Balquhidder
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Contents

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The Principal Families of the Balquhidder Stewarts

This page is part of the Stewarts of Balquhidder Research Group Web Site jointly hosted by myself, Ryk Brown, and my research partner, Chuck Speed.  The research presented on this page is not ours alone.  It is the product of all the Fellow Researchers of the Stewarts of Balquhidder Research Group.  We are 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.  The first-time reader is advised to begin with the introduction found on the Principal Families Page before proceeding on with this page.

This page outlines the principal families of Stewarts who lived in the area of Balquhidder Parish, Perthshire, Scotland, including parts of neighbouring Comrie, Doune, Callander, and Kilmadock.  These families were associated together in a clan-like relationship in much the same way as the better known Clan Stewart of Appin. 

The senior family of the Stewarts of Balquhidder is the family of Ardvorlich as the senior male line and only surviving branch, but has at times been claimed by Gartnafuaran (as they were the oldest cadet branch), and also Glenbuckie (as they seemed to have excelled in military leadership).  However, by the late 18th century, according to the Stewarts of the South, Ardvorlich was the principal house and remains so today as the only surviving land-owning family of these branches.

Clan Association, Clan Chief and Tartan

Map of the early Highland Stewart settlements
The Stewarts of Balquhidder occupied the southernmost of the the red shaded areas.
The Stewarts: Highland Branches of a Royal Name by the late Maj. John A.M. Stewart, 14th Laird of Ardvorlich, (Johnston's Clan Histories, Edinburgh, 1954)

Clan Association

There is no official registered Clan Association for the Stewarts of Balquhidder.  Nevertheless this branch of the Stewarts is no less legitimately described as a clan than would be the Stewarts of Appin, Atholl, Bute, or Galloway, etc.  The others are, today, simply better known and better organized, each with their own tartan and clan officers. As there is no official clan association, likewise there is no official clan motto.

Clan Chief

If there was anything like a Clan Association of Balquhidder Stewarts we would recognize our legitimate titular Clan Chief to be the current laird of Ardvorlich as the head of the senior and only surviving family of this clan.  However to the best of our knowledge, the current Laird of Ardvorlich makes no such claim to this role and there is no such official designation.  Presently the titular chief would be:

Alexander ("Sandy") Donald Stewart, 15th Laird of Ardvorlich

Clan Tartan

I cannot count how many times we have been asked what the proper tartan is for our branch of Stewarts.  As there is no recognized clan association there is also no designated clan tartan for this branch of the Stewarts.  Anyone claiming association with any of the families contained herein would be right to wear any of the Stewart tartans that are available to anyone of the name "Stewart".  However, Burke's Landed Gentry (p.2147) says the Stewart of Ardvorlich tartans are Hunting Stewart and Royal Stewart.

There are approximately 96 different Stewart tartans for you to choose from.  Too many to recount here.  For more information click:

http://www.clan.com
and enter "Stewart" in the Tartan Finder

Principal Cadet Families

There are four principal branches of the Stewarts of Balquhidder, namely, Ardvorlich, Glenbuckie, Gartnafuaran, and Annat.  Each of these four principal families had several cadet branches.  Some of the larger cadet branches are listed below.  The Stewarts of Garchell and Glenfinglas are special cases.  The Garchell Stewarts were a very early principal branch that died out after only a few generations.  Glenfinglas was a melting pot of Stewarts from all four of the principal families as well as a branch from the Stewarts of Appin.  Because of the convoluted nature of the Glenfinglas Stewarts they have been given their own page.  Each principal family and its cadet branches are more fully presented on their own individual family pages. 

Click on any of the family names below to be taken to that family.

Click any of the family names above to go to that family's page.

Fellow Researchers

The following people have contributed their research data to the Stewarts of Balquhidder Research Group.  Each contributor is listed here under the family from which they descend and for which they are primarily researching.  If you have a report on your Stewart family and you would like to contribute it to the Stewarts of Balquhidder Research Group, please send your report in RTF format to Chuck Speed.

In August 2007 we opened the Stewarts of Balquhidder Discussion Forum.  New fellow researchers are now able to sign up directly at that site and their contact information is available there too.  The list below is no longer being updated but is being left here as a tribute to the founding members of our group.  The list below is arranged semi-chronologically from top to bottom in order of joining.

Founding Members

Other (Non-Related) Stewart Family Researchers

The following researchers descend from families who resided in Balquhidder or neighbouring parishes and are documented in Section IV - Miscellany of Stewarts of the South, but are not related to any of the Balquhidder Stewart branches.  These families are accounted for on our page for Other (non-related) Stewart Families.

The Origins of the Balquhidder Stewarts

The Origin of the Surname Stewart

The name Stewart is an occupational surname. It comes from the occupational title of "steward". A steward is a person who is responsible for looking after someone else's property. In the case of a large estate, the steward would essentially be the household or estate manager.  The steward is responsible for overseeing all the daily functions of the house and property and supervising all the staff.  The Stewarts in Scotland descend from a line who were hereditary High Stewards of Scotland -- thus instead of being stewards of a household or an estate, they were stewards of the entire country of Scotland.  The political office of High Steward was arguably the most powerful position in the country next to the king.

The Seneschals of Dol in Bretagne

And Sheriffs of Shropshire

Shropshire, England

Oswestry, Shropshire, England - Residence of Alan Fitz Flaad, progenitor of the Stewarts
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The earliest provable ancestor of the Stewart line is Sir Alan Fitz Flaad of Dol, a Breton knight from Dol, Bretagne (modern day Brittany, France).  Alan came to England in 1066 as one of William the Conqueror's knights.  Some historians mistakenly refer to Alan as Norman because he was part of the Norman conquest, however Alan was Breton, not Norman.  The Normans were French speaking Norsemen, but the Bretons were Celts who spoke a Celtic language and were believed to be historically related to the ancient Welsh Bretons.  So although the pre-Stewart line were part of the Norman ruling class, they were a Celtic people.

Sir Alan Fitz Flaad can be said with certainty to be the son of Flaad (as Fitz Flaad means "son of Flaad"), however no such historical figure has been identified.  Stewart historians assert that Flaad and his ancestors came from a hereditary line of "Seneschals" to the Counts of Dol, Bretagne.  "Seneschal" means "high protector" and can be considered a synonym for "steward".  Thus the future High Stewards of Scotland were descended from a line of High Stewards from Bretagne.

A legendary history of the Seneschals of Dol claims that they were cousins to the Counts of Dol and thus themselves also descended from earlier Counts of Dol (an un-provable, but not unreasonable claim).  The earliest claimed ancestor of this line is a 6th century Count of Dol named Frogerins.  The reader should understand that all Stewart ancestors earlier than Alan Fitz Flaad should be considered as legendary figures; they are not historically verifiable.  These individuals are included in our database for enjoyment only.

Sir Alan Fitz Flaad was given lands and a castle at Oswestry, in Shropshire, England as well as the office of Sheriff of Shropshire.  Shropshire borders with Wales and Oswestry is on the far western edge of the county and sits virtually on the border with Wales.  William The Conqueror's placement of his Breton knight Sir Alan Fitz Flaad in a high guardian position strategically on the border with Wales makes more sense when one considers that the Bretons of Bretagne and Britons of Wales were kindred people who shared if not a common language, at least a similar one.

The Lord of Shropshire had three sons: William, Walter and Simon.  William Fitz-Alan stayed in England and became the ancestor of the Fitz-Alans, and the Earls of Arundel.  Simon Fitz-Alan is claimed by the Boyd's of Scotland to be their ancestor.  And Walter Fitz-Alan went to Scotland where he served as a knight to King David I of Scotland.

Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland
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click to enlarge
Paisley Abbey, Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland
� Copyright Thomas Nugent and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

The High Stewards of Scotland

In the early 12th century, King David I of Scotland rewarded one of his loyal knights, Sir Walter Fitz-Alan, by granting him the office of High Steward of Scotland, making Sir Walter the most powerful man in Scotland next to the king himself. The office of High Steward became hereditary being passed on eventually for six generations through the line of eldest sons:

1. Sir Walter Fitz-Alan, 1st High Steward of Scotland
2. Alan Fitz-Walter, 2nd Hereditary High Steward of Scotland
3. Walter "The Steward" Fitz-Alan-alias-Stewart, 3rd Hereditary High Steward of Scotland
4. Alexander Stewart, 4th Hereditary High Steward of Scotland
5. Sir James Stewart, 5th Hereditary High Steward of Scotland
6. Sir Walter Stewart, 6th Hereditary High Steward of Scotland

By the 13th century, with the 4th generation of High Stewards, the title had evolved into a family surname. In Gaelic, the hard "d" sound was pronounced more like our English "t" and thus the name became "Stiubhaird" in Gaelic (pronounced "stchyoo-wayrst") or "Stewart" in English.

The Stewarts were given lands in Renfrewshire as their hereditary holding, and the Abbey at Paisley is the burial place for most of the early High Stewards and their families.

It is worth noting that Sir William Wallace, the famous hero of the Scottish Wars of Independence, resided at Elderslie, Renfrewshire, just southwest of Paisley (shown on the map at right).  William Wallace and his father were tenants of Sir James Stewart, 5th High Steward of Scotland.

The Royal House of Stewart

In the late 13th century, Walter Stewart, the 6th High Steward of Scotland, who fought alongside Sir William Wallace and King Robert the Bruce in the Scottish Wars of Independence, was rewarded for his loyalty to King Robert the Bruce by a marriage with Princess Marjorie Bruce, the king's daughter. Walter and Marjorie had a son, Robert Stewart, who became Earl of Strathearn and Menteith.  Robert Stewart nearly didn't make it into this world. His mother, Princess Marjorie, was thrown from her horse while she was pregnant. She died from her injuries and Robert was born by an emergency Caesarean section.

When Robert the Bruce's son, King David II, died without any male heir then Robert Stewart, Earl of Strathearn and Menteith, was next in line for the throne.  He became King Robert II of Scotland, and founder of the Royal House of Stewart, which ruled Scotland for over three hundred years and in 1603 under King James VI became the ruling dynasty of the combined thrones of the United Kingdom. King James VI of Scotland became known as King James I of the United Kingdom and was the patron of the King James Bible.

The primary residence of the early Scottish kings was Stirling Castle.  In the days of Robert the Bruce, Stirling castle would have been primarily a wooden structure.  It was in the time of King Robert II that a stone structure began to replace the earlier wooden one.  The North Tower of Robert II's era still stands as part of the castle today.

Robert The BRUCE King Of Scots b: 11 JUL 1274 in Turnberry, Ayrshire, Scotland.  He married firstly to Isabella Of MAR b: 1276 in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.  They had the following daughter:

1. Marjorie BRUCE Princess Of Scots b: ABT 1297 in Scotland.  Marjorie was only child of Robert I "the Bruce" King of Scotland from his marriage to Isabella of Mar. Marjorie was held hostage in the Tower of London by King Edward the Longshanks in order to compel surrender from her father, Robert the Bruce. Marjorie was later freed and married Sir Walter Stewart who was a young knight and sixth family holder of the High Steward of Scotland. This marriage produced a son Robert Stewart who was to later become Robert II, King of Scotland (1371-90). Robert's birth was considered something of a miracle since he was delivered by caesarean section Marjorie died from a fall from her horse.  Princess Marjorie married in 1315 in Scotland to Walter STEWART 6th High Steward Of Scotland b: 1293 in Scotland.  They had the following child:
   1. Robert STEWART King Robert II of Scots b: 02 MAR 1316 in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland

King Robert The Bruce married secondly in 1302 to Elizabeth DE BURGH b: ABT 1280 in Ulster, Ireland.  They had the following children:

1. Margaret BRUCE b: ABT 1317 in Scotland
2. Matilda BRUCE b: ABT 1320 in Scotland
3. David BRUCE, King of Scots b: 05 MAR 1324 in Dunfermline Palace, Fifeshire, Scotland.  David was the only surviving son of his father, King Robert "the Bruce". He was married to Princess Joan of England at the age of four(!) and ascended to the throne of Scotland at age five. Thomas Randolph, earl of Moray, was appointed as his guardian. On Randolph's death, David became vulnerable to attack by Edward Balliol, who was being backed by Edward III. David and Joan fled for safety first to Dumbarton Castle and then to France, where they lived in exile for seven years. David led an invasion into Northumberland and captured Hexham, but was captured and taken prisoner by the English, where he was imprisoned for eleven years. Meanwhile Robert the Steward (later King Robert II) ruled in his absence. David died without children and the throne passed to Robert the Steward.
4. John BRUCE b: OCT 1327 in Scotland.  He died young.
    

Robert STEWART King Robert II of Scots b: 02 MAR 1316 in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland.  Robert was miraculously born by Caesarian section after his pregnant mother was thrown from her horse and died of her injuries.

Robert was first known as Robert the Steward, the 7th High Steward of Scotland. He was the grandson of King Robert "The Bruce", but is described as lacking the courage and vigour of his grandfather. During the English imprisonment of King David II of Scotland, Robert ruled in his place. King David failed to produce any male heirs and on his death the throne passed to (this) Robert the Steward. When Robert II came to the throne, a fourteen-year truce with England still had twelve years to run, although unofficial warfare with England continued along the border. Full scale war broke out in 1385 as a by-product of the Hundred Years' War between England and France. Scotland became involved through assistance to France. Throughout this period Robert II was ever weak in his control of the state. In 1384 he appointed his heir John, Earl of Carrick (later to become King Robert III), to enforce authority on his behalf. He died 6 years later.

Robert resided primarily at Stirling Castle.  Following the Wars of Independence, his grandfather, King Robert The Bruce, had torn down Stirling Castle so that it could not be occupied by the English.  Robert Stewart began the project of rebuilding Stirling.  The North Tower of the present castle is the only remnant of the castle built by King Robert II. (See photo above.)

Robert married in 1347 to Elizabeth MURE Countess of Strathearn b: ABT 1315 in Rowallan, Ayrshire, Scotland.  They had the following children:

1. John STEWART King Robert III Of Scots b: 1337 in Scotland.  He was father of:
   1. David STEWART, Duke of Rothesay, Regent of Scotland.  He was heir to the thrown and died under suspicious circumstances, possibly murdered by his uncle, Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany.
   2. King James I.  After his brother David was murdered, James feared for his own life and fled from Scotland to France, however his ship was intercepted by English pirates and he was sent to London as a prisoner for 18 years.  During his imprisonment, his uncle Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany, became Regent of Scotland and ruled in James' absence.  Robert, the Duke, made no serious effort to have James freed.
2. Walter STEWART Earl of Fife b: ABT 1339 in Scotland
3. Robert STEWART 1st Duke of Albany, Regent of Scotland b: ABT 1341 in Dundonald, Ayrshire, Scotland
4. Alexander STEWART Lord of Badenoch and Earl of Buchan b: ABT 1343 in Scotland
5. Elizabeth STEWART Princess of Scots b: ABT 1344 in Scotland
6. Isabella STEWART Princess of Scots b: ABT 1346 in Scotland
7. Jean STEWART Princess of Scots b: ABT 1348 in Scotland
8. Katherine STEWART Princess of Scots b: ABT 1350 in Scotland
9. Margaret STEWART Princess of Scots b: ABT 1352 in Scotland
10. Marjorie STEWART Princess of Scots b: ABT 1354 in Scotland

King Robert II had other children by other women who are not presented here as they are not directly relevant to the story of the Stewarts of Balquhidder.

Stewart/Stuart/Steuart

The name "Stuart", by which the later Kings of Great Britain became known, is a corrupted English spelling of the Scottish "Stewart". The ruling class of King James' England was Norman. The Normans were French speaking and the ancient French alphabet did not include the letter "w", so they spelled the new king's name "Stuart"; however in Scotland, the name remained "Stewart". Another common variation was "Steuart", however this form is extremely rare today and in most cases seems to have revert either to "Stuart" or "Stewart".

The Ducal House of Albany

Doune Castle - built by Robert Stewart, 1st Duke of Albany
Famously featured in the movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Photo by Ryk Brown, �2005 Stewarts of Balquhidder Research Group

The Stewart dynasty, founded by King Robert II was a troubled dynasty.  The eldest son of King Robert II was John Stewart who succeeded his father as King of Scots.  As he believed the name "King John" to be unlucky he chose the name King Robert III.  Robert III was an incompetent king and Scotland was primarily governed by his younger brother, Sir Robert Stewart, Earl of Strathearn and Duke of Albany.

Stirling and Doune
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Robert Stewart, 1st Duke of Albany

Robert was the stronger son of the family and became the true power behind the throne during the late reign of his father and during the reign of his elder brother, King Robert III.  In 1402, the King's eldest son, David Stewart, Duke of Rothesay, died under suspicious circumstances, likely murdered.  History has assigned responsibility for the murder to the Duke of Albany.  King Robert III feared that his brother Duke Robert was trying to eliminate the King's family in order to take the throne for himself (which is probably correct).  The King sent his other son, young Prince James, to safety in France, however James was intercepted, captured and held prisoner by the English.  When King Robert III died his son became King James I, however he was still an English prisoner.  Thus the king's uncle, Duke Robert, continued to rule Scotland, and was officially elected as Regent.  He made absolutely no effort to free King James from English captivity. 

Some historians portray Robert the Duke as a usurper seeking only after his own power and glory.  Other historians portray him as a highly competent ruler -- the first in many years to bring a rule of relative peace to the kingdom.  Certainly he was a stronger and more competent ruler than his late brother, King Robert III.  Some historians go so far as to suggest that Scotland might have been better off had the house of Albany succeeded as the ruling and reigning house.  Likely there is some truth in both recollections. 

The primary residence of the House of Albany was Doune Castle.  The village of Doune is located about ten miles northwest of the town of Stirling.  On a clear day Doune is actually visible from Stirling Castle.  Doune Castle, which still stands today, was built by Duke Robert.  When the House of Albany was brought down the castle of Doune was forfeited to the Crown and was used as a secondary royal residence until the time of King James VI.

Robert STEWART 1st Duke of Albany b: ABT 1341 in Dundonald, Ayrshire, Scotland.  He married AFT 09 SEP 1361 in Scotland to Margaret GRAHAM Countess Of Mentieth b: BEF 1334 in Perthshire, Scotland, daughter of Sir John Graham and Mary Stewart, Countess of Menteith, daughter of Alan Stewart, 7th Earl of Menteith (descended from Walter Stewart, 3rd High Steward of Scotland).  Duke Robert and Countess Margaret had the following children:

1. Murdoch STEWART 2nd Duke Of Albany b: ABT 1362 in Dunreath, Strathblane, Argyllshire, Scotland
2. Janet STEWART b: ABT 1364 in Scotland
3. Mary STEWART b: ABT 1366 in Scotland
4. Margaret STEWART b: ABT 1368 in Scotland
5. Johanna STEWART b: ABT 1370 in Scotland
6. Beatrice STEWART b: ABT 1373 in Scotland
7. Isabella STEWART b: ABT 1375 in Scotland

Robert married secondly in 1380 to Muiella Keith.  Their children are not relevant to the story of the Stewarts of Balquhidder.

Murdoch Stewart, 2nd Duke of Albany

Duke Murdoch's Castle on Loch Ard west of Aberfoyle
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Ruins of Duke Murdoch's Castle, on Loch Ard west of Aberfoyle.
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When Duke Robert died, his son Murdoch succeeded him as the 2nd Duke of Albany and Regent of Scotland.  He too made little effort to secure the release of his cousin, King James.

When the King was finally released, after 18 years in captivity, his rage knew no bounds and he took swift revenge on the House of Albany.  He had Duke Murdoch executed and gave orders for his three sons to be executed as well.  However, Murdoch's youngest son, also named James, managed to escape and fled to Ireland, but not before burning the castle and town of Dumbarton to the ground.

Duke Murdoch built for himself a castle on Loch Ard, west of Aberfoyle in southwest Perthshire, Scotland. (See maps at right.) The castle is now a ruin.

Murdoch STEWART 2nd Duke Of Albany b: ABT 1362 in Dunreath, Strathblane, Argyllshire, Scotland.  Murdac Stewart (known in English as "Murdoch"), 2nd Duke of Albany, 11th Earl of Menteith, and Regent of Scotland. He served for a year as justiciar, but after his father, Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany, became governor of Scotland, then Murdac was captured by England's King Henry IV and held prisoner. Murdac was later released by King Henry V in exchange for ransom and prisoner exchange. Murdac was heir presumptive to the throne of Scotland. When Murdac's father, Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany, died at the age of about eighty-one, then Murdac succeeded him as Duke of Albany and Governor of Scotland. Murdac lacked his father's political touch and popularity. Under Murdac's rule lawlessness grew and Murdac's sons were known to be among the worst offenders. His attempt at governing foundered after four years of futile misrule. In 1424 King James I, his cousin, returned to Scotland as a "king unleashed" after eighteen years of imprisonment in England. Since James I's kingship had been at risk while imprisoned in England, he did not intend for it to be threatened upon his return to Scotland. In 1425 he ordered Murdac and his sons beheaded at Stirling.

Murdoch married on 17 FEB 1392 in Scotland to Isobel of LENNOX Countess of Lennox b: ABT 1368 in Lennox, Dunbartonshire, Scotland.  They had the following children:

1. Robert STEWART, Master of Fife b: ABT 1392 in Duke Murdoch's Castle, Loch Ard, Aberfoyle, Perthshire, Scotland.  He died young.
2. Sir Walter STEWART of Fife b: ABT 1394 in Duke Murdoch's Castle, Loch Ard, Aberfoyle, Perthshire, Scotland.  Walter was executed in 1425 by King James.
3. Sir Alexander STEWART of Lennox b: ABT 1396 in Duke Murdoch's Castle, Loch Ard, Aberfoyle, Perthshire, Scotland.  Alexander was executed in 1425 by King James.
4. Sir James Mhor STEWART b: ABT 1400 in Duke Murdoch's Castle, Loch Ard, Aberfoyle, Perthshire, Scotland.  Escaped the royal executions of his father and brothers and fled to Ireland, but not before sacking and burning the castle and town of Dunbarton.
5. Isabella STEWART Countess of Lennox b: ABT 1402 in Duke Murdoch's Castle, Loch Ard, Aberfoyle, Perthshire, Scotland.  Isabella was spared execution by King James. She went on to married Walter Dhu BUCHANAN, 12th of Buchanan.  This marriage formed a long and enduring alliance between the Stewarts of Baldorran & Balquhidder and the Buchanan family, and became the means of the future Balquhidder Stewarts return and resettlement in Scotland.

Sir James Mhor Stewart of Albany

Sir James Mhor Stewart, son of Murdoch, Duke of Albany, was born about 1400 presumably at Duke Murdoch's Castle, Loch Ard, Aberfoyle, Perthshire, Scotland.  Sir James Mhor fled to Antrim, Ireland to escape the vengeance of King James I.  However, his widowed mother and his sister were spared the King's wrath and remained in Scotland.  It is clear that Sir James of Albany probably remained in contact with his mother and sister.  In Ireland, James became involved with a woman surnamed MacDonald, believed to be a daughter of Iain Mor Tanistair MacDonald, 1st Earl of Antrim, himself son of John MacDonald, Lord of the Isles and Earl of Ross.  This marriage makes more sense when one realizes that John MacDonald, Lord of the Isles, was married to Margaret Stewart, sister to Robert Stewart, 1st Duke of Albany.  Thus Sir James Mhor Stewart's "life partner" was his first-cousin, once-removed.  This could also explain why they never legally married.

Sir James Mhor Stewart and his life-partner, the Lady MacDonald, never married, but they are believed to have had a family of seven children (another account gives seven sons and several daughters), although evidence of their children is unclear and conflicting.  James remained an exile for the rest of his life and died in Ireland, however his son, James Beag Stewart was able to secure a royal pardon and return to Scotland.  James Beag was given the property of Baldorran in Campsie parish, Stirlingshire, about twenty miles south of his grandfather's residence of Doune Castle.  James' story continues further below.

Sir James Mhor STEWART b: ABT 1400 in Duke Murdoch's Castle, Loch Ard, Aberfoyle, Perthshire, Scotland.  Escaped the royal executions of his father and brothers and fled to Ireland, but not before sacking and burning the castle and town of Dunbarton.  James had relations with Lady MACDONALD of Antrim b: ABT 1406 in Antrim, Ireland, believed (but not confirmed) to be the daughter of Iain Mor Tanistair MacDonnell, Earl of Antrim.  They had the following children:

1. James Beag STEWART 1st of Baldorran b: ABT 1426 in Antrim, Ireland
2. Arthur STEWART b: ABT 1429 in Antrim, Ireland
3. Robert STEWART b: ABT 1433 in Antrim, Ireland
4. Murdoch STEWART b: ABT 1427 in Antrim, Ireland
5. Alexander STEWART b: ABT 1437 in Antrim, Ireland
6. Matilda STEWART b: ABT 1435 in Antrim, Ireland
7. Andrew STEWART b: ABT 1438 in Antrim, Ireland

Ancestors and Descendants of James Mhor Stewart

James Mhor Stewart is the common ancestor for all the Balquhidder families.  In the following table you will see a partial outline of his ancestors and descendants presented in graphic form.  This is intended as a visual aid only to help the reader see more easily how all the principal families are related to each other.  It is not complete in its detail.  Many siblings and descendant lines have been intentionally omitted for clarity.  For more detail on these people, please see below, or the accompanying Personal Data Pages.

*Andrew Stewart, 1st of Gartnafuaran, is shown in Duncan Stewarts's 1739 Genealogy as being a son of William Stewart of Baldorran, rather than his brother, as shown here.  However Duncan Stewart was incorrect in his presentation.  See the Gartnafuaran Page for more information.

The Baldorran Stewarts

Sir James Mhor Stewart is the progenitor of the Baldorran Stewarts, predecessor to the families of Ardvorlich, Glenbuckie, Gartnafuaran and their cadets.  The Baldorran Stewarts were known as Sliochd tigh an t-eilean, which is Gaelic for "offspring of the house of the island" because their stronghold was on an island in Loch Venacher in the area now known as the Trossachs.  Unfortunately it is not known when the Baldorran Stewarts came into possession of the island in Loch Venacher and when they ceased to possess it.

Baldorran

Baldorran is sometimes shown with its older spelling of "Balindoran".  The name comes from the Gaelic, baille nan dobhran, meaning "town of the otter" or baille nan dobhrain, meaning "town of the waters".  Baldorran no longer exists, but was located in East Dunbartonshire, just northwest of the town of Milton of Campsie (as shown on the accompanying map), about 15 miles southwest of Stirling.  The Stewarts of Baldorran later sold Baldorran to the Glorat family.  Modern maps show the former residence of Baldorran as Glorat House.

Baldorran - 19th century map showing Baldorran near Milton of Campsie
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James Beag Stewart, 1st of Baldorran

James Beag STEWART , 1st of Baldorran was born ABT 1430 in Antrim, Ireland as the son of Sir James Mhor Stewart a descendant of King Robert II of Scots (see above).  Tradition holds that James was born after his father fled to Ireland in 1429, or at the very least after his father burned Dumbarton in 1425. However such a late date of birth is very difficult to reconcile with later generations. It must be considered that James Beag may have been born before his father burned Dumbarton and was merely raised in Antrim. His mother is believed to have been a daughter of Iain Mor Tanister MacDonald, later to become 1st Earl of Antrim, son of John MacDonald, Lord of the Isles.

James and Annabel had the following children, presumed, but not confirmed, to have been all born in Baldorran:

1. John STEWART b: ABT 1450 in Balindoran, Campsie, Stirlingshire, Scotland, who is presumed to have died young or is out of birth order.  Had he been the eldest surviving male then he would have inherited the family estate.
2. Matilda STEWART b: ABT 1452 in Balindoran, Campsie, Stirlingshire, Scotland.  She married William EDMONSTON, 1st Of Culloden And Duntreath, and had issue.
3. Sir William STEWART , 2nd of Baldorran, 1st of Lettir in Strathgartney, and Royal Bailie of Balquhidder b: ABT 1455 in Balindoran, Campsie, Stirlingshire, Scotland.  His information is presented below.
4. Andrew STEWART , 1st of Gartnafuaran b: ABT 1458 in Balindoran, Campsie Stirlingshire, Scotland.  See Gartnafuaran page.
5. Alexander STEWART , 1st of Garroquhill b: ABT 1460 in Balindoran, Campsie, Stirlingshire, Scotland.  See Garchell page.

6. Patrick STEWART of Ardkinknockane in Strathgartney, b: ABT 1462 in Balindoran, Campsie, Stirlingshire, Scotland.  His existence is deduced from crown land rental agreements ca. 1502-03.  For a full discussion of the existence of this Patrick Stewart and his son Robert, please refer to our Stewarts of Blairgarry a.k.a. Stuiartich a' Bhaid Page.  Patrick Stewart is recorded in a joint rental agreement along with his wife who is named as Elizabeth ARDINCAPLE.  (She may actually have been Elizabeth MACAULEY of Ardincaple, allegedly a cadet branch of Clan Gregor.)  They had the following son:

   1. Robert STEWART of Blairgarry, b: ABT 1482 in Ardkinknockane, Loch Achray, Strathgartney, Callander, Perthshire, Scotland.  He is recorded in the joint rental agreement along with his parents for the Crown lands of Blairgarry on Loch Venacher.  There is mention of Robert Stewart in Blairgarry in the Exchequer Rolls of 1502-7. As Duncan Stewart's 1739 History implies that the lands of Blairgarry later belonged to the oldest cadet branch of Gartnafuaran, and, as the lands of Ardcheanochan are later accounted as belonging to a cadet branch of Glenbuckie then three primary possibilities arise: 1) that Robert had no male heirs, only daughter heiresses, and that one such daughter married  John Stewart, Ancestor of Blairgarry or his son, of the Gartnafuaran family, and another daughter married a Glenbuckie ancestor to the Ardcheanochan branch; or 2) that Duncan Stewart was wrong and the later Blairgarry line descends from this Robert; or 3) that Robert died without issue and the lands of Blairgarry and Ardkinknockane reverted to the senior landlord, who by this time was now the Earl of Moray, who reassigned those lands to the later families.

Sir William Stewart, 2nd of Baldorran, 1st of Lettir, and Royal Bailie of Balquhidder

Sir William STEWART , 2nd of Baldorran, 1st of Lettir, 1st Royal Bailie of Balquhidder b: ABT 1440 in Balindoran, Campsie, Stirlingshire, Scotland.  Sir William Stewart seems to be the one most responsible for restoring his family to prosperity.  His grandfather fled the country as a fugitive of the Crown.  His father was born illegitimately but was able to return to Scotland where he was given the lands of Baldorran.  But it appears to be Sir William who significantly expanded the family holdings to include parts of Upper Strathgartney and eventually most of Balquhidder.  We note that when William's brothers were established in their estates each was styled as "brother of William Stewart of Baldorran" rather than "son of James Stewart of Baldorran", suggesting that James was already dead and that William was the head of the family and likely responsible for establishing his younger brothers in their properties.  We note, significantly, that it was Sir William's younger brothers and sons who established all of the major cadet branches of Balquhidder (later Ardvorlich), Glenbuckie, Gartnafuaran, and Garchell.

Sir William inherited Baldorran sometime prior to his marriage, ca. 1484, and acquired the property of Lettir in Strathgartney by his marriage to Janet BUCHANAN, daughter of Archibald Buchanan of Lettir of Strongartney.  Sir William is mentioned in a charter dated 1 MAY 1484: "Charter by Archibald Buchannane, laird of lands of Lettir, to William Stewart and Janet Buchannane, his spouse, granter's daughter, and specified heirs of lands of Lettir in lordship of Strongartnay, sheriffdom of Perth." (GD112/1/18) (Strongartney is on Loch Katrine in Strathgartney and is shown as "Strone" in the lower left corner of the map below.)  The charter is followed on 17 MAY 1484 by an instrument of sasine: "Instrument of sasine propriis manibus given by Walter Buchquhanan of Tomboy ("Tombuie"), bailie in that part, for Archibald Buchquhanane, his brother, infefting William Stewart of Baldorane and Jonet Buchquhanane, his spouse, in lands of Lettir, following on [the preceding] charter." (GD112/1/19)  And on 4 JUL 1493, "Charter by William Stewart of Baldorane and of Letter to Jonet Stewart, daughter of granter and Jonet Buchquhannane, his spouse, and specified heirs, of lands of Le Letter, in lordship of Strogarthnaa in sheriffdom of Perth." (GD112/1/27)

Sir William Stewart was appointed Royal Baillie of the Crown lands of Balquhidder sometime between 1484-1488. William held the townships listed in the Exchequer Rolls of 1488 (listed below).  In the Exchequer Rolls of 1502-1515 Sir William and his eldest son, Walter, are confirmed as Crown tenants in the Balquhidder lands and the lands of Estir and Westir Duchraa (these lands were also known as Innerquhawawane and Glenmaan) and Blarbaith.  The location of these lands has not been accurately identified, but they are described as forming "part of Glenfinglas" (Ardvorlich MSS).  It is believed that Glenmaan is the same as Glean nam Meann, which lands encompass the sheiling lands north of Glenfinglas and south of Glenbuckie.  In the portioning of Balquhidder which took place during the sixteenth century, the descendants of Sir William Stewart of Baldorran gained hereditary tacks of land.

Sir William held the Crown rentals for the following lands in Balquhidder, Strathyre and Glenfinglas.  According to The Settlements of Western Perthshire, these lands were all small baile settlements or farm communities.  There was nothing in Balquhidder at the time that would be as large as what we would think of as even a village today.

Stewart Lands in 1502

Approximate holdings of Sir William Stewart, ca. 1502
(shown in yellow, with later acquisitions shown in green)

Sir William Stewart married firstly before 1 MAY 1484 to Janet BUCHANAN, daughter of Archibald Buchanan of Lettir of Strongartney.  They had the following daughters:

1. Janet STEWART , of Lettir b: ABT 1475 in Baldorran, Campsie, Stirlingshire, Scotland.  She was cited in a charter by William Stewart of Balindoran of the lands of Lettir in favour of Janet Stewart his daughter on 4 July, 1493 (presumably as a marriage dowry).  She married presumably about 1493 to John KINROSS , of Kippenross.
2. Agnes STEWART b: ABT 1477 in Baldorran, Campsie, Stirlingshire, Scotland

Sir William married secondly before 1498 to Marion Helen CAMPBELL, daughter of Colin Campbell, 1st of Glenorchy.  They had the following children:

1. Walter STEWART , 3rd of Baldorran, 2nd Bailie of Balquhidder, b: ABT 1480 in Baldorran, Campsie, Stirlingshire, Scotland.  His information is presented below.
2. John STEWART , 1st of Glenbuckie b: ABT 1485 in Baldorran, Campsie, Stirlingshire, Scotland.  See Glenbuckie Page.
3. Mariote STEWART b: ABT 1490 in Baldorran, Campsie, Stirlingshire, Scotland.  Mariote's birth date and mother are uncertain.  She could be the daughter of William's first marriage.

Walter Stewart, 3rd of Baldorran, 2nd Hereditary Royal Bailie of Balquhidder

Walter STEWART , 3rd of Baldorran, 2nd Bailie of Balquhidder, b: ABT 1480 in Baldorran, Campsie, Stirlingshire, Scotland.  Walter inherited the position of Royal Bailie of Balquhidder, and was confirmed in the ownership of Baldorran in September, 1500.  He also inherited the lands listed above.  In 1500 he is also mentioned as heir to his father for the lands of Duchlas (believed to be the same as Duchraa).  The Buchanan of Auchamar History states the following: "James� [eventual] successor was Walter Stewart of Baldorrans, as is clear by charter, in his favour, by Janet Boquhuanan, of a wadset-right the said Janet had upon a part of the lands of Straithyre, of date in the year 1528."  It is believed to be around this time that this family's residence shifted to "an island in Loch Venacher".  (The only such island to be identified is Portnellan Island.)  He married ABT 1525 to Euphemia REIDHEUGH , Of Tulliechettill, daughter of James REIDHEUGH , 1st Laird Of Tulliechettill, by whom he had the following children:

1. James STEWART , in Balquhidder (initially 4th of Baldorran and 3rd Bailie of Balquhidder) b: 1510 in Baldorran, Campsie, Stirling, Scotland.  Died 1580.  His information is presented below.
2. Andrew STEWART b: ABT 1525 in Baldorran, Campsie, Stirlingshire, Scotland. (It is not known if he married or had descendants.)
3. Helen STEWART b: ABT 1530 in Baldorran, Campsie, Stirlingshire, Scotland.  She married John DOG , Of Gartincaber.

James Stewart, 4th of Baldorran, 3rd Hereditary Royal Baillie of Balquhidder"

James STEWART , 4th of Baldorran and 3rd Baillie of Balquhidder b: 1510 in Baldorran, Campsie, Stirling, Scotland.  Died 1580.  According to an unverified LDS record, James was born about 1510 and died about 1580. James is sometimes referred to as "of Baldorran" or "Baillie of Balquhidder" although he later lost both of these designations. James sold Baldorran to the Glorat family, although Duncan Stewart's geneaology (1739) indicates that it was his father, Walter, who sold Baldorran to William Livingston of Kilsyth ca. 1524.

By an unknown MacLaren mistress James had the following son:

1. Patrick STEWART , 1st of Lednascridan b: ABT 1533 in Balquhidder, Perthshire, Scotland.  According to an LDS submission, Patrick was born ABT 1544 in Perthshire, Scotland, however this date is unlikely. Family tradition in this branch states that Patrick was the natural son of James Stewart, Bailie of Balquhidder and that James gave Patrick a hereditary tack of Lednascriden in the Barony of Balquhidder circa 1533.  This tradition is chronologically challenging. James Stewart, Bailie of Balquhidder, was probably born ca. 1510, thus it would be impossible for him to have had a son old enough to receive land in 1533. One possibility is that 1533 represents Patrick's date of birth and perhaps, at his birth, his father bestowed upon him the future rights to Lednascridan. Another possibility is that Patrick was a natural half-brother of James rather than a natural son. As the "natural son" tradition persists in more than one descendant branch, then the first theory is presently preferred. A 1533 birth for Patrick would fit as a natural son coming prior to James' lawful marriage to the daughter of Patrick Stewart of Glenbuckie ca. 1555.  See Stewarts of Lednascridan page.

James married about 1535 to his first cousin once removed, a daughter of Patrick Stewart, 2nd of Glenbuckie.  They had the following children:

1. William STEWART in Balquhidder b: ABT 1535 in Creaggan, Strathyre, Balquhidder, Perthshire, Scotland.  He died young without children.
2. Alexander STEWART 1st of Ardvorlich b: ABT 1538 in Creaggan, Strathyre, Balquhidder, Perthshire, Scotland.  See Ardvorlich Page.
3. John STEWART 1st of Portnellan b: 1540 in Creaggan, Strathyre, Balquhidder, Perthshire, Scotland.  According to the Annat History, John was born in 1540 and died in 1600. The reliability of these dates is not known.
   1. Alexander MacIain STEWART 1st of Annat and 2nd of Portnellan  b: 1564 in probably Portnellan, Callander, Perthshire, Scotland.  See Annat Page.
4. James Oig STEWART b: ABT 1542 in Creaggan, Strathyre, Balquhidder, Perthshire, Scotland

Other Ancestors of the Ardvorlich Stewarts

The Legendary Ancient Stewart Ancestors

The ancient ancestors of the Stewarts of Ardvorlich can be traced a long way back. In fact the known ancestors of Robert II, King of Scots, number well over 2000 persons, and cover 67 generations.  To present the full ancestry in this narrative would overwhelm a reader whose primary interest is the story of the Ardvorlich Stewarts, however I will give a brief sketch.

It has often been joked that the royal houses of Europe have intermarried so many times that they are now all cousins. Well, it's true. Throughout recorded history the most common way to ratify a treaty between two kingdoms was to have a marriage between the two royal families. It doesn't take more than a few generations of these kinds of marriages before just about every royal family is related to every other royal family. Thus it should be no surprise to learn that the ancestors of King Robert II (Stewart) at some point or other are related to the ruling royal families of absolutely every nation in Europe.

The exact point at which history becomes legend is impossible to say and often becomes a matter of which expert you're asking. However, if you are one of our Stewarts then you can say you are descended from over 100 kings, not to mention queens, princes and princesses, dukes and duchesses and a whole host of other royalty and nobility.

Some of the verifiable ancestors include the likes of:

Among those ancestors who are in the realm of legend*, some researchers claim to include:

Noble Ancestors of the Stewarts of Ardvorlich

Research on the maternal noble ancestors of the Stewarts of Ardvorlich is an ongoing project.  There is such a massive wealth of data available that it will likely be years before I have finished cataloguing these ancestors.  The paternal line of the Stewarts has been described above, however to discuss the various maternal ancestral lines in narrative form here would make this page far too huge to be useful.  In the accompanying Personal Data Pages (GEDCOM) you will find the full ancestry of the Ardvorlich Stewarts AS FAR AS I HAVE CATALOGUED IT as of the latest revision date on the GEDCOM file.  The known ancestors of the Ardvorlich Stewarts number in the thousands.  There are likely many names missing from my database that I have either not yet catalogued or not yet learned of.  If you have data to add to this list then please feel free to contact me.

A partial list of known families ancestrally linked to the Stewarts of Ardvorlich includes:

A partial list of known famous historical ancestors from Scotland's past (excluding ancestors from England and Europe) includes:

Locations and Place Names

The following places are featured on this site.  Understanding the places can help the story come to life.

Regarding the "meaning" of place names below -- the study of ancient Gaelic place names is fraught with controversy.  Often there are serious academic sources who disagree on particular translations.  Often these place names are so ancient in origin that their original names are now lost in the mists of time.  Even where some of these earlier names survive they can be based on old forms of Gaelic words that have not survived into modern Gaelic.  Furthermore these Gaelic names have often been corrupted by centuries of contact with English and Lowland Scots.  Thus many of the ascribed "meanings" below should be considered as nothing more than a "best guess".  If you find contradictory explanations elsewhere these are probably the reasons why.  We would like to include as many possible explanations, so if you find differing translations elsewhere, please email us with a citation and we will try to include the explanation here.

Translation of the Gaelic names of places in the Parish of Balquhidder by the late Rev. Alexander M MacGregor, Minister of the Parish, 1868 with additional notes by the late Rev. David Cameron, Minister 1886.

http://www.stronvar.co.uk/balquhidder/vilgaelicfull.htm

Many thanks to our Fellow Researcher, Charmian Bondi (nee Stewart), 5th of Laggan, who provided many of the etymologies below.

A Note on Gaelic Spelling and Pronunciation

To assist English readers understanding the Gaelic roots of these place names it is helpful to know that Gaelic, like French, usually places adjectives after nouns.  For example:

Coille = "woods"
M�r = "big"
Coille M�r = "big woods"

Also, under certain conditions the first consonant of an adjective will acquire an accompanying 'h' causing the consonant to soften or become silent.  So M�r (pronounced "more") and Mh�r (pronounced "vore") are the same word

We have also provided a list of a few common Gaelic spelling elements and their pronunciation:

b is pronounced very hard, closer to an English p

bh is pronounced either as v or w

c is pronounced as k at the beginning of a word or as chk (see ch below) at the end of a word

ch is pronounced like an aspirated or expectorated k as in "Loch"

chd is pronounced as chk (see ch above)

cn is pronounced as kr

d is pronounced very hard, closer to an English t when accompanied by a long vowel (a, o, u) or it is pronounced as a j when accompanied by a short vowel (e, i)

dh is a sound with no English equivalent but is very similar to gh below

f is pronounced as in English

fh is silent

g is pronounced very hard, closer to an English k

gh is pronounced like an aspirated hard g, but when accompanied by an e or an i it is often pronounced as y

h is not pronounced but causes the preceding consonant to soften or become silent.

i is pronounced as ee

l is similar to the English "L" but much darker with the tip of the tongue far back on the roof of the mouth

mh is pronounced as v or silent but causing the next vowel to sound swallowed

r is rolled and when followed by a hard consonant it is often lisped, so ard is pronounced ar(s)t.

sr is pronounced "str" with a heavily rolled r.

th is pronounced as h or silent.

Index of Residences by Family

1. Primary Residences - residences held by the family for multiple generations

2. Secondary Residences - residence occupied for at least one full generation

3. Tertiary Residences - a member of the family was born here or lived here briefly

4. Emigrations - members of the family were known to have emigrated to these locations

Glossary of Gaelic Nicknames

On the accompanying pages you will see many people with the following "middle" names.  These are, in fact, nicknames.  Since many Scots families followed a strict naming code of naming their children after the grandparents, many names got repeated.  As such nicknames were often added in order to help differentiate, say, one Robert Stewart from the next. 

It may also be helpful to understand that, in Gaelic, names and nicknames change their form, spelling, and pronunciation when you are speaking directly to a person as opposed to speaking about a person.  Also, exact pronunciations can vary from one Gaelic dialect to another. For example:

It is commonly known that Mac (pronounced "maachk" with that well-known Gaelic "ch" that sounds like you're winding up for a good spit) means "son of" in Gaelic.  However when addressing a person directly Mac becomes Mhac (pronounced "vaachk").  While "grandson of" is Mhic (pronounced "vichk").  However Mhic does not change form when addressing the person directly, but in Perthshire Gaelic is often rendered as 'ic, which is pronounced "eechk".

So "Robert mor ban mac Alistair oig mhic Alistair ruadh Stiubhart" would translate to "Big Robert with the white hair, son of Alexander, the younger, who was in turn the son of Alexander Stewart with the red hair".

It is also important to note that, just like English, Gaelic spellings were not standardized until the late 1800s, thus you will often find personal nicknames where the spellings do not conform to those below.  That ought to have you good and confused now.  Here are a few of the more common nicknames.

Mac, Mc, M', Mah or Ma prefixes

It has commonly been stated that surnames with Mac are Scottish while those with Mc are Irish.  This is simply not correct.  It is a traditional explanation derived by English speakers who do not understand Gaelic.  I have even heard Scottish born Lowlanders make this claim.  The truth is that "Mac" and "Mc" are completely synonymous and can each be found in both Scotland and Ireland.  Two more correct explanations exist for the "Mc" version:

1. "Mc" is simply a lazy abbreviation of "Mac".
2. "Mac" was often abbreviated as M' as in M' Donald where the apostrophe was actually written backwards like M� (exaggerated here to make it easier to see).  The open-apostrophe was later corrupted as a small superscripted "c" as in M^cDonald.  The M' shorthand has also been Anglicized as Mah or Ma as in Mawhinney.

Gaelic/English Substitute Names

Gaelic names are not always "translated" directly into their English equivalents.  Sometimes English "substitute names" are used.  These were also called "polite names" or "church names" or "Sunday names".  Sometimes a Gaelic speaker would adopt an English name that sounded similar to their Gaelic name, but may not actually be a literal translation.  The most commonly known of these is the use of Peter as a substitute for Padraig where the direct translation would be Patrick.  Thus it is not uncommon to find an English record of a Padraig where the man is identified as either Patrick or Peter or sometimes both.  This is not unlike the English use of Jack in place of John.  It is helpful for researchers to be aware of these substitute names otherwise some records may escape discovery.  For example, if you weren't aware of these substitute names, then if you were looking for the baptism record of a man who was known in English culture as "Peter" and you found a record for a "Patrick" instead, you may not realize that they are the same person.  We have listed the most common substitute names below.  If you are aware of any others, please let us know so they can be added to the list.

*The use of Archibald as a substitute name for Gillespic is somewhat hard to explain.  Gillespic is derived from gille uisbeag, which means "servant of the bishop".  These servants often had shaved heads, and it has been suggested that the "bald" element in Archibald may reflect some confused comprehension regarding the shaved heads of the bishop' servants.  Whether this explanation is correct or not, we don't know.  But the fact remains that it is true that Gillespic and Archibald were treated as equivalent names.

** according to Scottish Christian Names, by Leslie Dunkling

Sources

Each of the reports contributed by the Fellow Researchers has been independently researched.  Each researcher is responsible for keeping track of their own research sources, so if you have a question about sources of information you should direct it to the person whose report you are reading.  You will not necessarily find that each individual entry for every family has been presented here with full source information as that would be a mammoth task!  That being said, there are several resources which the Fellow Researchers have relied on in common and for which much of the data herein presented is based on.  You will likely find all of these sources valuable in your own research.

The Landed Families of Strathearn by Gordon MacGregor

We are deeply indebted to the research of Gordon MacGregor, whose book, The Landed Families of Strathearn (also known as The Landed Families of Perthshire, Volume One: The Earldom of Strathearn), has been an invaluable research aid.  We are also deeply indebted to Gordon for the many hours of his own personal research time he has contributed to The Stewarts of Balquhidder Research Group, including substantial personal correspondence with us.  Much of the data herein is based on Gordon's research.  Anyone who is researching any family in the Strathearn area of Perthshire, Scotland,  be it Stewart or otherwise, would find Gordon's book an incredible asset.  It is indeed a masterpiece in genealogical publishing.

Other sources include:

Current Research Leads

1623

http://books.google.com/books?id=yoVYAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA554&dq=stewart+balquhidder&lr=#PPA554,M1

http://books.google.com/books?id=Y6wRt716kUgC&pg=PR54&dq=stewart+balquhidder&lr=#PPR54,M1

Gordon MacGregor, author of The Landed Families of Strathearn, was kind enough to turn his research attentions to the various branches of the Stewarts of Balquhidder.  As he came across primary documentary source information on this family he sent it along for our consideration.  We have collected these scraps of information here along with our current analyses and comments (in italics).  As firm conclusions are reached then these data will then be moved to their appropriate places in the various family files.  In the meantime, the following remain unconfirmed in their identities:

1. Testament of Alexander Stewart, taxman of 1/8 of Glenfinglas who died in May of 1707 given up by Walter McFarlane in Letter, Duncan Stewart in Monochhylemor, Robert and James Stewart in Glenfinglas as Tutors and overseers on behalf of Alexander Stewart, only lawful son of the defunct. Mention is made of Jean Stewart, his mother (Alexander, younger) and also of a debt due in the name of Tocher with the said Jean from the deceased Alexander Stewart in Gartnaferan, his grandfather.

   1. The interpretation of the Testament of 1707 is that Alexander Stewart who died in May of 1707 had married to Jean Stewart, the daughter of Alexander Stewart in Gartnaferan, and that her father, who was then dead, still owed money for her marriage settlement (or Tocher). It is probable that the others mentioned being Duncan Stewart in Monachylemore, Robert Stewart and James Stewart in Glenfinglas were brothers to the defunct or else maternal uncles. (Gordon MacGregor)

   2. I would say Alexander would be ages with James Stewart "2nd" of Glenfinglas (b: ca.1680).  Thus, the deceased Alexander COULD be a previously unknown son of John Bahn Stewart, "1st" of Glenfinglas, and who married Jean Stewart, possibly a previously unknown daughter of Alexander Stewart, 8th of Gart'n.  The tutors mentioned, possibly being James Stewart, "2nd" of Glenfinglas and a previously unknown brother, Robert Stewart.  However, such an Alexander should then name his first-born son "John", not "Alexander".
      Or, then, perhaps the senior-most Alexander is indeed the father of the recently late Alexander.  This would mean that we are probably looking at Alexander, 8th Gart'n who had a previously unknown son, Alexander, who lived IN Glenfinglas, and married a Jean Stewart.  They had a son, Alexander.  The tutors could then be brothers of Jean Stewart and possibly children of John Bahn Stewart, "1st" of Glenfinglas (as above).  Which could make Jean a previously unknown dtr to John Bahn Stewart.  This arrangement would fit the naming pattern as well. - (Ryk Brown)

      1. I'd recently pointed out to Ryk that the Edward S. Gray Papers at the Stewart Society mention Jean Stewart, daughter of Alexander Stewart, 8th. of Gart'n, along with Jean's husband Alexander Stewart, tacksman of one-eighth of Glenfinglas, died 1707. Evidently that information came from this document. However, Alexander Stewart, 8th. of Gart'n, was still alive in the 1720's, while this testament indicates that Jean's father Alexander was deceased. Therefore the Edward S. Gray Papers are wrong -- Jean [could] have been a daughter of Alexander, 5th. of Gart'n, not Alexander, 8th. of Gart'n. (Jared Olar)

      2. It is certain from these Testaments that there were Stewart families settled in Glenfinglas prior to the John "bhuie" Stewart, 1st of [?] Glenfinglas whose birth you have estimated at circa 1650. One example is the Testament of Alexander Stewart, son of the deceased John Stewart in Glenfinglas who died in September of 1646. Therefore, given this early usage of the Christian name of Alexander amongst Glenfinglas Stewarts, the Alexander Stewart who died in 1707 perhaps should not yet be considered as a potential son or descendant of John Bhuie Stewart, 1st in Glenfinglass. (Gordon MacGregor)

2. Testament of Alexander Stewart son of the deceased John Stewart in Glenfinglas who died in September of 1646 given up by Alexander Stewart in Alloway (Alloa) as executor.

3. Testament of Andrew Stewart in Glenfinglas who died in October of 1675 given up by Patrick Stewart, his eldest son on behalf of Alexander and Mary Stewart, his brother and sister.

4. Testament of David Stewart in Glenfinglas who died in November of 1746 given up by the Earl of Moray as creditor

5. Testament of Donald Stewart in Glenfinglas who died in November of 1671 given up by Janet Stewart, his spouse, as executor.

   1. The Donald Stewart who died in November of 1671 could be identical with the Donald brother of Alexander, 7th of Glenbuckie. (Gordon MacGregor)

6. Testament of William Stewart in Glenfinglas who died in August of 1668 given up by Duncan, Andrew, James, Alexander, Robert, Anna, Mary, Katherine and Elizabeth, his bairns.

7. Testament of Robert Stewart in Glenbuckie who died in May of 1674 given up by John Stewart, his brother german, in the name and on behalf of Katherine, Janet, Isabel and Mary, his daughters.

8. Testament of John Stewart in Gartnawharrow (sic) who died in February of 1676 given up by James Stewart at the kirk of Balquhidder as executor.

   1. On a photocopied page of "Gartnafueran References" sent to me by James Dinwoodie, it says, "1676 20th April. Test. John Stewart of Gartinwharrow, par. of Balquhidder (Dumb. Comm. Records." This is obviously referring to the same testament and the same John.  The big question, however, is who is this John? We know that Walter Stewart, 7th. of Gart'n, had a third son named John, but that John must have been born no earlier than about 1657, which would make him no older than 19 in 1676, which seems rather young to already have a will. Maybe this John is brother or uncle of Walter, 7th. of Gart'n, who was unknown to Duncan Stewart (1739)? (Jared Olar)

9. Testament of Duncan Stewart in Dallinlaggan in Balquhidder who died in March of 1675 given up by Christian Stewart his relict.

10. Testament of James Stewart in Wester Auchtow who died in December of 1684 given up by Alexander Stewart in Glenogil in the name and on behalf of Alexander and Isabel Stewart, children of the defunct. Debts were owed by the deceased Alexander Stewart, brother of the defunct and also Duncan Stewart in Ballimeanoch and James Stewart in Glentarff.

    1. Alexander Stewart in Glenogil must be a member of the Glenogle branch of the Gartnafueran family, who seem to be Fiona's ancestors. (Jared Olar)

11. Testament of Robert Stewart in Glenogle who died in July of 1704 given up by Duncan Stewart in Monochyle as creditor.

    1. Another Stewart of Glenogle! (Jared Olar)

12. Testament of Duncan Stewart in Ledcriech who died in December of 1664 given up by Janet Stewart, his relict.

13. Reg. Privy Seal. Vol.VI. No. 737. 8 Sept. 1569.  Gift to Alexander Stewart in Pittareg of the escheat of numerous persons all from Balquhidder including Alexander Stewart in Gartnascrow and Andrew his son also Duncan Stewart his son, and Blak Alexander Stewart in Glenbuckie and Patrick his son, for the murder of Hugh and John Stewart, his brother, in the lands of Balquhider in December last [1568]

    1. The first lot, given the date, are obviously Alexander Stewart, 2nd of/in Gartnaferan and Andrew his eldest son and now anther son Duncan to be added. The other is Alexander Stewart, 4th of Glenbuckie, and Patrick, his eldest son who got Ledcreich. (Gordon MacGregor)

    2. [It] seems to indicate that a gift or fine was paid by a number of our Balquhidder ancestors (including my direct ancestor, Patrick of Ledcreich) for the murders of two fellow citizens of Balquhidder. Wouldn't you love to know the details of that story? (Chuck Speed)
    3. How wonderful -- a newly discovered son! I'll add him to my "Gartnafueran Connection" too. But we also have here some Highland bloodshed that some of my ancestors were somehow involved in. (Jared Olar)
14. Testament of Agnes Stewart, spouse of Patrick Stewart in Godrich, in Glenfinglas, who died in February of 1664 given up by the said Patrick in the name and on behalf of their son John Stewart.
15. "Tack by dame Jonet Stewart, lady Ruthvene, to John, earl of Atholl, lord of Balveny, her grandson (sic. s/b nephew), of her two merkland of old extent of Carneley, occupied by Malcolm McCoulkere and Duncan McAllester Stewart, and the two and a half merkland of old extent of Glenbaith, occupied by John McYulay VcAne Vore, in lordship of Balquhidder, sheriffdom of Perth, for three years, 12 April 1569."  Written below the tack there is an assignation by said earl to Colin Campbell of Glenurquhay, 9 May 1569.
    1. This is a Tack by Janet Stewart, Lady Ruthven (second wife of Patrick, 3rd Lord Ruthven, and daughter of John Stewart, 2nd Earl of Atholl) of the two merklands of Carnlea, then occupied by Malcolm MacCoulkeir (a Glengyle MacGregor) and Duncan MacAllaster Stewart, and the lands of Glenbeach, occupied by John McYulay VcAne Vore (John, the son of Finlay, the grandson of Big John) to her nephew John Stewart, Earl of Atholl, (the extractor got confused with the Latin term for grandson and nephew "Nepos" and should read as nephew as this John Stewart, Earl of Atholl, was nephew to Janet Stewart) for the term of 3 years. Dated 12 April, 1569, which the said Earl assigned to Colin Campbell of Glenorchy on 9 May, 1569.  Basically Janet Stewart grants these lands occupied by her tenants to her nephew John, Earl of Atholl, for three years which John soon after assigns to Glenorchy.  (Gordon MacGregor)
    2. Just reviewing some of my notes and it seems to me that the Duncan Stewart, son of Alexander in Gartnaferran and brother of Andrew there, in 1569 is a likely contender for the Duncan MacAlastair Stewart in the [preceding]. (Gordon MacGregor)
    3. It seems not inconceivable to assume that Duncan MacAlister Stewart who is styled as tenant of the lands of Glenbeich in 1569 and seems to be identical with the Duncan, son of Alexander Stewart of Gartnaferran, is the father of the Alexander Stewart in Glenogle in the first Bond and, if so, then this Alexander had at least one son Andrew the subject of the second Bond therefore this could potentially be a new line for the Gartnaferran Stewarts. It must therefore be considered that the Robert Stewart, son of Alexander Stewart, 2nd of Gartnaferran, is perhaps a mistake for this Duncan Stewart whom we know to have been a son of this Alexander as the Stronvar Stewarts resided for quite sometime in Glenogle. (Gordan MacGregor)
       1. Very, very interesting, but we probably don't have enough information yet to make and real conclusions about this. Duncan MacAllester is likely to be Duncan, son of Alexander, 2.d of Gartnafueran, but it's too soon to say who Alexander Stewart in Glenogle's father was. If this Alexander was son of the Robert Stewart mentioned by Duncan Stewart (1739) as ancestor of Glenogle/Hyndfield/Stronvar, he would have been named after Robert's father Alexander -- but the same would be true if Alexander were the son of Duncan, son of Alexander. (Jared Olar)
16. "Bond by Alexander Stewart in Ardvorlich, James Stewart, his eldest son, Alexander Stewart in Portnellan, Andrew Stewart of Blairgarrie, Duncan Stewart in Monochyle, Alexander Stewart in Glenogle, John Dow Stewart in Glenfinglas and Walter Stewart his brother german, for all their kin in Strathgartney and Balquhidder, to William, earl of Menteith. Dated in January of 1622."
    1. Duncan Stewart (1739) says John Stewart, younger son of Andrew Stewart, 1st. of Gartnafueran, was ancestor of the Stewarts of Blairgarry, so it seems "Andrew Stewart of Blairgarrie" is a descendant of John, son of Andrew.  As for "Stewart in Portnellan," in Stewarts of the South a family of Stewarts in or of "Port-an-Ealan" are mentioned as a branch of Gartnafueran. This Port-an-Ealan is described as a farm near Callendar on Loch Vennacher-side. Is Portnellan the same as Port-an-Ealan? Though Gordon has suggested this Portnellan Stewart family is the same as the Stewarts of Annat, could it not be possible that this is rather the Gartnafueran branch from Port-an-Ealan? (Jared Olar)
       1. There are two farms called Portnellan (means Port of the Island, sometimes called Portisland) in Strathgartney.  One is on the north shore of Loch Katrine, and one on the north shore of Loch Vennacher.  Strathgartney is made up of the whole chain of lochs (Katrine, Achray and Vennacher).  I think SOS only mentions Stewarts in the Portnellan on Loch Vennacher, but he refers to two Portnellans there, so he might well be referring to the two on the different lochs. (Belinda Dettmann)
17. "Bond by James Stewart, son of Alexander Stewart in Ardvorlich, and Alexander McKen (mac Iain) Stewart in Portnellan to William, Earl of Mentieth, who have become cautioners to produce Andrew Stewart son of Alexander Stewart in Glenogle before the lords of the Secret Council. Dated 11 June, 1622."
    1. Alexander and James in Ardvorlich are obvious. Alexander Stewart in Portnellan in the first is identical with Alexander McKen Stewart in Portnellan in the second bond and his patronymic McKen is a corruption MacIain - Son of John therefore he must be Alexander Stewart, 1st of Annat, son of John Stewart. There is a Portnellan on the shore of Loch Katrine in Strathgartney. 
       It seems not inconceivable to assume that Duncan MacAlister Stewart who is styled as tenant of the lands of Glenbeich in 1569 and seems to be identical with the Duncan, son of Alexander Stewart of Gartnaferran, is the father of the Alexander Stewart in Glenogle in the first Bond and, if so, then this Alexander had at least one son Andrew the subject of the second Bond therefore this could potentially be a new line for the Gartnaferran Stewarts. It must therefore be considered that the Robert Stewart, son of Alexander Stewart, 2nd of Gartnaferran, is perhaps a mistake for this Duncan Stewart whom we know to have been a son of this Alexander as the Stronvar Stewarts resided for quite sometime in Glenogle.
       The John Dow Stewart in Glenfinglas and Walter Stewart his brother may well be the sons of Duncan Stewart, 5th of Glenbuckie, and therefore the founders of the Glenfinglas families. Interestingly the Patrick Stewart in Godrich, whose Testament I sent to you may be identical with the Patrick Stewart the brother of this Duncan and Walter. (Gordon MacGregor)
    2. Alexander McKen -- Gordon says is son of John Annat, Jared questions this as there was a Gart'n branch in Portnellan, however Stewarts of the South shows that Portnellan belonged first to Stewart of Annat in tack.
18. The Bond of Keltney Burn: a bond of association with the Stewarts of Appin and those of Balquhidder, or the southwest district of Perthshire.  This bond is dated at the burn of Keltney, anno 1654.  "Some years before his death John Stewart of Kinnachin joined with other Stewart lairds in Atholl (such as the predecessors of Bonskeid, Clunie, Duntaulich, Fincastle, Sir Gilbert Stewart of Polcack, Foss, Balnakillie, etc.) in signing a 'bond of association' with the Stewarts of Appin and the Stewarts of Balquhidder, or the southwest district of Perthshire, at the burn of Keltney in 1654, in tacit support of Charles II. Duncan Stewart, fiar of Appin, and James Stewart in Appin signed the bond as did James Stewart of Ardvorlich, John Stewart of Annat and Duncan Stewart, his son, predecessor in Ballachalan, John Stewart, predecessor to Glenbucky, Walter Stewart, predecessor to Gartnafuaroe, Robert Stewart, predecessor to Hyndfield, etc."

IGI Reference Numbers

Callander C113364

Kilmadock baptisms 1681-1854 C113624

Balquhidder baptisms c113314

Comrie Marriages 1747-1820    M113414

Aberfoyle C113254

Monzievaird and Strowan M113834

Port of Menteith M113884

Kincardine by Doune C113644

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