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Ann St. Clair^[1]
- 1789

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• Nickname	Nancy
  Gender	Female
  Died	1789	Montgomery County VA
  Person ID	I1248	John Colyer family of Somerset Ky
  Last Modified	14 Feb 2026

  
  

  Family	Charles (Sinclair) St. Clair,   b. 1725,   d. 1768, Orange County, NC
  Married	1746  [2]
  Children	> 1. John Sinclair,   b. 1753 > 2. Catherine Sinclair,   b. 1757,   d. Abt 1843 > 3. Robert Sinclair,   b. 9 Jul 1759,   d. 1852, Madison, MO > 4. Joseph Sinclair,   b. 1761,   d. ABT. 1826, Anderson TN   5. Alexander Sinclair,   b. 1761, Orange, NC ,   d. AFT. 1804 > 6. Agnus "Nancy" Ann St. Clair,   b. ABT. 1760,   d. ABT. 1839, Pulaski county kentucky   7. Charles Sinclair,   b. 1762,   d. 1794, Pendleton District, SC   8. Deborah St. Clair,   b. 1766,   d. 6 Nov 1848, Hempstead Co., Arkansas
  Last Modified	20 Feb 2026
  Family ID	F360	Group Sheet

  
  

• Documents		Charles Sinclair family research by Jean Grigsby in her newsletter 1991 pgs 29-30 Shows Jean Grigsby's research and Alexander Sinclair power attorney in Wayne County KY re his mother Nancy Sinclair. Thanks to Ms. Lynne Sinclair for providing this.
  		Alexander St. Clair power attorney Wayne County Ky, copy from Kentucky State Archives Wayne Co. Deed Bks 1801-1901 roll #590703 Kentucky State Archives Wayne County, Kentucky: Deed Books: Vol. A 1800-1811 Page 104-105 St. Clair to }   L. A. Carson Know all men by these presents that I Alexander St Clair, of Wayne County & State of Kentucky do constitute & appoint Saml Carson of the County & State aforesd. my true & lawful Attorney for the express purpose of demanding & receiving a Judgment obtained against James Craf in the  County of Montgomery & State of Virginia of Seventy five pounds awarded  to Nancy Sinclair & left said Judgment & further to do, perform & finish  for me & in my name all & singular thing or things which shall, or may be necessary in & about the execution of the same, as fully throughly & entirely as I myself Could do were I personally present & further to make,  sign, seal & deliver by deed of Conveyance, or any other form that the law  may require, to a Certain tract or parcel of Land, deeded to Nancy Sinclair living & being in the County of Montgomery & State of Virginia from Doct. Walkers grant for me as Administrator of the estate of Nancy Sinclare afsd. Finally I do by these presents ratify, allow & Confirm whatsoever my said attorney may lawfully do or cause to be done in & about the Execution of the premises as fully throughly & entirely as if I the said Sinclair was personally present.  In Testimony whereof I have hereunto Set my hand & affixed my Seal this 15th day of Octr. 1804 Alexr. St Clair {LS} State of Kentucky Wayne County Sct. I Micah Taul Clerk of the Court of quarter Sessions of the County  afsd do certify that on the day of the date of the within Letter of Attorney  Alexr. St. Clair party thereto acknowledged the Same to be his act & deed before me & that a true Copy thereof is truly recorded In Testimony whereof I have here to set my hand & affixed the Seal of the County afsd. this 25th day of October 1804 & 13th yr. Co: wealth    Exd. Teste M: Taul Clk thanks to http://www.copies1918.com for document copy. Notice that this concerns admin of Nancy St Clair estate and a land claim that was from "Dr. Walker". Presumably this is Dr. Thomas Walker who was with Nancy's husband in 1748 on journey to first discover Cumberland River/Gap. Many credit Dr. Walker with naming Cumberland in 1750, however Preston in writing about 1748 journey says it was named then.
  		1789 Ann St. Clair estate administration bond Here, her son, Alexander St. Clair is appointed administrator of estate of his mother, Ann St. Clair.
  		1782 Ann Sinclair 300 acre grant survey Virginia Land Survey from familysearch.org bk6 pg366
  		1782 Virginia land grant Ann Sinclair 300 acres on Reed Creek. Did Ann, wife of Charles St. Clair, have to pay for a state of Virginia land grant in order to obtain clear title to the land that Charles thought he owned on Reed Creek in his lastwill ?
  		1782 Virginia land grant that references land of Ann Sinclair refers to her as "widow Sinclair".
  		1785 Ann Sinclair land grant by Governor Patrick Henry This is the final title document to 300 acres on Reed Creek that was instituted by a treasury certificate assigned to Ann and survey recorded in 1782. This may have been family land that her husband, Charles St. Clair thought he had good title to and so therefore referenced it in his lastwill.
  		1804 Alexander St Clair power attorney (better copy) Wayne County KY. Property tax research shows that Alexander St. Clair had a 150 acres or so on the Cumberland River's south fork. This power of attorney is to Samuel Carson. Deed and property tax research show that Samuel Carson also had land on south fork of cumberland river that was in Pulaski County KY. Therefore, it was near the Wayne County/Pulaski County line. Alexander St. Clair disappears from property tax records about 1804. He appeared on the property tax records in 1802-1803. Why would he name a neighbor to take care of his business ? Was he sick ? did he die shortly thereafter ? The Power of attorney mentions a lawsuit judgement against who is determined to be James Craig. James Craig was a town trustee of Christianburg VA and sheriff and Justice of Peace at other times in Montgomery County VA. See the lawsuit document from Montgomery County VA dated 1789 that was between Johnston vs. Sinclair that evidently names James Craig as court officer to recover costs for Sinclair. Also notice the land out of Dr. Walker's grant....presumably Dr. Thomas Walker. Also of note, is that in this power of attorney, Alexander calls his mother "Nancy". Most legal records in Montgomery County VA where she lived called her "Ann". One other record found in Pendleton District of South Carolina filed by Alexander in 1790 names his mother as "Nancy". See notes on the 1768 survey and the 1784 grant files that raises the question of whether Alexander thought his mother Nancy Ann had 114 acres besides the 300 obtained by survey/grant in 1784-1785 and that the 114 acres was still available for the estate to sell.
  		1789 Johnston vs. Sinclair Based on research by Lynne Sinclair, found in Buncombe County NC etc, it is believed this is a lawsuit of Edward Johnson vs. Ann (Nancy) St. Clair concerning a claim by Edward that Ann owed him $250. Edward is married to Deborah, who was believed to be the Ann's youngest daughter. The lawsuit results in an EXEMPTED judgement against Ann(Nancy) and apparently other costs are to be paid to Ann. Notice at one place, what appears to be court officer(perhaps justice peace) James Craig is named resposible for costs. This may be the judgement referred to in the 1804 Wayne County KY power of attorney by Alexander St. Clair as executor of Ann (Nancy's) estate.
  		1781 Ann Sinclair Montgomery County VA survey entry This is only indication of survey for land grant being made in trust for Ann and daughter Deborah. The later entry of the surveys in 1782 do not show the actual survey being in trust, but only in Ann's name.
  		1790 "Nancy" Sinkler, Pendleton district South Carolina Here, son Alexander, calls his mother "Nancy" like in 1804 Wayne County Ky power of attorney. Most legal docs in Montgomery County VA where "Nancy" "Ann" lived , called her by the name of Ann Sinclair.
  		1784 Ann Sinclair Virginia land grant files From the Library of Virginia with all papers retained in the file, showing her grant on Reed Creek. Librarian informs me that She was granted land by "Right of Settlement." This simply means that she intended to live on the land after payment. The grant tells you how much she paid. She is recorded in Land Office Entry 35, List of land claimed by settlers and preemptioners in the District of Kentucky and for which certificates were granted, p. 201, Ann Sinclair and her daughter, 400 acres, Right of Settlement. Notice original certificate was for Ann and her daughter Deborah. Notice it was based in 1768 settlement. It appears the certiciate was orginally issued to Ann Sinclair. cited as Virginia Land Office Entry 42, Plats and Certificates, 1785, Barcode 1051763,Box 52, Folder 6. Also note, that the 300 acre grant began beside the line of a 1768 survey by William Preston that was done for Ann Sinclair. Did Ann have 114 acres PLUS the 300 1784-1785 grant ? No disposition of the 114 acres has been found.
  		1787 Edward Johnston vs. Ann Sinclair lawsuit Thanks to researcher Lynne Sinclair for this document from the loose unindexed files of Montgomery County VA courthouse in Christiansburg VA. It completes the picture and has facts that tie into the 1804 power of attorney filed by son/executor Alexander St. Clair in Wayne County Ky. In particular the 75 dollar/pound receivable from James or John Craig. James was reported by Mary Kegley's book Adventurers on the Western Waters as being the son of John Craig. John Craig was a Presbyterian minister.
  		Early Adventures on the western waters by Mary Kegley speaks of what happened to the Ann St. Clair (Sinclair) 300 acre property after her death.
  		1824 Wythe County VA deed bk 9 Ann Sinclair property referred to in Mary Kegley's book Early Adventures on the Western Waters Vol 1.
  		1768 Ann Sinclair 114 acre Loyal Land Co Mary and FB Kegley's Early Adventurers on the Western Waters Vol 1 book recite William Preston surveyor work for Loyal Land Company. In it lists survey in 1768 for Widow Sinclair. This tie in to the Loyal Land Company whose face was Dr. Thomas Walker, correlates to the 1804 Alexander St. Clair power of attorney in Wayne County KY. Further, it appears from a close review of this file that when looking at the 1784 grant files document, that the 300 acre survey for Ann mentions that it starts as running along a line of a 1768 survey by William Preston...ie. this survey. Therefore, it may be that Alexander in his 1804 Wayne Count KY power of attorney thought that the original survey of this 114 acres laid outside the 300 acre grant (that was apparently lost in the 1787 law suit) and was therefore still available to the estate of Ann. It is unclear whether legal title was ever obtained or passed to the 114 acres.

  
  

• Notes

  Some sources, unproved by this writer, have attributed Ann's maiden name to be Salling. This would be interesting and possible given that William was neighbor to Johan Peter Sallings. This claims that Johan Peter Salling's daughter named Ann, did NOT marry a Charles St. Clair. From Genforum.com post: Johann Peter Salling was born in 1700 in Reipertsweiler [near Struth], Alsace-Lorraine. He was the son of Franz Salling of Struth. He married Anna Maria Vollmer on November 9, 1728 in Teiffenbach, Alsace-Lorraine [now part of France]. She was the daughter of Georg Michael Vollmer and his wife Anna Sabina Barbara. Johann Peter Salling died in 1755 in Augusta Co.,VA. Johann Peter Salling and Anna Maria Vollmer had the following children: 1.Anna Katherina, b.Aug.29,1729 Struth,GER, m.Apr.15,1751 Henry Fuller, d. aft 1790 Caswell,Co.,NC 2.Margaretha Magdalena, b.Oct.21,1731 Struth, d.Nov.3,1731 Struth 3.Maria Elisabeth, b.1733 Struth,GER, m. Richard Burton 4.George Adam, b.Feb.9,1736 Lancaster Co.,PA, m. Hannah, d.1788 Rockbridge, VA 5.John, b.1738 Lancaster Co.,PA Johann Peter Salling, his wife and daughters, Catherine and Elisabeth came to America on board the "Pennsylvania Merchant", landing in Philadelphia, PA on Sept.18,1733. Also on board was a Adam Vollmer, who was probably the brother of Johann Peter Salling's wife. I have a transcribed copy of Johann Peter Salling's famous journal - which I can send to you if you email me your address. The above information was found in the book, Pennsylvania German Pioneers, Vol I. by R.B. Strassburger. The information on J.P. Salling was very detailed and had come from church registers in Germany. Will of Johan Peter Salling: confirms daughter named Ann, married a man named Fooler. Page 92----25th December, 1754. John Peter Salling's will, farmer--To daughter, Catherine Fooler, 1 shilling; to daughter, Mary Elizabeth Burton, 1 shilling; to John Salling, son of daughter Catherine that she had soon after she married Henry Fooler, 100 acres known as the Meadow entry; to sons, George Adam and John Salling; to son, John, tract testator lives on, and also tract Peter Crotingal lives on, and horse bought from Joseph Burton, and a horse running at Hart's Bottom. John is infant. Executors, George Adam Salling. Teste: Jos. Bryan (Ryan), James Randal, Richard Borland (is this Borland? Burton? Boston?). Proved, 19th March, 1766, by Ryan and Randal. Papers of William Preston 1781 DEC. 10 Robertson, James. Letter to Col. William Preston, Montgomery. Concerning his claim to land near the Seven Mile Tree ; his desire to accompany Preston to the Kentucky in the autumn; previous attempts to go to the Kentucky. A. L. S. 1 p. On reverse: Memoranda in Preston's hand writing concerning certificates of J. Lucas, Jonathan Davies, Michael Dougherty, Thomas Dunne, William Davies, and Ann Sinclair; Wai- ling s bonds. Endorsed: Jame Robertson Let ter about Land.




• Sources

  [S27831] Chilowie Virginia area historian Lawrence Richardson 2005 276-783-5824. [S31970] StClaire.FTW. Date of Import: Nov 22, 2000