James Stuart, Ballindalloch/Inveravon, b.ca.1830

[Meringue]

Gosh Carole, I really can't thank you enough.  The link with the McPhersons on the 1841 census is looking very good.  I'll have to check 1851 out, as if James is no longer with the McPhersons, he might be the James I have at Rechlerich Farm on the Ballindalloch estate, which would tie in with my dad's cousin telling me he was from Ballindalloch.  The ages are slightly at odds, but that was not unusual (you only have to look at Grace's fluctuating age on the census records).  It's certainly looking like a very neat package and I will do some digging to see what more I can find.  Many thanks, once again.  I hope that I can pass on your kindness by helping someone else the way you've helped me 

[Meringue]

Last night I managed to track down Lyngarrrie on Google Earth by cross-referencing using an old OS map, and there is still a cottage on the site.  I was surprised at how remote it is.  It can't have been easy working as a merchant or carpenter from there.
With regard to James possibly being with his grandparents on the 1841 census, James's first daughter, Grace, did not appear to live with her parents - she was b.June 1859, but was not with her parents in the 1861 census, was living with James' mother-in-law on the 1871 census, and never appeared on a census at her parents' home.  It took a while before I even realised that she was their daughter!  Maybe they had a custom of handing over their first child to be raised by their in-laws as soon as their second child was born?  I suppose it spread the burden and cost of child-rearing at a time when families were quite large and homes quite small.

[bstuart09]

Hello,

I believe I can be of some help to you as John Stuart and Grace McPherson are my 4th Great Grandparents.  Their son William is my 3rd Great Grandfather.  Grace passed away in 1894.  Her parents are John McPherson and Margaret Grant.  I have all the documents such as birth, marriage, and death.

I may be able to help you but I don't believe their was a James Stuart.  I'll check with my family, they seem to remember quite a bit as info was passed down the Stuart line.

Cheers!

[Forfarian]

I may be able to help you but I don't believe their was a James Stuart.

LIBINDX http://libindx.moray.gov.uk/mainmenu.asp indexes the Roman Catholic baptism of James, son to John Stewart, wright in Bualbain of Fodderletter, and Grace McPherson, born 28 August 1828. So whatever the family tradition says, there clearly was a James.

Maybe that could be circumstantial evidence for a major falling-out between James and his family, resulting in his move to Swansea?

I would not read anything at all into the spelling of the surname BTW.

[bstuart09]

I haven't had the chance to repost after my last one.  Yes, there was a son, James.  I have his birth certificate here.  Oddly, I cannot find him on any census' at all. 

My family is asking around as to what may have happened to him as to why he was gone at such a young age.  Unfortunately, we may never know the answer.  My dad said that the Stuart's were always big on family, very close knit.  It was a tradition that they always got together so, why he was gone so young is unknown.  James is one of my Great Uncles and I would love to know what happened to him.  I find it very sad at such a young age.

If I find out anything more, I will for sure post.  Oh, and BTW, I know about the variations in spelling.  Believe me I know.

[Meringue]

Hi btstuart09 and Forfarian,

First of all, thank you both so much for contacting me.  I just looked here by chance, not expecting to find anything new (I've moved email providers, so didn't get a notification-oops!).  This is definitely the right person, as the dates for everyone match with my records.  I scoured the Scottish census information online and found a possible match for James on the 1841 Kirkmichael census (ED10, p3, line 1300), aged 14 and working as an agric. labourer in Kirkmichael on the farm of a James McPherson (60, farmer) and May (60).  I wondered if James and May McPherson would be his grandparents: his mother's parents, John and Margaret (who was also known as Mary and Mary/ria).  I then found an entry for a James Stuart, aged 21, on the 1851 census for a place called Rechlerich Farm, par of the Ballindalloch estate, which is a place name that was passed down in one branch of the family.  I'm not too worried about the age discrepancy, as judging by many of the records I've seen, most people just took a guess at their approximate age most of the time.  I've also learned not to pay too much heed to the spelling of names, as long as they are phonetically the same.

On the subject of the family split, I did wonder if it could have anything to do with religious differences?  My Welsh aunties were quite shocked and upset to discover that their close ancestors had been Catholics, as they are pretty much all devout Methodists and always have been.  I can only assume that James was likewise a practising Methodist, or my aunts would have known.

I have now amassed quite a bit of information myself on the broader family tree going back to John's parents, Donald and Margaret, and would be happy to share what I have if you are interested.  I'm currently digging around trying to see if I can get any ideas for Donald's parents, but it's like trying to run up a hill covered in treacle!

Thanks again

[bstuart09]

Hi Meringue,

Donald and Margaret are my 5th Great Grandparets.  We do have his father but we are not 100% sure.  We are looking for more concrete evidence.  As for James and Mary (Mayria) McPherson, they are Grace McPherson's (John's wife) parents.  John and Grace are my 4th GGrandparents as James and Mary are my 5th.

I have tons of stuff here on my family which I'm guessing is yours too.  LOL.  I wonder what our relation would be.  Cousins of some sort.  You can private message me and I will send you my email and I can send you some stuff if you want and we can exchange info.

The Stuart's were Cathloics for quite sometime.  When my GGGrandfather moved to Canada in 1882, I think he switched to presbyterian as that is what I am and the rest of the Stuart clan here.  Who knows what could have happened.  I've been asking around but unfortunately, no one knows and may never know.

Send me a message and we can converse through email and what not.   

[Meringue]

Hi btstuart09,

I've sent you a private message with my contact details.  We definitely share ancestors in John & Grace and their parents, Donald & Margaret.  I'm guessing that as James and William were brothers, we're some kind of second cousin three/four times removed?  I'm thinking that you are descended on the male line, whereas my family deviated through the female line (Donald, John, James, Harriet (who married Davies), Elizabeth (who married McVicar), my dad, and then me.  It's quite funny to think that both sides of my dad's family came from both sides of Scotland to South Wales!  Anyway, I look forward to hearing from you