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

Early life

Sir William St Clair was the son of Sir William St Clair and the grandson of Sir Henry St Clair who was traditionally the 7th Baron of Roslin, and wife Alice de Fenton. 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; – 25 August 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 ...

in his expedition to

Palestine Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...

with the heart of

Robert the Bruce Robert I (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), popularly known as Robert the Bruce (), was King of Scots from 1306 until his death in 1329. Robert led Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland during the First War of Scottish Independence against Kingdom of Eng ...

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 and ...

with the

Saracen upright 1.5, Late 15th-century German woodcut depicting Saracens ''Saracen'' ( ) was a term used both in Greek and Latin writings between the 5th and 15th centuries to refer to the people who lived in and near what was designated by the Rom ...

s, in the

Emirate of Granada The Emirate of Granada, also known as the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada, was an Emirate, Islamic polity in the southern Iberian Peninsula during the Late Middle Ages, ruled by the Nasrid dynasty. It was the last independent Muslim state in Western ...

, 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 historic 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 also has corresponding precepts ...

dated 8 August 1348. An annuity of 40

merks The merk () is a long-obsolete Scotland, Scottish silver coin. Originally the same word as a Mark (currency), 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 1 ...

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 Scotland 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, be ...

Perth Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...

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 ...

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 mainland 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 som ...

to join the crusade against the

Prussia Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...

ns. It is recorded by historian Patrick Fraser Tytler 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 ...

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

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

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 (Isobel) of Strathearn, second daughter and eventually the sole heiress of Malise V, Earl of Strathearn,

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 Scandinavian Scotland, founded by Norse invaders, the status ...

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 hav ...

, and second wife Marjory of Ross. They had a son,

Henry I Sinclair, Earl of Orkney Henry I Sinclair, Earl of Orkney, Lord of Roslin () was a Scottish 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 under the King of Sc ...

, who was in minority when his father died.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:St Clair, William 1358 deaths Nobility from Midlothian 14th-century Scottish nobility Barons of Roslin Clan Sinclair

Early life

Baron of Roslin

Family

See also

References