Re: First Arrivals & Gen Arthur St. Clair

[Gordon Holmes <lafleur@home.com>]

Dear Laurel,

   I do not know if this will help, but my grandmother and many, many
Sinclairs were the beneficiaries of land in what is now Manitoba. This
land was offered to secure the Crowns claim and to discourage American
interests by populating the prairies with "Tough Scots" who would stay.
That land was taken by scottish settlers for their own reasons, chiefly
being (according to Gran and others and supported by documents) that it
was land and quarrels seemed useless from so far away from the British
Isles. Going back further....As you know, many traders rambled through
this territory , all owing their cash trade to London. Kind of a "One
Hand Washes the Other" relationship with the English. 
I do not know how St. Clair rose so quickly through the ranks, but many
Scots did. They were fearless fighters and in the times and place there
was not a lot of choice but to take men and give the natural leaders
Rank. (doubtless others will help you here) Maybe, like Jame Sinclair,
he was a free-trader and more... :)
P.S. Imagine my Grandmothers fury when her eldest daughter announced her
intention to marry the man who would be my father. He had the gall to be
born in London!     Love..Cousin Gord

Spirit One Email wrote:
> 
> I am assuming that this list is just of first Sinclair arrivals to USA but
> maybe Canada is there too?
> 
> I am puzzled about 2 things concerning Gen. St. Clair (pronounced Sinclair)
> 
> How was it that he became a General so quickly?  Did he have previous
> military training or mercenary experience in Scotland?
> 
> In the book "A Dance Called America"  I was struck by the fact that the
> usual pattern of immigrant Scots was to join the British side many times
> because they had been offered a commission in the English army.  It seemed
> to me that these Scots almost fresh from the defeat of Culloden  would have
> stayed enemies longer.  But now as I remember, they fought first with the
> English in the French and Indian war and were rewarded with lands in USA and
> Canada.  So they would have been a bit more sympathtic, I suppose, with
> their benefactors at that point in history.
> 
> It was the Scots coming through Ireland or that had been here a few
> generations that usually made up the patriots.   I know this is a generality
> and the world abounds with exceptions but it seems like there might be more
> of a story about why he chose the American side.
> 
> Laurel
> 
> [ This is the Sinclair family discussion list, sinclair@mids.org
> [ To get off or on the list, see http://www.mids.org/sinclair/list.html

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