William St Clair (died circa 1379) was a Scottish noble and by tradition the 8th Baron of Roslin.

Early life

William St Clair was the son of Sir William St Clair and the grandson of Henry St Clair who was traditionally the 7th Baron of Roslin. His father was one of the knights chosen to join

James Douglas, Lord of Douglas Sir James Douglas (also known as Good Sir James and the Black Douglas; – 1330) was a Scottish knight and feudal lord. He was one of the chief commanders during the Wars of Scottish Independence. Early life He was the eldest son of Sir Wi ...

in his expedition to

Palestine __NOTOC__ Palestine may refer to: * State of Palestine, a state in Western Asia * Palestine (region), a geographic region in Western Asia * Palestinian territories, territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely the West Bank (including East ...

with the heart of

Robert the Bruce Robert I (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), popularly known as Robert the Bruce (Scottish Gaelic: ''Raibeart an Bruis''), was King of Scots from 1306 to his death in 1329. One of the most renowned warriors of his generation, Robert eventual ...

where in

an encounter "An Encounter" is a short story by James Joyce. It is second in a collection of Joyce's short stories called ''Dubliners''. In the story, two young boys experience an eerie encounter with a strange, old man. It deals with themes such as routine an ...

with the

Saracen upright 1.5, Late 15th-century German woodcut depicting Saracens Saracen ( ) was a term used in the early centuries, both in Greek and Latin writings, to refer to the people who lived in and near what was designated by the Romans as Arabia Pe ...

s, in the

Emirate of Granada The Emirate of Granada ( ar, إمارة غرﻧﺎﻃﺔ, Imārat Ġarnāṭah), also known as the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada ( es, Reino Nazarí de Granada), was an Emirate, Islamic realm in southern Iberia during the Late Middle Ages. It was the ...

, Douglas was killed, along with St Clair. The younger William St Clair therefore succeeded his grandfather.

Baron of Roslin

He was in minority at the time of the death of his father and grandfather and he was recorded in the

Exchequer Rolls of Scotland The Exchequer Rolls of Scotland (Latin:) are records of the Scottish Exchequer dating from 1326 to 1708. The accounts were the responsibility of the Comptroller of Scotland. The National Records of Scotland National Records of Scotland ( gd, Clà ...

dated 8 August 1348. An annuity of 40

merks The merk is a long-obsolete Scottish silver coin. Originally the same word as a money mark of silver, the merk was in circulation at the end of the 16th century and in the 17th century. It was originally valued at 13 shillings 4 pence (exactly ...

that had been granted to his grandfather Henry was confirmed to William St Clair by

David II of Scotland David II (5 March 1324 – 22 February 1371) was King of Scots from 1329 until his death in 1371. Upon the death of his father, Robert the Bruce, David succeeded to the throne at the age of five, and was crowned at Scone in November 1331, becom ...

Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...

on 17 September 1358. He also received a

charter A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiority (or sovereignty), and that the rec ...

from King David that was dated 11 February 1358 and confirmed in 1363 for the lands of Merton and Merchamyston. In 1388, William St Clair proceeded to

Continental Europe Continental Europe or mainland Europe is the contiguous continent of Europe, excluding its surrounding islands. It can also be referred to ambiguously as the European continent, – which can conversely mean the whole of Europe – and, by ...

to join the crusade against the

Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an em ...

ns. It is recorded by historian

Patrick Fraser Tytler Patrick Fraser Tytler FRSE FSA(Scot) (30 August 179124 December 1849) was a Scottish advocate and historian. He was described as the "Episcopalian historian of a Presbyterian country". Life The son of Alexander Fraser Tytler, Lord Woodhou ...

that William St Clair along with Sir William Keith the

Earl Marischal The title of Earl Marischal was created in the Peerage of Scotland for William Keith, the Great Marischal of Scotland. History The office of Marischal of Scotland (or ''Marascallus Scotie'' or ''Marscallus Scotiae'') had been hereditary, held by ...

, Sir Alexander Lindsay, Sir Robert Gifford, and Sir Alexander Montgomery marched through

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

each with a train of 60 horse and a strong body of foot soldiers heading for the Continent eager for distinction in foreign wars that did not concern them when their own country needed them most. 19th century historian Roland Saint-Clair quotes several charters as evidence to show that William St Clair returned safely from the Continent.

Family

William St. Clair married Isabella, second daughter and eventually the sole heiress of

Malise V, Earl of Strathearn Malise V, Earl of Strathearn and Caithness, Jarl of Orkney ( gd, Maol Íosa; died ) was the last of the native Gaelic earls of Strathearn. Biography He succeeded to the Earldom of Strathearn in 1329, on the death of his father Malise IV, Earl ...

Earl of Orkney Earl of Orkney, historically Jarl of Orkney, is a title of nobility encompassing the archipelagoes of Orkney and Shetland, which comprise the Northern Isles of Scotland. Originally founded by Norse invaders, the status of the rulers of the Nort ...

and

Earl of Caithness Earl of Caithness is a title that has been created several times in the Peerage of Scotland, and it has a very complex history. Its first grant, in the modern sense as to have been counted in strict lists of peerages, is now generally held to have ...

. They had a son,

Henry I Sinclair, Earl of Orkney Henry I Sinclair, Earl of Orkney, Lord of Roslin () was a Scottish and a Norwegian nobleman. Sinclair held the title Earl of Orkney (which refers to Norðreyjar rather than just the islands of Orkney) and was Lord High Admiral of Scotland unde ...

, who was in minority when his father died.

References

{{S-end Barons of Roslin Clan Sinclair 1358 deaths

Early life

Baron of Roslin

Family

See also

References