Thomas Staunton St Clair facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Thomas Staunton St. Clair
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in the uniform of a Portuguese Brigadier-General (after 1842)
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| Born | 1785 |
| Died | 23 October 1847 |
| Nationality | Scottish |
| Occupation | soldier |
| Employer | British Army |
| Known for | water colour paintings and his autobiographical writing |
| Spouse(s) | Caroline Woodbridge |
Thomas Staunton St Clair (1785–1847) was a Scottish soldier in the British Army. He was also known for his amazing watercolour paintings. These paintings showed what British colonies like Gibraltar looked like a long time ago.
Contents
Life as a Soldier and Artist
Thomas St Clair was born in Gibraltar in 1785. His father, William, was a colonel in a famous Scottish army group called the "Scottish Borderers." Thomas spent his childhood in Scotland at Rosslyn Castle. His father worked there for the first Earl of Rosslyn.
Thomas had an older brother named William who was also a soldier. Sadly, William died fighting in Martinique in 1809. Thomas also had another brother, David, and two sisters. His father was friends with Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn, which helped Thomas move up quickly in his army career.
Joining the Army
Thomas joined the British Army in 1803. The next year, he became a lieutenant. In 1806, he went to the West Indies as an ensign. He was part of the Royal Scots, who were protecting places like Berbice and Demerara.
In 1809, he took part in a big army operation in the Netherlands called the Walcheren Campaign. Later, in 1814, he received a special award called an Army Gold Medal. He earned this for his bravery in the Battle of the Nive. By 1817, he had become a lieutenant colonel.
Returning to Gibraltar and Writing
In 1820, when he was 36 years old, St Clair returned to the Rock of Gibraltar. He was one of the main officers in charge of the army there.
In 1832, he was sent to Malta. Two years later, in 1834, he published a book about his life called A Soldiers Recollections of the West Indies and America. This book included stories about his journey to Stabroek (which is now in South America) on a ship called HMS Brilliant. He stayed there from early 1806 until June 1808.
Thomas St Clair received another important award in 1838. He was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB). He became a major-general in 1845 and passed away in Malta in 1847.
His Legacy
Thomas St Clair married Caroline Woodbridge. She was ten years younger than him, and they had children together. Some of St Clair's beautiful paintings can be seen today at the Gibraltar Museum.
