Samuel Grant St. Clair

  Noted events in his life were:

• Family History: From Indiana County Pennsylvania, Her People, Past and Present, by Professor J. T. Stewart. SAMUEL GRANT ST. CLAIR, engineer at the compressure plant of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company at Lockport, Pa., was born Dec. 3, 1865, near Little Washington, in West Wheatfield township, Indiana Co., Pa., and belongs to an old-settled family of this region.

The St. Clair family is of Scotch-Irish origin, a branch of the St. Clair family of Scotland, which was founded in the middle ages by Sir Walderne de St. Clair, a Norman knight, who married Margaret, daughter of Richard, Duke of Normandy. Their second son, William, settled in Scotland, and one of his descendants, William St. Clair, became prince of the Orkney islands under the king of Norway, and high chancellor of Scotland under the royal house of Bruce. In 1741 the St. Glairs exchanged their lofty title and island domains for the earldom of Caithness, which they still hold. The name has since become Anglicized to Sinclair. Two of the descendants of one of these earls through a younger son were Gen. Arthur St. Clair and his cousin James St. Clair, Sr., the former of whom was president of the Continental Congress in 1787 and commander in chief of the armies of the United States in 1791.

James St. Clair, Sr., was the great-great-grandfather of S. G. St. Clair. His parents were natives of the North of' Ireland, and he was born in 1741 in eastern Pennsylvania. He lived nine miles from York, Pa., where he owned a valuable farm and mill, and he was not only a prosperous citizen of his time but an earnest sympathizer with the Colonial cause, serving throughout the Revolutionary war. His wife's maiden name was Miller. James St. Clair, Sr., died in York county in 1806, at the age of sixty-five years.

James St. Clair, one of the sons of James St. Clair, Sr., was born in York (now Adams) county. Pa., in May, 1774, and passed the greater part of his mature life in Indiana county, Pa. In 1809 he came to Brushvalley township, in 1816 removing to what is now the northern part of White township, where he took up a quarter section of government land and followed farming for many years. He died in Center township, this county, April 8, 1855, at the advanced age of eighty-one years. He was an old-line Whig in politics. He married Jennie Slemmons, who was born in Lancaster, Pa., of Irish descent, and was reared in Washington county, Pa., her father, William Slemmons, removing from Lancaster to Washington county in 1790 and there following farming until his death, which occurred in 1820, in his sixtieth year. Mr. Slemmons was justice of the peace, by governor's appointment, for a period of thirty years, and he was a man of the highest character and of honorable standing. His wife's maiden name was Boggs, and they had several children. Mrs. Jennie (Slemmons) St. Clair died Oct. 15, 1855, aged seventy-one years, a member of the Presbyterian Church. She and her husband had a family of ten children, namely: Margaret, William S., Mary W., James, Samuel, Isaac, John, Robert, Thomas and Hiram.

Samuel St. Clair, son of James and Jennie (Slemmons) St. Clair, passed all his life in West Wheatfield township, following farming on a large tract of land now owned by James Overdorff. For many years he served as constable. He and his wife, whose maiden name was Jameson, are buried in Bethel Church cemetery. They had fourteen children, two of whom died in infancy, the others being: Nicholas, James, Daniel, Archie, Samuel, Hugh, Jane (who married Andrew Alcorn), Catherine, Pollie, John, Rebecca (who died unmarried) and Susan.

James St. Clair, son of Samuel St. Clair, was born Jan. 4, 1836, in West Wheatfield township, where he attended common school. For a time he worked with his father on the farm, afterward learning the trade of butcher, which he followed to some extent, later learning the carpenter's trade. Moving out to Dresden, Ohio, he lived there for fourteen years, engaged as carpenter foreman in the employ of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. On May 4, 1886, he moved back to West Wheatfield township and established a butcher shop ai Bolivar, Westmoreland county, also running a meat wagon. He was an energetic man, always keeping busy. While in Ohio he was also a private detective in the employ of the Panhandle Railway Company; he acted as auctioneer; and besides looking after his other interests bought and sold oil wells in the oil region of Pennsylvania. He was a well-known man, and highly respected. He was a Republican in politics, and during the Civil war gave his services to the Union cause as a member of Company E, lltli Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, being in the army for three years, twenty-six days. He served under Captain Piper and Col. Dick Colder. Mr. St. Clair was a member of the United Brethren Church during his residence in Ohio, but on his return to West Wheatfield township joined the United Presbyterian Church, to which he belonged the rest of his life. His death occurred May 16. 1902.

Mr. St. Clair married Susan Emma Laura Brandlinger, daughter of Joseph and Susan (Walbeck) Brandlinger, and she survives him, making her home with her son Samuel. Four children were born to this union : Jacob Gamble married Amelia Utzler, and they had children, Hugh W. (married Annie Mearley), John Hood (married Gertrude Mack). James Walter (married a ]\Iiss Penrose) and Mary Ellen (married Samuel Soxman). Joseph William died when twelve years old. Samuel Grant is mentioned below. Myra Livonia died when seventeen years old.

Samuel Grant St. Clair was an infant in arms when his parents moved to Ohio, and there he received his education, in Madison township, Muskingum county. Returning to West Wheatfield township with his parents he became engaged in construction work for the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, continuing thus for a short time. Then he farmed two years for his father-in-law, after which he went to work for the Gardner Company, in the brick manufacturing business, at Lockport, Westmoreland county. He returned to the employ of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company as division foreman, holding that position until 1906, since which time he has been stationary engineer at the company's plant at Lockport. He is a responsible and reliable man, as his long service indicates. Mr. St. Clair is a member of the Pennsylvania Railroad Relief Association, and fraternally is an Odd Fellow, holding membership in New Florence Lodge, No. 558. He is a Republican in political association, and in religious connection is a member of the United Presbyterian Church.

Mr. St. Clair married Catherine Fulcomer, daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth (Stormer) Fulcomer, of West Wheatfield township, and they have had six children, viz.: James Curtis, who married Minnie Burcett and has children, James W., Samuel G., Henry B., Hazel R. and Ralph W.; Samuel Clyde, unmarried, who is employed by the Bolivar Coal & Coke Company; H. Hezekiah, who died when five years old; Gos McKinley, living in Den-y township, Westmoreland Co., Pa., who is employed as engine inspector by the Pennsylvania Railroad Company ; Robert Lester, who died when four months, twenty days old ; and Fleet Blair, born April 16, 1896.

• Birth: From 1880 Census, 1866, Pennsylvania.

Samuel married Catherine Fulcomer, daughter of Samuel Fulcomer and Elizabeth Stormer.