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My mistake because I was raised always pronouncing the name
Sinclair as Sin-clair. Now I can hardly make my lips form the word Sinkler
when I see it. I know in my head that that is the usual Scottish
pronunciation but my tongue will not cooperate. I did understand that the
reference was to James but I was thinking that the same reasoning might have
gone through the General's mind in younger years since he supposedly talked my
ancestor into changing the spelling to St. Clair. This does not at all
answer your original question about where I read this but I'll keep
trying.
Laurel
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, July 02, 2000 7:44 PM
Subject: Re: Gen Arthur St. Clair
Dear Laurel,
The reference on page 106
of Morrison seems to relate to how James changed the spelling of his
name. I have never seen any reference to a different spelling by Gen.
Arthur.
My ggg grandfather was a private in the war and
also claimed a "cousin" relationship to General Arthur. Although his
father was also born in Thurso, we have never been able to firmly establish
just how close this relationship was. After the war, my ggg grandfather
moved to Indiana, Penn., about 20 miles from Ligonier.
My family has always staunchly maintained the St.Clair spelling and
pronunciation.
Keep up the good work,
Hal St.Clair
Spirit One Email wrote:
Dear Hal,
A fair and good question
below. I thought that I could walk directly to
the book in which I
read this information but so far no luck. Usually in
the middle of
the night I will suddenly come up with a solution. I remember
being really interested in this bit of information because the story
comes
down through my line of Sinklers to St. Clairs that my ancestor
spoke with
Gen. St. Clair when he was in retirement in PA. My St.
Clair was in
Crawford Co., PA at the time. It is said that Joshua
changed the name from
Sinkler to St. Clair on the advice of the General
who told him it was the
original spelling. I see on page 106 of
Morrison's History of the Sinclair
Family that this story describes the
conversation that James St. Clair had
with the General. Whether my
Joshua had the same conversation or else
learned this from James or
someone else, who knows but because of this
family legend I reread the
statement about the spelling and pronuncement of
St. Clair wherever I
found it. Only our family pronounced it St. Clair.
It is possible that the General grew up with the name
of Sinclair in
Thurso but at some point wanted to change it back to the
Norman spelling for
accuracy or some other significant reason known now
only to him but kept the
Sinclair pronunciation. Maybe someone
else has come across this information
but right now I can't think where
I read it.
Sorry,
Laurel
===========
I would be very interested to know what your source is
for the comment in
> this article that Gen. Arthur St.Clair
pronounced his name Sinclair?
>
> Thanks, Hal St.Clair
>
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