William St. Clair

  Noted events in his life were:

• Name: Various references imply that the name of James St. Clair's father was William. 1762 land records shows William and James Sinclair own property later identified as "land & mill."

James St. Clair owned property identified as being land and mill in 1781. See James St. Clair page for details.

The History of York County, Pennsylvania, by George R Prowell, Chicago: Beers, 1907. Vol. 1, p. 990.

T H E HOPEWELLS.

The area now embraced in Hopewell, East Hopewell and North Hopewell townships, was included in the township of Hopewell, which was laid out in the year 1767. From 1743 to 1767, Hopewell formed a part of Shrewsbury Township. The petition for the separation reads as follows: "The inhabitants of Shrewsbury Township are under a disadvantage on account of the great extent of the township, the same being by a moderate computation, twenty five miles long and sixteen miles in breadth. We therefore request a division of the township by a line commencing at William Sinclair's mill; thence up the Codorus to the Fork; thence leading to the branch of the Codorus past Charles Diehl's mill; thence in a straight line to the head branch of Deer Creek, continuing along it to the provincial line." The petitioners asked that the new township be called "Hopewell." William Ehrhart, Peter Brillhart, John Orr, Michael Geiselman, William Gemmill, and William Nelson, were appointed commissioners to make the division. They reported to the court June 23, 1767, making a division as requested by the petitioners. The report was confirmed during the July session of that year, by Justice John Blackburn, and his four associate justices. This township was formed the year before Mason and Dixon's line was run along its southern boundary. The name Hopewell is given to a number of other townships in the middle and southern states. The northwestern part of the original Hopewell Township is drained by branches of the Codorus; the northern and eastern part by Muddy Creek, and the southwestern part by' the head waters of Deer Creek. The surface is undulating, though certain parts are quite level. There is considerable woodland, and here and there scattered over the cultivated land and along the roadside, stand giant oaks and chestnuts. The soil in general is fertile and productive, and the land valuable.

• Residence: Survey Map at Historical Society of York, Pennsylvania, 1750, Hopewell Township, York, Pennsylvania. The survey map shows properties for William Sinclair (red) and Henry Miller (yellow) as follows:

William Sinclair - Survey # 1091, 1750, “Sinklair's Valley”
- Survey # 1608, 1751, “Sinklair's Quarter”
- Survey # 1609, 1766, “Sideling Ground”
- Survey # 1610, 1766, “Addition to Sinclair's Quarter”

Henry Miller - Survey # 1622, 1783, “High Head”
- Survey # 1623, 1787, “Miller's Mount”

It is seen that the Sinclairs and Millers were neighbors, at least by the 1780s if not before.

• Residence: From Historical Society of York, PA Index of Old Mills, 1762, Hopewell Township, York, Pennsylvania. INDEX OF OLD MILLS IN YORK COUNTY, PA #83

NAME OF MILL: KEENEY; FLOYD;
(Also known as) HENRY (Hopewell Mills)

NAME OF STREAM: EAST BR. CODORUS
WHICH FLOWS INTO: CODORUS CREEK

PRESENT OWNER OF THE MILL OR PROPERTY: Sterling Floyd

ADDRESS: Mill is in North Hopewell Twp. Phone 428-1879

DATE FIRST MILL BUILT: 1781-First Spec. Record-Tax List
BY: James Sinclair Sr. or his father William Sr.

DATE PRESENT MILL BUILT: About 1812-15
BY: George Albright the millwright for his father

PHOTOGRAPH NUMBERS: 1487-91, 7/5/1947; 153-8 - 4/19/47;
S. Floyd has copies

HEAD OF WATER: 6 - 7 ft.
HP OR OTHER RATING: 7.5 HP at 7ft H and 163 RPM.

*TYPE OF POWER: Fitz steel overshoot 7 ft dia x 5 ft wide.
21” impeller success.
* An installation list in S. MORGAN SMITH catalogue “8th edition of Improved Success” of about 1890 shows D. E. KEENEY bought a 21” #2 for this mill.

In 1935 a turbine was installed in a concrete flume upstream of the overshoot. Not likely the steel overshoot was the original. Floyd mixed feed till 1944 using a gasoline engine dr hammer mill.

EQUIPMENT IN MILL: Flour Rolls taken out by Jacob Jones. The turbine was used to run the saw mill initially which was 50' upstream of the brick mill. Floyd ran saw by tractor & belt.

PRODUCTS: John Albert Godfrey made both white and buckwheat flour as late as 1931. Next owner took out flour making mach.

DATE LAST RUN BY WATERPOWER: The feed mixer was run by water power till 1940, the saw mill till 1947 by Sterling Floyd.

DATE LAST RUN BY ANY MEANS: 1947 by Sterling Floyd

DISPOSITION OF THE MILL: At present the mill is nearly demolished only the basement and 1st floor remain. Saw mill long gone 1950. In 1947 the inside and roof burned out. Floyd was worried the brick walls would collapse so he removed all but the first floor.

NAME OF NEXT MILL UPSTREAM: A. Barshinger Saw Mill
DOWNSTREAM: YOST

CONSTRUCTION OF MILL: 3 Story Brick

LIST OF OWNERS OF THE MILL PROPERTY & DATES

22-504 1762 The first reference to this “Plantation” is in the Tax Record of 1762 for Shrewsbury Twp wherein WILLIAM and JAMES SINCLAIR are mentioned as land owners but no particulars as to the acreage or any buildings are given.

1766 Warrant issued by the Proprietors to William Sinclair 204 ac, 46 per, surveyed, he died intestate and the eldest son James was allowed to buy it at the appraised value. Note: This entry may be misleading as other records indicate James was appointed administrator of his father's estate on 6 March 1786.

1781 Tax Record of Hopewell Twp refers to James Sinclair's land and MILL; also in 1786-7 to the “mill land”

1799 The “Glass Tax” which would normally describe the mill does not mention the Sinclairs or the mill but James appears again in 1800 -19 but becomes “James Sinclair Heirs” in 1811.

4-3-1812 Samuel Sinclair Sold 155 ac of the Est. to George Albright whose occupation is listed as “Millwright” but he has no mill.

Note: additional land records included in the record not transcribed.

THIS PREPARED BY: Grant H. Voaden
DATE: 3/18/73, 2/11/76, 2/13/76, 3/18/76

• Death: Letter dated Februrary 26, 1965 to Mrs. J. S. WIlson from Mrs. Isabel I. Abel, librarian, 1786, Hopewell Township, York, Pennsylvania. On 5 March 1786, James Sinkler was appointed administrator of the estate of William Sinkler of Hopewell Township, yeoman. Wills G 87.

Letter obtained from Historical Society of York County, Pennsylvania on 4 October 2022.

• Family: Letter dated Februrary 26, 1965 to Mrs. J. S. WIlson from Mrs. Isabel I. Abel, librarian, 3 Jul 1792, Hopewell Township, York, Pennsylvania. Petition sets forth that William Sinkler of Hopewell Township, intestate left widow Margaret (since married to John Rowan) and issue James, Samuel (minor), Andrew (minor), Elizabeth wife of Ephraim Edwards, Rachael, and Susannah. Wills, 2C, 21.


Letter obtained from Historical Society of York County, Pennsylvania on 4 October 2022.

William married Margaret.