Person:James McNair (14)

James became a Lt. Col. in the 73rd Highlanders. James died 15 apr 1836 at Greenfield House, Shettleston, Lanarkshire. In Scottish Archives there is a will registered 5sep1836 of James MCNAIR of Greenfield, Lt. Col. on half pay unattached, spouse of Eleanor Stanser MCNAIR, and in the National Archives a will registered 26oct1836 (PROB 11/1868 4 pages). Nat. Archives have the discharge from Royal Chelsea Hospital in about 1821 of James, aged 34, b. Barrony, Lanarkshire, 73rd Foot Regiment (WO97/853/53). In his mother’s will drawn up 11oct1826 (National Archives) Major James McNair is mentioned. From “Decennial indexes to the services of heirs in Scotland 1700-1859”: Reg. 12feb1830. James McNair, Major 52nd Regt. to his father James McNair of Greenfield, heir in gen. In 1830 postal address of J. McNair, Greenfield, was 176 Trongate and in 1836 postal address of Col. McNair of Greenfield was same address (Directory).

According to Moorson’s „Historical Record of the 52nd Oxfordshire Light Infantry“ „Lt. Col. James MCNAIR entered the 52nd in 1804, served in the expedition to Sweden in 1808 and afterwards in Portugal and Spain and was present during the retreat to and battle of Corunna. He afterwards served in the Peninsula with the 52nd in most of  the battles and affairs until the assault of Badajoz, where he voluteered for the storming party and was severely wounded. He was promoted to the command of the 73rd regiment.“  The military records of  James and James Stanser MCNAIR are available from Regimental H.Q., Royal Green Jackets, Slade Park, Headington, Oxfordshire, England.

Also mentioned as children of James and Eleanor on familysearch website but questionable (not found on scotlandspeople website) are: Philip MCNAIR, born 1824 Greenfield, Shettleston, Lanarkshire and Eleanor MCNAIR, born 1821 Greenfield (ld). However, according to the military record of James Stanser McNair, there were 4 sons and a daughter. A student matriculating at University of Glasgow in 1801 was James McNair (numbered 6270) filius natu maximus Jacobi de Shettleston, armigeri in com: der Lanark. He was born 1787 (McNair book 1955 supplement) There is a letter in possession of James E. P. McNair dated 31mar1805 from Major General Sir John Moore, K.B., who commanded the regiment, to the father of James welcoming his son into the regiment (McNair book 1960 supplement). From glasgowhistory.co.uk: At the age of 18 he became an Ensign in the 52nd Regiment of Foot and was promoted to be Lieutenant without purchase in June 1805. All his subsequent promotions to Captain in 1812, Major in April 1822, Lt.-Colonel on the 73rd Regiment of Foot in August, were obtained without purchase, which was rather remarkable for that time and period, when most elevation in Army rank was made by purchase and not necessarily by merit. James McNair took part in most of the well-known battles of the Peninsular War. He volunteered for the storming party for the attack on the fortress of Badajoz and in the attack on 6 April 1812 was severely wounded in the head. For his prowess on that day he was granted one year’s pay as a Lieutenant and on 11 May 1812 was promoted to Captain. He later took part in the battle of Waterloo and later in his service served in Canada where he married the daughter of the Lord Bishop of Nova Scotia. He in turn became the Laird of Greenfield, and died in 1836 from the wounds sustained at Badajoz in 1812. His descendants still owned Greenfield and parts of Shettleston in the early years of this (20th) century. From the military record: „I heard Macnair, in after days (i.e. 4 or 5 years after Badajoz where he was one of the stormers) speak of the difficulties of the breach and of the impossibility of breaking down the chevaux-de-frize amde of sword blades. He went 3 times to the top of the breach, and whilst attempting on the 3rd occasion, to break the sword blades he was severely wounded all along the top of his head, but whether it was by a musket shot or by the thrust of a bayonet or by a sword cut over the chevaux, he could never tell. I think his regimental cap could not be found the next morning; but there was several 52nd Officers‘ caps to be procured, whose former owners had been killed.“ Leeke, Vol. 2, page 350.

1.   International Genealogical Index. ( The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint, 1999-2008).
2.   International Genealogical Index. ( The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint, 1999-2008)
   Batch #: C116228, Sheet #: 00, Source Call #: 1041477, Printout Call #: 6901464, Dates: 177.
3.   International Genealogical Index. ( The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint, 1999-2008).
4.   various. Family letters (2).