Contents

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Introduction

This page is a continuation of the study of pioneer families in Puslinch Township with the surname Stewart.  If you are just arriving here from somewhere else then you should begin with the Stewarts of Puslinch.

The family which I am referring to here as the "Crieff Stewarts" is the family of Allan Stewart who is the father of Alexander Stewart of Loch Rannoch. This family was later related by marriage to the family of William Stewart of Ben Nevis, Inverness, whose family is described in the Stray Stewart Families.

The following material includes excerpts from an article on the Stewarts of Crieff in Puslinch written by the late Anna Jackson of the Puslinch Historical Society and is reprinted here with permission. I have supplemented the article with my own research and information sent to me by various descendants of this family.  In order to make the present article easier to read I have not bothered with quotation marks to differentiate between sources.

Please Note: This page is intended only as a narrative historical overview of this family.  There is additional detailed information available for almost ever person presented on this page.  To avoid the unnecessary work of double-entering some data, the additional information can be found in the accompanying GEDCOM database.  Please make sure you click on the INDEX button at the bottom of the page so you don't miss out on potentially valuable additional information.

Acknowledgments

The research presented on this page is not mine alone.  It contains information submitted by all the Fellow Researchers listed below.  I am indebted to them for their generous contributions.  This page is intended as a place for researchers to freely and cooperatively share our research with each other.  It would be too cumbersome a task to reference each piece of data as to which researcher it has come from.  The information shown on this page should be understood as a product of ALL of the Fellow Researchers.  I am merely the editor and not the sole author. - Ryk

The Stewarts of Crieff

Allan Stewart was born about 1735 in Killichonan, Loch Rannoch, Fortingall, Perthshire, Scotland.  His birth family has not been identified but his parents names can be extrapolated based on Scots naming patterns possibly as Duncan and Janet Stewart, however this is not certain.  Allan Stewart married on 2 JUN 1764 in Fortingall, Perth, Scotland to Margaret CUMMING whose birth has not been identified. 

Clan Stewart of Appin

Clan "Donald of the Hammer"

According to other research I am doing on Stewart families from Perthshire, Scotland, it appears likely that this family is descended from the Stewarts of Appin.  There was one branch of Clan Appin who were known in Gaelic as Sliochd Dhomhnail mhic Callin mhic Donal nan ord*, which means "Descendants of Donald, son of Allan, son of Donald of the Hammer". They came first from Appin to the Braes of Rannoch and from there a later branch went to Glenlochay and from there to Glendochard.  The names Allan and Donald, and secondarily Alexander and Duncan, feature prominently among their descendants.

The common location of Rannoch and the common forenames of Allan, Donald, Alexander and Duncan give support to the likelihood that the "Crieff" Stewarts of Puslinch were descended from the clan of "Donald of the Hammer" of Clan Stewart of Appin.

More information on this potential connection can be found at the Stewarts of the South, Part IV: Miscellany.  The Stewarts of the South is a census of Stewart families from southern Perthshire ca. 1815, commissioned by Colonel David Stewart of Garth.  The reader who wants to research this connection more thoroughly would be well advised to begin with the Introduction to the Stewarts of the South before trying to understand the preceding link.  In The Stewarts of the South there is only one family listed as being from Strath Rannoch, and only one family whose patriarch was an Allan Stewart, and they are one and the same family.  It is certainly possible that there were other Stewart families in Strath Rannoch who are not mentioned in The Stewarts of the South and who also feature the names Allan, Donald, Alexander and Duncan, so this lead is not conclusive, but it is certainly worth pursuing.

* For those who are feeling brave and want to try to pronounce it, Sliochd Dhomhnail mhic Callin mhic Donal nan ord is pronounced "slochk ghon-eye-ll vichk ah-lin vichk do-nal nan oarst", where the "ch" is an aspirated "k" sound pronounced like a vulgar spitting sound as in "loch", and the "gh" is a softer but similar sound based on an aspirated "g" (with no equivalent in English), and the "on" is pronounced similar to the French "on" sound where the "n" is not actually sounded but merely chokes off the "o" in the back of the throat.

Allan Stewart & Margaret Cumming

Allan Stewart and Margaret Cumming had the following children:

1. Duncan STEWART b: ABT 22 DEC 1765 in Fortingall, Perthshire, Scotland
2. James STEWART b: ABT 9 AUG 1767 in Fortingall, Perthshire, Scotland
3. Margaret STEWART b: ABT 2 OCT 1767 in Fortingall, Perthshire, Scotland
4. Donald STEWART b: ABT 20 NOV 1769 in Fortingall, Perthshire, Scotland
5. Alexander STEWART , Of Crieff b: ABT 21 NOV 1773 in Craiganour, Loch Rannoch, Fortingall, Perthshire, Scotland.  He married in MAR 1805 in Fortingall, Perthshire, Scotland to Elizabeth MCGREGOR.  Their story is continued below.
6.      John STEWART b: ABT 22 MAR 1776 in Fortingall, Perthshire, Scotland.  He is presumed to have died as a child prior to the birth of his same-named brother.
7. John STEWART b: ABT 31 AUG 1777 in Fortingall, Perthshire, Scotland
8. Janet STEWART b: ABT 18 JUL 1779 in Fortingall, Perthshire, Scotland

Nothing is known about any of these children except for Alexander Stewart. 

Alexander Stewart & Elizabeth MacGregor

Alexander Stewart married in MAR 1805 in Fortingall, Perthshire, Scotland to Elizabeth MCGREGOR who was born about 1782 in Aulich, Fortingall, Perthshire, Scotland.  They had the following children:

1. Allan STEWART , Of Crieff b: ABT 1803 in Loch Rannoch, Fortingall, Perthshire, Scotland
2. Margaret STEWART , Of Crieff b: 1805 in Loch Rannoch, Fortingall, Perthshire, Scotland
3. Donald STEWART , Of Crieff b: 1 JUN 1808 in Killichanon, Fortingall, Perthshire, Scotland
4. Marjory STEWART , Of Crieff b: 16 JUN 1812 in Fortingall, Perthshire, Scotland
5. Duncan STEWART , Of Crieff b: 4 JUL 1814 in Killichonan, Loch Rannoch, Fortingall, Perthshire, Scotland
6. John STEWART , Of Crieff b: ABT 1816 in Killichanon, Fortingall, Perthshire, Scotland
7. Hugh STEWART , Of Crieff b: 30 JAN 1819 in Killichonan, Fortingall, Perthshire, Scotland
8. Janet STEWART , Of Crieff b: 20 JUL 1821 in Killichonan, Fortingall, Perthshire, Scotland
9. Helen May STEWART , Of Crieff b: 31 AUG 1823 in Fortingall, Perthshire, Scotland

Alexander Stewart's family emigrated from near Loch Rannoch in Perthshire, Scotland coming to Puslinch, Ontario in the 1830's and 40's. The oldest two children were the first to emigrate.  Allan Stewart and his sister, Margaret Stewart, along with her husband John McDiarmid, all came with the rest of the McDiarmid family in 1833.  They landed in New York where they spent the winter and then came to Canada.  Duncan, Donald and Catherine Stewart all followed in 1843.  John and Marjory Stewart came in 1844, landing in Nova Scotia where they spent the winter before joining their siblings in Puslinch.  Hugh, Helen and Janet Stewart, along with their parents Alexander and Elizabeth Stewart arrived in 1854.  Alexander Stewart died within months of arriving in Puslinch.  Rev. Andrew Maclean lists the Widow Stewart along with her sons so it seems that she outlived her husband.

The McDiarmids took up lot 24; Allan Stewart pioneered lot 25 front first; later he built a store at the Crieff corner. When the congregation required a manse for Reverend Andrew Maclean, Allan Stewart sold them four acres.

Years later, the son of Rev. Andrew Maclean, Lieutenant Colonel John Bayne Maclean, paid for extensive improvements to the church and property.  In gratitude, the church gave him the old manse and one acre to use as a summer home.  He later donated this land back to the Presbyterian Church in Canada and it is now used as Crieff Hills Retreat Centre.  John Bayne Maclean was better known as "Col. Maclean" the founder of Maclean's Magazine, the Financial Post, and Maclean-Hunter Cable Television (the company who invented cable TV).

The descendants of each of the children of Alexander Stewart and Elizabeth McGregor are narrated below.

Allan Stewart

Allan Stewart was b: ABT 1803 in Loch Rannoch, Fortingall, Perthshire, Scotland .  He lived with his brother John and died 15 OCT 1864 in Puslinch Twp., Wellington Co., Ontario.  He never married and had no children.

Margaret Stewart

Margaret Stewart was b: 1805 in Loch Rannoch, Fortingall, Perthshire, Scotland.  She married on 19 MAY 1833 in Fortingall, Perthshire, Scotland to John McDiarmid who was born ABT 1803 in Weem, Perthshire, Scotland as the son of Duncan McDiarmid and Janet McDiarmid.  They had the following children:

1. Margaret MCDIARMID b: 1835 in Puslinch Township, Wellington County, Ontario
2. Duncan MCDIARMID b: 1837 in Puslinch Twp. Wellington Co., Ontario
3. Alexander MCDIARMID b: 30 SEP 1838 in Puslinch Twp., Wellington Co., Ontario
4. Archibald MCDIARMID b: 16 MAY 1840 in Puslinch Twp., Wellington Co., Ontario
5. Donald MCDIARMID b: 21 APR 1842 in Puslinch Twp., Wellington Co., Ontario
6. Allan MCDIARMID b: 19 MAR 1845 in Puslinch Township, Wellington County, Ontario
7. John MCDIARMID b: 4 APR 1847 in Puslinch Township, Wellington County, Ontario
8. Ewen MCDIARMID b: 2 DEC 1850 in Puslinch Township, Wellington County, Ontario

Donald Stewart

Donald Stewart was b: 1 JUN 1808 in Killichanon, Fortingall, Perthshire, Scotland.  He wer married before 1842 in Perthshire, Scotland to Catherine CAMERON.  She was born 26 JUL 1812 in Perthshire, Scotland as the daughter of Dugald and Catherine Cameron.  They pioneered lot 20, rear Gore, and had the following children:

1. Elizabeth STEWART b: 15 OCT 1842 in Puslinch Twp., Wellington Co., Ontario
2. Catherine STEWART b: 7 NOV 1844 in Puslinch Twp., Wellington Co., Ontario married John (or possibly James) Smith and lived in Aberfoyle.  They had the following children:
   1. Catherine SMITH b: 10 AUG 1880 in Puslinch Twp., Wellington Co., Ontario
   2. James Edwin SMITH b: 22 JUN 1882 in Puslinch Twp., Wellington Co., Ontario
   3. Maggie SMITH b: 22 FEB 1884 in Puslinch Twp., Wellington Co., Ontario
   4. Lizzie SMITH b: 25 OCT 1890 in Puslinch Twp., Wellington Co., Ontario
3. Alexander STEWART b: 15 NOV 1846 in Puslinch Township, Wellington County, Ontario.  He moved to the "north west", but it is not known exactly where that was.
4. Dr. Dugald STEWART , MD b: 19 OCT 1848 in Puslinch Twp., Wellington Co., Ontario who married Dolly McDonald and had the following known child:
   1. Dr. Donald Wilfred STEWART , MD b: UNKNOWN who had the following known son:
      1. Dr. Bruce McDonald STEWART , MD b: Private
5. Allan Cameron STEWART b: 6 JAN 1851 in Puslinch Twp., Wellington Co., Ontario who married on MAR 1900 in Puslinch Township, Wellington County, Ontario to Jennie PADDOCK.  She was born 18 JUN 1867 in Puslinch Township, Wellington County, Ontario as the daughter of Richard Paddock and Grace McPhatter.  They continued on the Stewart family farm.  They had the following children:
   1. Daughter STEWART b: 21 JAN 1901 in Puslinch Township, Wellington County, Ontario.  It is believed that she died at birth.
   2. Donald Alexander STEWART b: 19 MAR 1903 in Puslinch Township, Wellington County, Ontario.  He married on 14 SEP 1955 in Puslinch Twp., Wellington Co., Ont to Merne NICOL b: 1898 in Crieff, Puslinch Township, Wellington County, Ontario.  They continued on the family farm.
   3. Grace Jane STEWART b: 28 AUG 1907 in Puslinch Township, Wellington County, Ontario.  She married on 19 JUN 1957 to James STARKEY of Arkell b: UNKNOWN in Puslinch Township, Wellington County, Ontario.  This family raised Mrs. Stewart's niece Coral Paddock after her mother's death in 1935.
6. Duncan STEWART b: 14 MAR 1853 in Puslinch Township, Wellington County, Ontario.  He later moved to Michigan, USA.
7. Donald Cameron STEWART b: 1854 in Puslinch Township, Wellington County, Ontario who married about 2903 to Euphemia Malvina MARTIN.  She was born 24 DEC 1877, believed to be in Puslinch.  They lived lot 21 rear Gore.  Donald was Church Secretary in 1899.  They had the following known children:
   1. Mary Helen STEWART b: 1904 in Puslinch Twp., Wellington Co., Ontario
   2. Alexander McGregor STEWART b: 3 OCT 1906 in Puslinch Twp., Wellington Co., Ontario
   3. Edna Florance STEWART b: 10 JUL 1910 in Puslinch Twp., Wellington Co., Ontario
   4. Lawrence Bruce STEWART b: 1913 in Puslinch Twp., Wellington Co., Ontario. He married Emily Cooper and returned to the family farm after his brother Mac's death.
   5. Duncan Cameron STEWART b: 1920 in Puslinch Twp., Wellington Co., Ontario

Anna Jackson's notes indicate that D.B. Stewart served on the Board of Managers at Crieff Church almost every year between 1924 and 1953, acting in every capacity that was required of him.  However, no corresponding "D.B." has been identified.

Marjory Stewart

Marjory Stewart was b: 16 JUN 1812 in Fortingall, Perthshire, Scotland.  She married on 7 JAN 1845 in Puslinch Township, Wellington County, Ontario to Robert VALENS who was born in 1815.  They had the following known child:

1. Elizabeth VALENS b: 1846

Duncan Stewart

Duncan Stewart was b: 4 JUL 1814 in Killichonan, Loch Rannoch, Fortingall, Perthshire, Scotland.  He married on JAN 1853 in Galt (Cambridge), Wellington County, Ontario to Catherine MCKENZIE who was born 16 OCT 1836 in Inverness, Scotland.  Duncan and his wife Catherine (Kate) McKenzie Stewart lived first on the lot 25 homestead and later moved (according to family legend) to "Egypt," with his brother-in-law Duncan Cameron. However, in reality they only moved to Manistique, Michigan, USA.  It should be noted that there is a village in Huron County, Ontario called "Little Egypt".  Many second generation immigrants from Puslinch moved up to the Huron/Bruce area.  It might be that Duncan's family moved firstly to Little Egypt, Huron County and from there moved to Michigan.  Duncan and Catherine had the following children:

1. Alexander STEWART b: 25 JAN 1854 in Puslinch Township, Wellington County, Ontario
2. Duncan STEWART b: 16 MAR 1856
3. Sarah STEWART b: 24 MAR 1858 in Puslinch Township, Wellington County, Ontario
4. Donald STEWART b: 5 OCT 1860 in Puslinch Twp., Wellington Co., Ontario
5. James Valintine STEWART b: 3 SEP 1862 in Puslinch Township, Wellington County, Ontario
6. Allan STEWART b: 18 DEC 1864 in Valens, West Flamborough Township, Wentworth County, Ontario
7. Marjory Ann STEWART b: 3 AUG 1866 in Puslinch Twp., Wellington Co., Ontario
8. William Lochlan STEWART b: 15 JUN 1868 in Puslinch Twp., Wellington Co., Ontario
9. Janet Naomi STEWART b: 26 FEB 1871 in Puslinch Township, Wellington County, Ontario
10. Catherine Jane STEWART b: 16 JUN 1873 in Puslinch Twp., Wellington Co., Ontario
11. Mary Elizabeth STEWART b: 27 JUL 1876 in Puslinch Twp., Wellington Co., Ontario

John Stewart

John Stewart was b: ABT 1816 in Killichanon, Fortingall, Perthshire, Scotland.  He emigrated in 1844 and married abt 1848 to Elizabeth MCPHERSON.  She was born 11 MAY 1827 in Baillininver, Kingussie (Badenoch), Inverness, Scotland as the daughter of Donald Dhu McPherson ("Black Donald") and Catherine Ann McPherson. John and Elizabeth lived at the north end of lot 25, 1st concession. After their parents died the younger members of this family moved west about 1880.

1. Alexander STEWART b: 13 NOV 1849 in Puslinch Twp., Wellington Co., Ontario.  He died young prior to the birth of his same-named brother.
2. Donald J. STEWART b: 16 JUL 1851 in Puslinch Township, Wellington County, Ontario
3. Annie STEWART b: 6 SEP 1853 in Puslinch Twp., Wellington Co., Ontario.  She married James Peebles and lived in Montana, USA.
4. Alexander STEWART b: 22 DEC 1856 in Puslinch Township, Wellington County, Ontario. Alexander moved firstly to Fort Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan and then to Lilyfield, Manitoba. His descendants maintained a connection with their Puslinch Stewart relatives and with (the late) Anna Jackson, a remote McPherson relative until the time of Anna's death in 2003.  Alexander married on 15 Oct 1883 in Springbrook, Fort Qu'Appelle, NWT (later Saskatchewan) to Mary Elizabeth CODE.  They had descendants.  This family is being researched by Ron Stewart.
5. Elizabeth STEWART b: 20 JUL 1859 in Puslinch Twp., Wellington Co., Ontario.  She married a man surnamed Fairbairn and moved to Montana, USA.
6. Angus STEWART b: 5 JUL 1860 in Puslinch Township, Wellington County, Ontario.  m 28 Dec 1887 in Puslinch Twp. Wellington Co. ON Canada to Jennie Margaret MC NAUGHTON b: ABT 1866 in Puslinch Twp. Wellington Co, dtr of Malcolm McNaughton and Janet Stirton
   1. John Malcolm STEWART b: 1888
   2. Willie Stirton STEWART b: 1891
   3. David STEWART b: 23 Apr 1891 in Qu'Appelle SK Canada
   4. Wilfred Laurier STEWART b: 1897
   5. James Cameron STEWART b: 1898 in Qu'Appelle SK Canada
   6. Janet Creighton STEWART b: 9 Mar 1902 in Qu'Appelle SK Canada
   7. Marie Elizabeth STEWART b: 16 Nov 1903 in Qu'Appelle SK Canada
   8. Angus STEWART b: 22 Aug 1907 in Qu'Appelle SK Canada
   9. Lawrence STEWART b: 12 Aug 1910 in Qu'Appelle SK Canada
7. Allan STEWART b: 1864 in Puslinch Twp., Wellington Co., Ontario
8. Margaret STEWART b: 20 NOV 1865 in Puslinch Twp., Wellington Co., Ontario.  She married a man surnamed Newitt.
9. James STEWART b: 1868 in Puslinch Township, Wellington County, Ontario.  He moved to California, USA.
10. John STEWART b: 2 AUG 1869 in Puslinch Township, Wellington County, Ontario.  He moved to Saskatchewan.
11. Duncan STEWART b: 1871 in Puslinch Township, Wellington County, Ontario

Hugh Stewart

Hugh Stewart was b: 30 JAN 1819 in Killichanon, Fortingall, Perthshire, Scotland.  He married about 1860 in Puslinch Twp., Wellington Co., Ontario to Jessie CAMERON from lot 13 Tenth of Beverly, facing the Gore.  Hugh managed the store and post office at Crieff.  They had the following children:

1. Elizabeth C. STEWART b: 1861 in Puslinch Township, Wellington County, Ontario
2. Alexander A. STEWART b: 10 JUN 1863 in Crieff, Puslinch Township, Wellington County, Ontario who married a woman surnamed Murray and continued on the family farm.  They had one known child:
   1. Allan Finlayson STEWART b: 20 MAR 1903 in Puslinch Twp., Wellington Co., Ontario.  He inherited his parents' farm, but later sold it and moved to Waterdown, Flamborough Township, Wentworth County.
3. Mariane STEWART b: 1869 in Puslinch Twp., Wellington Co., Ontario
4. Margaret STEWART b: ABT 1872 in Michigan, USA.  She married Adam Scott, son of Andrew and Mary (McPhatter) Scott, and later returned to Michigan.

Janet Stewart

Janet Stewart was b: 20 JUL 1821 in Killichanon, Fortingall, Perthshire, Scotland.  She died 28 NOV 1900 in Puslinch Township, Wellington County, Ontario unmarried and without children.

Helen May Stewart

May Stewart was b: 31 AUG 1823 in Fortingall, Perthshire, Scotland.  She married about 1850 to Duncan Locheil CAMERON who was born 1816 in Perthshire, Scotland, son of Dugald and Catherine Cameron.  Duncan's sister, Catherine, married Helen's brother, Donald.  Helen and Duncan had the following children:

1. Jack CAMERON b: 14 JUL 1852 in Puslinch Township, Wellington County, Ontario
2. Annie CAMERON b: 5 OCT 1854 in Puslinch Township, Wellington County, Ontario
3. Isabella CAMERON b: 19 SEP 1856 in Puslinch Township, Wellington County, Ontario
4. Annie CAMERON b: AFT 1859 in Puslinch Township, Wellington County, Ontario
5. Isabelle CAMERON b: 20 JUN 1860 in Puslinch Township, Wellington County, Ontario
6. Alexander CAMERON b: 27 JUL 1862 in Puslinch Township, Wellington County, Ontario
7. Janet CAMERON b: 6 MAR 1864 in Puslinch Township, Wellington County, Ontario
8. Robert Valens CAMERON b: 16 MAR 1866 in Puslinch Township, Wellington County, Ontario

Fellow Researchers

People researching this family include the following.  If you wish your name added to the fellow researchers' list, please contact me.

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ABT = "about" and is used in three ways:

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3. Where it precedes a year only, such as "ABT 1855", then it means that there is no information on the person's birth date at all and an educated guess has been made that he/she was probably born sometime around 1855.

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This page was last updated on June 14, 2010