1708. In the service of the 3rd Foot Guards, he reached the rank of Captain in 1714, that of 2nd Major in 1722 and that of 1st Major and Brevet Colonel the year on this. In 1734, St Clair became Officer Commanding of the 22nd Foot. Between 1737 and 1762, he served in the Royal Scots, first as Colonel, from 1739 as Brigadier-General and from 1745 as Lieutenant-General. In 1746, he commanded the forces, which besieged and destroyed the French fortifications at Quiberon and in 1761, he was made eventuelly General.

St Clair was several times Member of Parliament (MP). He sat for Dysart Burghs from 1722 to 1734 and from 1747 to 1754, for Sutherland from 1736 to 1747 and for Fife from 1754 to 1762.

In 1735, St Clair bought Rosslyn Castle, which was later later inherited by the male heirs of his sisters. He was Envoy to Turin and Vienna in 1748 and governor of County Cork. On the death of his older brother John St Clair, he succeeded de jure as Lord Sinclair, but never assumed the title. St Clair died in Dysart and with his death the Lordship became dormant.

Around 1745, he married Janet Dalrymple, daughter of Hon. Sir David Dalrymple, 1st Baronet. Their marriage was childless.

References

*cite web | url= http://www.thepeerage.com/p12916.htm#i129154| title= thePeerage| accessdate= 2007-03-04