The Stewarts of Laggan in Strathyre, Balquhidder, Perthshire, Scotland
Cadet Branch II of the Stewarts of Ardvorlich
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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.
The Stewarts of Laggan were a cadet branch of the Stewarts of Ardvorlich. Please refer to the Ardvorlich page for a full introduction.
Laggan in Strathyre
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Strathyre Forest just above Laggan
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Iain
Thompson and licensed for reuse under this
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Allt Mor Near Laggan
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Iain
Thompson and licensed for reuse under this
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This family is being researched by Charmian Bondi (nee Stewart) 5th of Laggan and is being discussed here: http://www.hostmybb.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=53&mforum=stewart
The Stewarts of Laggan were a cadet branch of the Stewarts of Ardvorlich. They resided at the farmstead of Laggan on Loch Lubnaig in Strathyre in Balquhidder parish, Perthshire, Scotland. Laggan means "warm hollow" or possibly "little hollow".
Stewarts of the South wrongly shows the Stewarts of Laggan as 3 Line under the Balimeanach branch of the Stewarts of Ardvorlich, with the following entry:
a) Robert Stewart, late tenant of Ardvorlich, his son James Stewart is a gentleman farmer of Laggan, Strathyre, Balquidder parish, on Buchanan of Cambusmore's estate. He (James) has one son who is a minor and pays �260 of rent. This James Stewart is one of the best managers of a farm of any in this country and keeps excellent cattle - as to character, he as a man it surpasses that of the farmer for generosity and humanity. Here the stranger finds hospitality and the poor and needy shelter & relief. He is an ornament to his Clan in many respects.
b) William, his (James') brother, lives with him as a foreman. He (William) is a bachelor.
However, we now know that this line descends illegitimately from Robert Stewart, 3rd of Ardvorlich. The fact that this family lived in Balimeanach of Ardvorlich for several generations may have led to the mistaken association with the Balimeanach family in Stewarts of the South. The Stewarts of the South Appendix says the following about James Stewart in Laggan, son of Robert, above:
(Balquhidder Parish) 1. Mr James Stewart, [in] Laggan of Strathyre, of the Ardvorlich family, a respectable and friendly character and a good manager, �240, [who did] lately sell [his property], [lived on] Buchanan of Auchleskie's property
We are privileged to have the current Stewart of Laggan, Charmian Bondi (nee Stewart) as one of our Fellow Researchers. Charmian sent us the following obit:
STRATHYRE - 1917 - THE LATE MRS. STEWART LAGGAN - There passed away peacefully at Laggan, Strathyre, on 25th Jan., Mrs. Helen Stewart, widow of Mr. John Stewart, farmer, Laggan. She had been ailing for some time, but was thought to be improving, when she had a relapse, and passed away at the age of 59. Mrs Stewart was a lady of most estimable character - kind to the poor, and respected by all classess. She was a native of Inverness-shire and is survived by a family of three sons and two daughters. The eldest son is Mr. John Stewart, (my father) solicitor, Dunblane, who is Clerk to the District Committee of the Western Division of the County Council, and who holds a number of other public offices. The funeral, which was largely attended took place on Monday to the family burying-ground at Dundurn Chapel, St Fillans, where as a scion of the Stewart of Ardvorlich, they have the right to bury inside the chapel. As the place, however, is rather overcrowded, Mrs. Stewart's remains were interred immediately outside the chapel. The funeral service at the house was conducted by the Rev. David Cameron, B.D., and at the grave by the Rev. Mr. Scott, Dundurn, and the Rev. Mr. Cameron, Balquidder.
It is interesting to note that her husband, Mr. John Stewart, was for a long time manager of the home farms at Immerion, belonging to Mr Carnegie of Stronvar, under the last and the present laird. Mr. Stewart, after he retired, succeeded his brother, Mr. Robert Stewart in the tenancy of Laggan Farm, where he died some six years ago.
Before going to Laggan the Stewarts occupied lands on the shores of Loch Earn, not far from their kinsmen, the Stewarts of Ardvorlich, the present chief being Major Stewart, Governor of the Calton Jail, Edinburgh.
Mitchell's Monumental Inscriptions shows the following entries for the Laggan Family:
29 James STEWART, farmer (at) Laggan (in) Strathyre, died SEP 1852, wife Mary STEWART predeceased him, brother William STEWART (at) Ardoch Mill (in) Strathyre, died 23 APR 1860 (family: Christina 12 MAR 1881, Robert farmer (at) Laggan, died 24 NOV 1900 (his wife Janet STEWART 26 NOV 1880, son Peter farmer (at) Immervoulin, died 15 APR 1935), John farmer (at) Laggan, 29 MAR 1911 (his wife Helen MACKAY 25 JAN 1917, son James farmer (at) Laggan died 5 MAR 1935)).
32 (next to 31) John STEWART, died (at) Laggan (in) Strathyre 29 MAR 1911, wife Helen MCKAY, died there 25 JAN 1917, youngest son James died there 15 MAR 1935, youngest daughter Sarah 19 MAY 1967.
Judging by the photo of the stone on the right, the two stones mentioned by Mitchell above have since been replaced by a single newer stone with all of the family information on one stone.
From these entries, census information, OPR excerpts and the Laggan Family Tree (c/o Charmian) we can reconstruct the following accounting of the Stewarts of Laggan:
Laggan (red circle) shown in proximity to Balimeanach (red underline)
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Balimeanach
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As noted above, Stewarts of the South wrongly accounts for the Stewarts of Laggan as a cadet branch of the Stewarts of Balimeanach. The confusion is understandable as the accounting below shows that the early predecessors of the Stewarts of Laggan actually resided at Balimeanach, but they were not descended from the Stewarts of Balimeanach.
Robert Stewart, 3rd of Ardvorlich (shown above), "went over the hill" and had a natural son by an unknown woman. Whether "he went over the hill" is a euphemistic reference to his non-marital sexual liaison or whether it was a literal geographic reference to the location of Laggan in Strathyre, the later residence of this family, is not known. But Laggan is located just over Ben Vorlich from Ardvorlich. Robert's lawful children are presented above. Robert was also the father of:
James STEWART , 1st of Laggan b: ABT 10 JUL 1765 in Ardvorlich, Comrie, Perthshire, Scotland. James m. 29 JUL 1820 in Balquhidder, Perthshire, Scotland to Mary STEWART with James of Balquhidder parish and Mary of Callander parish. James is recorded in Stewarts of the South in very flattering terms as follows: "(James) has one son who is a minor and pays �260 of rent. This James Stewart is one of the best managers of a farm of any in this country and keeps excellent cattle - as to character, he as a man it surpasses that of the farmer for generosity and humanity. Here the stranger finds hospitality and the poor and needy shelter & relief. He is an ornament to his Clan in many respects." He is recorded in Mitchell's Monumental Inscriptions as follows: "James STEWART, farmer (at) Laggan (in) Strathyre, died SEP 1852, wife Mary STEWART predeceased him." James and Mary had the following children:
Robert is described in Mitchell's Monumental Inscriptions as "Robert farmer (at) Laggan, died 24 NOV 1900 (his wife Janet STEWART 26 NOV 1880." The 1861 census reveals that Janet had an uncle named Daniel STEWART, b 1793 in Callander. Robert inherited the estate of Laggan on the death of his father, however the estate later passed to Robert's brother John instead of to Robert's sons. The reason is presently unknown. Robert and Janet had the following children:
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This page was last updated on April 28, 2009