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Continuing research in Normandy shows that St Clair was
usually a title given to a man for exception service.
The title was usually given with land. There is a lot of
information now available, especially with the name "St Clair
D'Arcy".
It appears as if there may have been the title grante4d both
by the Duke of Normandy andn the King of France.
The title would have been much in the same way as Baron,
Margrave etc.
The plot thickens... There appears have been quite a bit of
German-Scots interaction. The interaction appears
to be in the German electorates centered around Munich
and would exclude Hanoverian sections of Germany.
The two handed sword was
developed in Germany and taken to Scotland by an interaction
of German mercenaries and Scots according
to French records. It then became the Claymore.
The heaviness of the weapon would mean the footsoldier
could bring down a mounted man with a two metre blade simply
by swinging it. The momentum would enable
him to dismount a knight in full armour. It was
relatively inexpensive because a foot soldier only needed it as
his single piece of field equipment. The English on the
other hand, employed Helvenic mercenaries.
Most of the information that I now have comes from the town of
St Clair D'Arcy.
Sinclair
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