STEWART SIBLINGS, Kingussie & Insh, Inverness-shire

[Misha77]

I am trying to trace some of my great grandmother's siblings: Margaret Stewart b 1862, Charlotte Stewart b 1867, Georgina Stewart b 1870 and James b 1874.  They were all born and registered in Insh, Inverness-shire.   Father: Robert Stewart, Master Mason, Inspector of Roads 1794 - 1879.  They were the children of his second marriage to Isabella Esson [Eson, Easson] 1834 - 1883.  It looks to me that following her early death, the family were separated.  Margaret: last record is of her being present at her mother's death in 1883.  Charlotte: 1891 Census working as a 'live in' servant in Cromdale and Advie for the McPherson family [Grocers].  Last formal record of Georgina and James can be seen on the 1881 Census, living with their mother.  Ancestry has very little.  I have scoured 'Findmypast' on their free weekend with no success.  I am going through any link I can find on the LDS site.  Scotlandspeople I have only found marginally helpful because the names Margaret and James Stewart are very common and their Advanced Search does not have adequate filters and one ends up with too wide a range of possibilities to search all.  I hope to go to the Highland Archives this year in Inverness but any advice would be welcomed.   The difficulty is that I have no area of focus.  I do not know if they married, died, emigrated or went to England.  Enough of my sorrows.  Some solid guidance would be gratefully received.

[MonicaL]

Hello Misha 

Just adding some census entries (sure you have these!) but helps here for background:

1861:

Robert Stewart 65 Road Inspector
Isabella Stewart 27
William Stewart 3
Ewen Stewart 2
William Gordan 28 visitor b. Canada
Mary Mackie 17 servant

Address: Village Of Inn, Kingussie and Insh

From Robert and Isabella's marriage entry from November 1857, parents given as Robert and Janet (Mcintosh) Stewart and John and Margaret (Gordon) Eason.

Monica

[MonicaL]

1871 we have:

Robert Stewart 76 mason
Isabella Stewart 37
William Stewart 13
Ewen Stewart 13
Margaret Stewart 9
Jane Stewart 6
Charlotte Stewart 3
Georgina Stewart 10 Months

Address: Village Of Insh, Kingussie and Insh

For 1881:

Isabella Stewart 47
Margaret Stewart 14
Charlotte Stewart 13
Geogina Stewart 10
James Stewart 6

Address: 10 xxx, Kingussie and Insh

Monica

[MonicaL]

There is an online tree on a/try (only available to view via a subs) here http://trees.ancestry.co.uk/tree/25541709/person/1670351751?ssrc= WOW. At least 17 children showing for Robert Stewart from his two marriages...

For eldest son William, from his second marriage to Isabella Eason (you haven't mentioned him on your list which is why I have him here), this is showing as his entry for 1881:

Margaret MacKintosh 48 retired mill worker b. Insh G, Inverness-Shire
Janet MacKintosh 45 sister b. Insh G, Inverness-Shire
Mary Grant 70 visitor b. Insh G, Inverness-Shire
William Stewart 20 nephew wool spinner b. Insh G, Inverness-Shire

Address: Dunachton Mills, Dun Mill Private House, Alvie Inverness-shire

William Stewart left for Australia in 1888. Think he was married already when he left for there. He died in 1942 in Victoria. His death reg shows his parents as we have them here.

From the a/try link above, Ewen Stewart also looks to have first married in Scotland and then headed off to Australia, dieing there in 1939.

Monica

[MonicaL]

Who was your g grandmother? Was it Jane 1864-1912?

Monica

[Misha77]

Yes -Jane Stewart, with the famously shiny dark hair.  I wish I had a photo of her.   I appreciate your comments. I have been researching the family over the past two years and have a reasonable bit of information on Robert Stewart's first family and on Jane's older brothers who emigrated to Australia and did quite well for themselves.  William was a Master Mason like his father and Ewen a journeyman carpenter. I have the marriage lines of most of the members of the two families and my great-great grandparents [thanks to Scotlandspeople].  It was good luck also that Heather [my 3rd cousin in Australia] was on ancestry too and we have been very helpful to each other.  They're a great family these Stewarts - they've connections in Canada, Ohio and New Jersey, as well.  These four immediate siblings of Jane's are a challenge because I cannot get a take on them.  Georgina and James would have been 13 and 9 respectively when Isabella, their mother, died.  I thought there may be some local record of what befell them [placed in fostering or found work or whatever] but I have had no luck.  I found an 1891 census for a parentless lad working for the Urquharts in Ross and Cromarty on the Braes of Balnabeen [ah how I have lingered by the Braes of Balnabeen] - it could be my James Stewart but I can't confirm it.  I have found a Gaelic speaking James who emigrated to Ohio [where his half sibling Elspet Stewart Cameron went with her family later on] but I cannot confirm if it is he.  Charlotte I traced to the grocers in Cromdale.  The problem is knowing where to go next?  If any went to England to work then the task is thrice-fold because English census does not always record the place of birth in detail - county and country at most.  I have a couple of possibles for Margaret Stewart but it just states 'born Scotland'.  It is so helpful to have another mind to discuss it with.  If you have any suggestions on where to look next, I would be obliged.

[Misha77]

By the way, Monica, thank you for the 1881 entry for William - I did not have that - I am really pleased.

[Misha77]

Another word to MonicaL - thank you for all your help.  As an outcome of your input, I may not as such have discovered my great grandma's siblings, but I now have a lot more information about her family.  I now have enough details to confirm that the Gordons her mother, Isabella, lived with in Ralia at age 7 were in fact her family.  Early census reports do not tend to confirm relationships - she was just down as a 'boarder'.  I revisited the information I had and found Margaret Gordon living with her older sister in 1881 after the death of her second child, James, from smallpox.  Her older sister is called Isabella and though I have never found Margaret Gordon's death certificate, I found her sister's which confirms that Margaret Gordon's mother was a MacIntosh and that my great grandma Jane was called after her (which has always been a puzzle, where the Jane came from).  I now realise the MacIntoshes that William Stewart lived with would be family - I am not sure that technically they are aunts but they may be older cousins, deferred to as aunts, such as I used to do with older cousins in my childhood.  I am keeping an open mind.  Anyway thank you very much MonicaL because you pointed me in the direction to get more information and it gives further understanding of my great grandma's community.   I am still looking for those missing Stewart siblings, but breakthroughs come out of the blue.  And thank you to the wider world of Rootschat.  You are a great service and you always bring me luck.

[fearliathmor]

Margaret Gordon (1809-1891) was one of 10 known siblings,  one of whom was my great great grandmother,  Janet Gordon (1804-1888).   Margaret died at Newtonmore on 14 October 1891,  age 82,  pauper,  unmarried,  father William Gordon,  shoemaker,  mother Jane MacKintosh,  registered by Jno Campbell,  Inspector of the Poor.   Isabella Eason appears to have been her daughter though Isabella's father and date and place of birth are not known;  there was a John Eason,  mason and builder,  born ca 1804 in Kingussie,  living there in 1851 who might possibly be Isabella's father as Eason is not a common name in these parts.   Isabella also appears to have had a son,  John Lamond,  another mason,  in Kingussie ca 1854.   Hope this is helpful.