Family and business were often inseperable in the Scotland of the 1600's. Just as we suspect our Alexander of being somehow related to John Scot, to whom he was indentured, we can be almost certain our Alexander was in business with at least some members of his extended family from Scotland. It was a common practice then.

Just as we've been looking closely at who he was doing business with in America, we can look at who those names were doing business with and inter-marrying with in Scotland.

The second method is to look at every source possible in Scotland and rule out other family lines by lack of relations, business or marriage, to these people Alex was obviously involved with.

We know he and his children were marrying and doing business with - Kerrs, Waughs, Scots, Douglasses, Grahams, etc.

In Scotland, we can find two lines that either married or did business with similar names. PLUS, we can rule out the other known lines of Sinclairs who did not do business with or marry these similar names. I believe this is a very logical, very acceptable method to use as a pointer at where we should concentrate our digging.

The way I finally broke through 3 months of being stuck in the 1820's in Botetourt County was to "jump over" the unknowns, to go looking for existing family histories I might be able to then connect backwards to mine. This is exactly how I first heard of Jean's research. And after careful digging and a very lucky hunch, I found my connection through Timberly in the Roanoke area. Stan, I think you've met her.

This is what I propose here. We have a terrific bunch of resources in Scotland with R.W. Saint-Clair and other resources. So now we're simply "jumping over" the unknowns to see if we can connect.

I've mentioned Roland William Saint-Clair's book many times. If you have it, you'll understand why. It's loaded with so many names it boggles the mind. I've now gone through the entire 2-volume set page-by-page (461 pages, average of 20 names per page) to look for related names. While that doesn't rule them out, it may help point us to where we should be looking.

(Rob, some of these, like Assery, may contradict something you've found. I'll go back thru my notes from you and update these if that's the case. Here, I'm simply reporting what I found, or didn't find in Saint-Clair's book. Much of what he has is from Mr. Hay read in about 1700 in the St. Clair's archives, much of which was later lost.)

Family branches in Scotland with NO known connection to our Alexander through business or marriages.

Murkle
Stemster
Dunbeath
Sarclet
Assery
Lybster
Scotscalder
Geise
Greenland & Rattar
Freswick
Mey
Durran
Olrig
Latheron
Brabster
Barrock
Risgill
Swinzie
Kirk
Lybster, Reay
Achingale & Newton
Hoy & Oldfield
Borlum, ToftKemp, Thura
Bridgend
Dun
Southdun
Brabsterdorran
Forss
Stirkoke
Myre Landhorn
Ravenscraig
Country of Sweden & Alsace
Lambahof
Belfast, N. Ireland
Ballymena (a Robert Sinclair d. in Jamaica, d. unmarried)

Family branches in Scotland with at least ONE possible connection to our Alexander through business or marriages.

Stevenson Click here to see
Rosslyn - Two links Click here to see
Caithness - One link, see above for Maitland.
Hermanston - a John Paterson of Prestonhall about 1750.
eldest son of the last archbishop of Glasgow
Colonel James Patterson St. Clair succeeded to Rosslyn
after his uncle, who bought Rosslyn, died without issue.

1700 - Dr. Mathew St. Clair,l 4th son of Sir John St. Clair of Hermanston m. Elizabeth d. of Sir Thomas Ker of Cavers.

No first names of any of our family members evident here in Hermanston line except John and James. No women's first names like our line.

NOTE - Hermanston is very near Stevenson and Rosslyn. Relationships are likely.

Holyhill, Ireland -
In Leckpatrick, about 1660, William Sinclair m. Isabella d. of Thomas Young of Lough Eske & d. 1808. He's the grandson or great-grandson of Sir James of Caithness.

Ulbster, click Rosslyn above. Then, scroll to bottom.