# James St Clair

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{{short description|Scottish soldier and politician (1688–1762)}}
{{about|the Scottish soldier and politician|the American lawyer|James D. St. Clair}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2026}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2026}}
General ''James St Clair''' (1688 – 30 November 1762<ref name = Rayment>{{cite web | url = http://www.leighrayment.com/peers/peersS3.htm | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080608023739/http://www.leighrayment.com/peers/peersS3.htm | archive-date = 8 June 2008 | title = Leigh Rayment - Peerage | url-status = usurped | accessdate =3 December 2009 }}</ref>) was a [Scottish](/source/Scotland) soldier and [Whig](/source/Whig_(British_political_faction)) politician.

==Background==
St Clair was the second son of [Henry St Clair, 10th Lord Sinclair](/source/Henry_St_Clair%2C_10th_Lord_Sinclair) and his wife Grizel Cockburn, daughter of [Sir James Cockburn, 1st Baronet](/source/Sir_James_Cockburn%2C_1st_Baronet).<ref name = "Burke's-Peerage">{{cite book | last = Burke | first = John | title = A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Peerage and Baronetage of the British Empire | publisher = Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley | location = London | volume = I | edition = 4th | year = 1832 | pages = 441 }}</ref> As a child he received a commission into the [1st Battalion, Royal Regiment of Foot](/source/Royal_Regiment_of_Foot).<ref name = Balfour>{{cite book | last = Douglas | first = Sir Robert | author-link = Sir Robert Douglas | editor = Sir James Balfour Paul | editor-link = Sir James Balfour Paul | title = The Scots Peerage | volume = VII | publisher = David Douglas | location = Edinburgh | year = 1910 | pages = 588–589 }}</ref>

==Military career==
St Clair became an ensign of [6th Regiment of Foot](/source/6th_Regiment_of_Foot) in 1694, however was set on halfpay in 1713.<ref name = Balfour/> In the next year, he was admitted to the [3rd Foot Guards](/source/3rd_Foot_Guards) and was promoted to captain in 1714.<ref name = Balfour/> He served as 2nd major of his regiment from 1722 and as 1st major from 1725, having been advanced to the rank of brevet colonel two years before.<ref name = Balfour/> In 1734, St Clair was appointed to the command of the [22nd Regiment of Foot](/source/Cheshire_Regiment)<ref name = Balfour/> and three years later he was transferred to the colonelship of the [Royal Regiment of Foot](/source/Royal_Regiment_of_Foot) (later renamed as 1st (Royal) Regiment of Foot), which he held until his death.<ref>{{London Gazette | issue = 7614 |page=2.a | date = 28 June 1737 }}</ref>

He rose to [brigadier general](/source/brigadier_general) in 1739 and then after another two years rose to [major general](/source/major_general).<ref name = DoNB>{{DNB Cite|wstitle=Sinclair, James (d.1762)}}</ref> St Clair became lieutenant-general in charge of the British forces in [Flanders](/source/Flanders) in June 1745<ref>{{London Gazette | issue = 8441 |page=2 | date = 15 June 1745 }}</ref> and in the following year, he was sent with six thousand men to attack [Quebec](/source/Quebec).<ref name = DoNB/> Because of delays, he sailed instead to [capture the Breton port of Lorient](/source/Raid_on_Lorient).<ref name = DoNB/> He destroyed the [French](/source/France) fortifications near [Quiberon](/source/Quiberon) and then returned to England.<ref name = DoNB/> The philosopher [David Hume](/source/David_Hume) records in his autobiography that he was appointed as St Clair's secretary at this time.<ref>Hume, D. (1776), [https://web.archive.org/web/20180719164638/https://socialsciences.mcmaster.ca/econ/ugcm/3ll3/hume/humelife My Own Life], accessed on 14 October 2025</ref>

In 1761, St Clair was finally advanced to the rank of full general.<ref name = DoNB/>

==Political career==
St Clair entered the [British House of Commons](/source/British_House_of_Commons) in 1722, sitting for [Dysart Burghs](/source/Dysart_Burghs_(UK_Parliament_constituency)) until 1734.<ref name = "Commons, 1754-1790">{{cite book | editor = Sir Lewis Namier, John Brooke | title = The House of Commons, 1754-1790 | volume = I | publisher = Secker & Warburg | location = London | year = 2002 | pages = 398 }}</ref> Two years later, he was elected for [Sutherland](/source/Sutherland_(UK_Parliament_constituency)), which constituency he represented until 1747, when he was again returned for Dysart.<ref name = "Commons, 1754-1790"/> He held the latter seat until 1754 and became then [member of Parliament](/source/member_of_Parliament) for [Fife](/source/Fife_(UK_Parliament_constituency)) until 1762.<ref name = "Commons, 1754-1790"/> St Clair travelled as envoy to the courts of [Turin](/source/Turin) and [Vienna](/source/Vienna) in 1748 and later acted as [governor of Cork](/source/governor_of_Cork).<ref name = DoNB/>

==Personal life==
thumb|Rosslyn Castle
In 1735, St Clair bought [Rosslyn Castle](/source/Rosslyn_Castle), which was later inherited by the male heirs of his sisters. On the death of his older brother [John St Clair](/source/John_St_Clair%2C_Master_of_Sinclair) in 1750, he succeeded [de jure](/source/de_jure) as [Lord Sinclair](/source/Lord_Sinclair), but never assumed the title, preferring to retain his seat in the Commons.<ref>[Richard Cannon](/source/Richard_Cannon), ''Historical Record of the Twenty-Second, or the Cheshire Regiment of Foot'' (London, 1849) [https://archive.org/stream/cihm_27094#page/n103/mode/2up pages 52-53]</ref>

Around 1745, he married Janet Dalrymple, the youngest daughter of [Sir David Dalrymple, 1st Baronet](/source/Sir_David_Dalrymple%2C_1st_Baronet) and widow of [Sir John Baird, 2nd Baronet](/source/Sir_John_Baird%2C_2nd_Baronet).<ref name = Landed-Gentry>{{cite book | last = Burke | first = John | editor = Peter de Vere Beauclerk-Dewar | title = Burke's Landed Gentry of Great Britain | isbn = 0-9711966-0-5 | year = 2001 | pages = 44 | publisher = Burke's Peerage and Gentry }}</ref> Their marriage was childless.<ref name = "Burke's-Peerage"/> St Clair died in [Dysart](/source/Dysart%2C_Fife) in 1766 and was survived by his wife for four years.<ref name = Landed-Gentry/> With his death the [lord](/source/lord)ship became dormant until 1782, when it reverted to Charles St Clair, a first cousin of [James Sinclair, 7th Lord Sinclair](/source/James_Sinclair%2C_7th_Lord_Sinclair).<ref name = "Burke's-Peerage"/>

==Legacy==
[St. Clair](/source/St._Clair%2C_Minnesota), Minnesota is named after St. Clair.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stclair.govoffice2.com/|title= City of St.Clair Minnesota |publisher= City of St.Clair Minnesota |accessdate= 8 October 2012}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* [http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1715-1754/member/st-clair-hon-james-1688-1762 The History of Parliament: ST. CLAIR, Hon. James (1688-1762), of Sinclair, Fife and Balblair, Sutherland]

{{s-start}}
{{s-par|gb}}
{{s-bef| before = [William Kerr](/source/William_Kerr_(died_1741)) }}
{{s-ttl| title  = [Member of Parliament](/source/Member_of_Parliament) for [Dysart Burghs](/source/Dysart_Burghs_(UK_Parliament_constituency))
       | years  = [1722](/source/1722_British_general_election)–[1734](/source/1734_British_general_election) }}
{{s-aft| after  = [Thomas Leslie](/source/Thomas_Leslie) }}

{{s-bef| before = [Sir James Fergusson](/source/Sir_James_Fergusson%2C_2nd_Baronet) }}
{{s-ttl| title  = [Member of Parliament](/source/Member_of_Parliament) for [Sutherland](/source/Sutherland_(UK_Parliament_constituency))
       | years  = 1736–[1747](/source/1747_British_general_election) }}
{{s-aft| after  = [George Mackay](/source/George_Mackay_of_Skibo) }}

{{s-bef| before = [James Oswald](/source/James_Oswald_(younger)) }}
{{s-ttl| title  = [Member of Parliament](/source/Member_of_Parliament) for [Dysart Burghs](/source/Dysart_Burghs_(UK_Parliament_constituency))
       | years  = [1747](/source/1747_British_general_election)–[1754](/source/1754_British_general_election) }}
{{s-aft| after  = [James Oswald](/source/James_Oswald_(younger)) }}

{{s-bef| before = [James Oswald](/source/James_Oswald_(younger)) }}
{{s-ttl| title  = [Member of Parliament](/source/Member_of_Parliament) for [Fife](/source/Fife_(UK_Parliament_constituency))
       | years  = [1754](/source/1754_British_general_election)–1762 }}
{{s-aft| after  = [James Wemyss](/source/James_Wemyss_(1726%E2%80%931786)) }}

{{s-mil}}
{{s-bef| before = [William Barrell](/source/William_Barrell) }}
{{s-ttl| title  = Colonel of the [22nd Regiment of Foot](/source/Cheshire_Regiment)
       | years  = 1734–1737 }}
{{s-aft| after  = [John Moyle](/source/John_Moyle_(British_Army_officer)) }}

{{s-bef| before = [The Earl of Orkney](/source/George_Hamilton%2C_1st_Earl_of_Orkney) }}
{{s-ttl| title  = Colonel of the [1st (Royal) Regiment of Foot](/source/1st_(Royal)_Regiment_of_Foot)
       | years  = 1737–1762 }}
{{s-aft| after  = [Sir Henry Erskine, 5th Bt](/source/Sir_Henry_Erskine%2C_5th_Baronet) }}

{{s-reg|sct}}
{{s-bef| before = [John St Clair](/source/John_St_Clair%2C_Master_of_Sinclair) }}
{{s-ttl| title  = [Lord Sinclair](/source/Lord_Sinclair)<br />''de jure''
       | years  = 1750–1762 }}
{{s-vac| dormant | next = Charles St Clair }}
{{s-end}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Clair, James}}
Category:1688 births
Category:1762 deaths
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Category:Nobility from Fife
Category:British Army generals
Category:British Army personnel of the Seven Years' War
Category:British MPs 1722–1727
Category:British MPs 1727–1734
Category:British MPs 1734–1741
Category:British MPs 1741–1747
Category:British MPs 1747–1754
Category:British MPs 1754–1761
Category:British MPs 1761–1768
Category:Cheshire Regiment officers
Category:Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Scottish constituencies
Category:Royal Scots officers
Category:Whig (British political party) MPs
Category:Politics of Fife
Category:Politics of Highland (council area)
Category:18th-century Scottish military personnel

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [James St Clair](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_St_Clair) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_St_Clair?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.