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Re: Re: Origins of Sinclair Name in Scotland




In a message dated 11/10/99 2:14:29 AM, you wrote:

<<Dear John,

    The Sept. 1999 Yours Aye (quarterly of Clan Sinclair USA) contained an

article about the origin of the Sinclair name.  This article was one of the

three that former Clan Genealogist, Pete Cummings, had planned to write.  It

seems to me that it is possible that he might have had some new insights

into this question since this was on his "to do" list but if that is true,

his notes are still locked in his office and were not available to me when I

undertook to write the article later.


    So I went with the fact that the 911 treaty between Rollo the Viking and

Charles III was signed at St. Clair-sur-Epte.  There was at this place a

shrine where people with eye ailments came to be cured.  The next year Rollo

was baptised in Rouen.  I have yet to find out any definite information that

Rollo and his descendants hung around Epte very long.  I had thought he

might since his new wife was the daughter of King Charles who already had

some sons.  But if there was any possibility that his wife would bear a

child, he might have a chance at the throne. (she didn't)   Did Rollo want

to keep a close eye on the turmoil of the court?


Epte has also been referred to as a gateway to Normandy and that Rollo

resided there to protect his territory.

    But we tend to think in terms of how we live our lives today.  In one

house at a time.  But these Counts/Dukes moved from residence to residence

with their slowly growing court.  Those that couldn't be trusted many times

were forced to join the Lord so that they could be observed at all times.

When the food ran out in one place they would move on to the next,

administering, sporting, building, fighting, arranging advantageous

marriages for their kin to gradually take control of every office.

    Rollo's son, William Ist -Longsword, is mentioned in relation to Fecamp

and Le Bec Hellouin monastary (over south of Rouen).  King Charles had

wanted these Counts/Dukes to protect him from more Viking invasions.  If

they remained around Epte, they wouldn't know when the shores were attacked.

So it seems to me they would have spent more time on the western part of

Normandy.

    William's son, Richard I was born at Fecamp (on the shore above Le

Havre) and he was buried there.  After his father was murdered, Richard I,

now an adult, went (kidnapped?) to the French court.  It was King Louis IV's

hope that he could rid Richard of his Viking tendencies and even arranged

his marriage to the princess.  But after her death he married a Danish

settler's daughter and later sent his children to Fecamp to (forgot where

but along the coast) relearn their Norse heritage and language.   So there

seems to be a tendancy to cling to the Viking culture of western Normandy

and avoid the eastern part where St. Clair sur Epte was on the very border

just a few thousand feet from the French territory.

   Richard's many children married various Counts in the western part of

Normandy.  His son, our ancestor, Mauger was Count of Mortain and Corbuel.

He and his family spent much time at Caen and as with other Counts, moved

from residence to residence.  But if you look at a map you will see that

they are now over in the Cotentin Peninsula area of western Normandy.

    His brother, Robert was Ct. of Everux which is south of the Seine not

too far from the Epte flowing northward. Robert was also the 5th Archbishop

of Rouen, which might mean he spent a lot of time there but maybe not.  He

and his sucessor and nephew, Mauger the Younger, were anything but holy and

really pretty corrupt.  But that didn't always bother the Dukes since their

desire was to gain control using their relatives (simony).

    Duke Richard 2nd's sister, and sister of Archbishop Robert and Count

Mauger, married the King of England.  This was part of the treaty that

England hoped that would curtail Richard 2nd's help to the Viking raiders of

England.  So again this generation of Duke's were there at Rouen or at

Fecamp, etc. where they entertained the viking raiders and provided markets

for their contraband.  Some believed that Duke Richard was the actual

chieftan and instigator of the raids.   So again this shows another reason

they were drawn to western Normandy.

    Duke William (the conqueror) b. 1027 grandson of Richard 2nd, was born

at Falaise which is below Caen.

    (at this point you might want to visit the History website

www.clansinclairusa.org   and look at the Normandy Years chart.


    Now William de Sancto Claro was born about 1028 at St. Lo not far from

Falaise.  He is also known as William the Seemly.  His father Walderne and

uncle Hamo, sons of Count Mauger, were killed in the battle of Val-es-dunes

in 1042.  So it is impossible for his father to have fought at Hastings.

The title and lands then went to the next brother William Warlenc (the

warling).  Who probably shot off his mouth, calling Duke William a

"bastard".  Now Will was sensitive about this, consequently, he exiled the

Warling to Apulia, Italy in 1053 and gave his title of Count of Mortain and

lands to his (William the Conqueror)'s half brother, Robert.


    Now whether Hamo and William Warlenc had children, we don't know but

Walderne, Lord St. Clair of St. Lo (SW of Caen) had at least 4 children, one

of which was William the Seemly (de Santo Claro -Latin name) born at St. Lo

.  You just have to get use to the idea that these people had multiple names

that changed with circumstances, marriage, baptism, physical feats, and

whatever language you were speaking, etc.  Look at all the names that Rollo

had.   Now I can't find St. Clair sur Elle on my map but assume it is really

close to St. Lo.

    There were at least 3 other Saint Clairs that had towns named after them

besides the English St. Clair that Sur Epte was named after.  These others

lived before Sur Epte's St. Clair.  What I don't know is:  At what date did

the St. Clair sur Elle take on that name?

    Here is another thread of thought:  I think it is possible that Epte's

St. Clair might have become a symbol in the Dukedom of a great change in

their good fortunes.  Possibly someone's eyes improved after washing in the

well at sur Elle.  I think that the family could have been so associated

with this "patron saint" that his name became more and more associated with

them.  So did they give their name to the town at sur Elle or was it a

coincidence that once again they were living at another St. Clair?


    I do not believe that William the Seemly (de Sancto Claro) fought at

Hastings:  There are several good reasons.  Right now the concensus of

opinion, including Niven, is against his involvment.   I cannot comment on

Yolanda.  I haven't come across her before.  Perhaps Niven knows about that.


I have another theory about William the Seemly (perhaps two or three other

unknown facts-and what must there be in Pete's office????) that will be

aired in the March YOURS AYE quarterly.


   Laurel

>>

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