Re: St. Clair conundrum!

["John S. Quarterman" <jsq@mids.org>]

>My ancestor is Daniel H. St. CLAIR, b. abt. 1833 in IL, d. Aft. 1900 in
>Tulare County, CA.  He m. Elizabeth ______ abt. 1870.  Their children:
>Charles, Annie Pearl (my g. grandmother), Nellie, Frank, Maybelle, Mary,
>Winifred, Leslie St. CLAIR.
>
>Problem:  The Tulare, CA census shows Daniel ST.CLAIR b. 1833 in IL with
>parents both b. in Germany!  How can this be?  Isn't ST. CLAIR a Scottish
>surname?  There is a tradition in our family that someone in the St. CLAIR
>family was adopted.  Anyone who can shed light on my ancestor and his
>ancestors will be profusely thanked!

A lot of Scots fought in continental wars.  One of Prince Henry's
ancestors died fighting with the Teutonic Knights in Lithuania,
for example.  This could be a similar situation.