Author Topic: Stewart/Stuart and Davidson of Knockbain and Kilmuir  (Read 10684 times)

Offline AdrianBurns

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Stewart/Stuart and Davidson of Knockbain and Kilmuir
« on: Saturday 11 October 08 09:22 BST (UK) »
Greetings from Australia

I have not posted on this list before, having only just found it. I would like to find out more about my ancestors Alexander Stewart, wife Margaret Davidson and family of Ross And Cromarty.

Alexander was born in about 1770s and died after 1841. He was of Crukie or Crookie, Knockbain, at the time of his marriage to Margaret Davidson in 1793 (at Knockbain).

Margaret Davidson was born in the about the 1770s and may have died on 1 November 1856 at Kilmuir, Knockbain. She was of Allangrange, which I think is a small village near Munlochy to the west of Avoch in Ross and Cromarty. Based on this I believe she may have been born/bapt. 11 Nov 1777 at Seaton, Avoch, son of John Davidson - although this would make her 15 when she married. No parents were given on her (probable) death certificate.

Alexander and Margaret's children were Donald, Helen (m.Alexander Davidson), John, Helen, Mary, Donald, Alexander (m.Ann Fraser), Ann, Andrew, Margaret and Donald (m. Maggie Dallas & Helen Thompson).

Alexander was a Crofter.

Between 1793 and 1807 the family lived at "Crukie" or "Crookie" at or near Knockbain. In 1811, they lived at Culnacraig, also at or near Knockbain.  In 1841, they lived at "Teabholie" in Kilmuir, Knockbain. I have not traced them in the 1851 census - the one record I found that is possible is dubious (being in Coll with Alexander working as a fisherman), and Alexander may have died before then or else he would have been very elderly.

I am also not certain that the death of the 84 year old Margaret Davidson at Kilmuir in 1856 is Margaret Stewart nee Davidson, but I think it is very possible. It was registered by some possible McKenzie relatives. I should note that some McKenzie relatives were also living with the Stewarts in the previously mentioned 1851 census record, so maybe that is not so dubious.

Sorry to bore you with so many details! What I am interested in finding are death records or burial records for Alexander Stewart (or Stuart) and Margaret nee Davidson. I have checked a few online indexes and images to no avail.

I would also like to know more about the places mentioned above, such as "Crukie" (Knockbain), "Teabholie" (Kilmuir), Kilmuir, Allangrange. Are there any locals who can help me here?

I also think that with Alexander naming his first-born son Donald and two more also DOnald, that his father must have been named Donald. I therefore think, having eliminated some other alternatives, that Alexander may have been born at Urray in 1774 to parents Donald Stewart and Margaret Fraser. Is Urray far from Knockbain?

I would greatly appreciate any assistance that you can give me with these ancestors of mine. My Stewart line is one of great interest to me however I really feel that I have hit a brick wall!

Many thanks in advance
Adrian Burns
Sydney, Australia

Offline agj183

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Re: Stewart/Stuart and Davidson of Knockbain and Kilmuir
« Reply #1 on: Saturday 27 November 10 11:23 GMT (UK) »
Hi

I too have Stuarts/Stewarts from Knockbain, Ross and Cromarty.   3 x great grandfather KENNETH STUART/STEWART was born in 1776 near Knockbain.   His birth was registered in the family bible not on any official register.  I happened to stumble across an official registration that was made 70 years later.  It reads:

Kenneth Stewart was born March 26th "1776". The above is a true copy taken from the original entry in the family Bible of the late Thomas Stewart, Mason, at Allanbank and his spouse Helen Macfarquhar this seventeenth day of May Eighteen hundred and forty seven years by Donald Masson, Session Clerk.

The family must have required an official registration for some reason probably to do with business.    Kenneth was a cartwright and inn owner.  He lived in Charleston which is on Beauly Firth.      The early registrations spell the name as STUART and latter ones as STEWART.  I think he may have had a brother named William born about 1780 but I can't find a birth registration for him.  He may also be in the family bible.   The listing  indicated to me that someone in the family must have been able to read/write.   Kenneth married a Christian McLennan in 1812.   He died in 1860 and the death registration has his parents listed as Thomas and Helen.    He is buried in Suddie Burial Ground.

I guess what I am saying is that your Alexander may not be listed in any official listing.  He too could be buried in the family bible and may indeed be Kenneth's sibling!

Ann Jordan
Canberra Australia

Buckinghamshire, England:  Pages, Ayres,  Weaver, Plater, Wilson, Grover;
Ross and Cromarty, Scotland: Stewart;
Luneburg, Germany in the 1900s:  Schlüter, Harms, Schilling, Bostelmann. Nebel;
Harburg, Germany in the 1900s: Himbeck,  Müller

Offline agj183

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Re: Stewart/Stuart and Davidson of Knockbain and Kilmuir
« Reply #2 on: Saturday 27 November 10 22:07 GMT (UK) »
Hi

I was just looking up Knockbain for my Stewarts and found Clootie Well your Crukie or Crookie could be Clootie.  There probably was a property of the same name where the well was. 

More info:   http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/munlochy/clootiewell/index.html

Cheers

AGJ183
Buckinghamshire, England:  Pages, Ayres,  Weaver, Plater, Wilson, Grover;
Ross and Cromarty, Scotland: Stewart;
Luneburg, Germany in the 1900s:  Schlüter, Harms, Schilling, Bostelmann. Nebel;
Harburg, Germany in the 1900s: Himbeck,  Müller

Offline ecat42

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Re: Stewart/Stuart and Davidson of Knockbain and Kilmuir
« Reply #3 on: Saturday 22 November 14 01:40 GMT (UK) »
Hi, I realise this post is a bit old now, but I have also been tracing back ancestors by the names of Alexander c.1785 and Mary Stewart c. 1794 (Nee Stewart) from Ferintosh.  Mary's parents were Donald Stewart and Mary Fraser. I believe Mary and Margaret were often interchanged.  On Alexander and Mary's certificate of marriage at Inverness, of which I have a copy from 1817, Alexander was from Fodderty and Mary was from Urquhart (also, Bogbuie was also mentioned on the official record which was recorded a day later).   Alexander and Mary Stewart are buried at Urquhart Old Cemetery in the same plot as a Hugh and possibly Ann Fraser 17-- the stone is very broken and unreadable in places.  Alexander Stewart was the son of John and Janet Stewart and no record can be found of his birth (which the 1851 census puts as Contin), and no record of siblings.  The naming tradition existed for their children.  John, Donald, Alexander, Simon, William, Mary, Hugh, Colin.  There may also have been a Janet and Margaret born before 1817.  So the names are a mixture of Stewart and Fraser names, and used by most of the Stewart families around Fodderty/Dingwall/Black Isle area.  This probably doesn't help you much, but for the mention of the son William Stewart.  I cannot find any records on what happened to William, and I guess the naming tradition get's confusing after the 3rd son, when you get into great-grandparents.
The son, Hugh died at Knockbain in 1900, Simon died in Tasmania 1890, while Donald 1904, Colin 1914 and Mary d. 1890 died around Broomhill/Ferintosh. John, Alexander and William are unknowns. Simon is the only one known to have married/produce offspring.
I also feel that I have gone as far as possible with this research. Do you think anyone has actually sorted out all the Stewarts of the Black Isle?


Offline Sheila G

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Re: Stewart/Stuart and Davidson of Knockbain and Kilmuir
« Reply #4 on: Tuesday 03 March 15 12:55 GMT (UK) »
Hi
I think your Kenneth may have been the brother of my 3xGr Grandfather, William Stewart, son of Thomas and Helen, he was born c1780 knockbain. He married and Isabel McKenzie, daughter of Colin and Barbara Mclennan of Killearnan. His sons were Thomas, Colin, John, Helen, Kenneth and Barbara. all born between 1814 and 1829 at Knockbain.
I'm very interested in the family bible you mentioned! Where would I be able to find it..I'm heading to Inverness Archives very soon and wondered if it might be deposited there?

Offline IainT

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Re: Stewart/Stuart and Davidson of Knockbain and Kilmuir
« Reply #5 on: Thursday 08 October 15 14:56 BST (UK) »
I was very interested to read the post about William Stuart/Stewart of Charlestown, Knockbain who was my 3xGreat-grandfather too. The names of his parents and approximate year of birth are very useful. I am related to him through his son Colin who moved to Balormie, Drainie in Moray and was my grandfather's grandfather.

I never knew why my grandfather was in the Seaforths rather than the Gordons until I discovered the Ross-shire connection!

Iain

Offline Sheila G

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Re: Stewart/Stuart and Davidson of Knockbain and Kilmuir
« Reply #6 on: Tuesday 06 September 16 12:34 BST (UK) »
Hello Iain

I am also down Colin's line (wife Mary Farquhar), then his son Robert who was my Gr Grandfather. I found the names Thomas and Helen on William's register of death in 1864, but no maiden name for her.
so which one of them was in the Seaforths?

Sheila

Offline IainT

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Re: Stewart/Stuart and Davidson of Knockbain and Kilmuir
« Reply #7 on: Tuesday 06 September 16 13:05 BST (UK) »
Hello Sheila,

Robert was also my great-grandfather. His son Farquhar (my grandfather on my mother's side) was the one who was in the Seaforths.

Thanks for your reply,

Iain

Offline Sheila G

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Re: Stewart/Stuart and Davidson of Knockbain and Kilmuir
« Reply #8 on: Wednesday 07 September 16 16:48 BST (UK) »
So you must be Jeans brother?

I have a couple of newspaper clippings of Farquhar, sadly I never met any of my Great Aunts or Uncles. My Gran was Helen Stewart, one of his older sisters.

My sister and I have been up to Lossie a few times in the last few years and normally manage to catch up with Ronnie and Nora, Elizabeth (Riddoch) and Jean. Hopefully up again next year.

Sheila