10 year brickwall - James STEWART, North Georgetown, QC

[hilarykellis]

I am still stuck (for 10 years now) on my ancestor, frustratingly named James Stewart!

James's irregular marriage to his wife Elizabeth Young was confirmed in March 1824 in Morebattle, Roxburgh. Their daughter Margaret was born/baptised 8 months later, also in Morebattle. James is described as a servant to Sir Charles Ker of Gateshaw on his daughter's baptism record. Daughter Mary followed in Yetholm in 1827, and by 1829, the family was in North Georgetown, Quebec, Canada - where James moved with his brother-in-law Ralph Young. They lived on the 4th concession.

Unfortunately, James died in 1845 in North Georgetown, Quebec. His burial record says he is 52. A witness to his burial is Ralph Young, also Robert Hall and Nichol Portres (?). The record notes he died in his own home and is buried in St Louis de Gonzague Presbyterian cemetery.

His children, in future records, alternately list his place of birth as England or Ireland (very confusing!). His widow and children all moved to Ontario after his death and Ralph Oliphant Young's death (in Beauharnois in 1855).

I have no idea if it'll ever be possible to find his baptism! I also posted this to the Roxburghshire forum, but I am not sure if that's actually his hometown. Are there any Canada-specific records that could help me?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

[Josephine]

Even if you found a baptism for a James Stewart in Scotland, England or Ireland, the challenge would be to connect it with your James Stewart.

You've got the confirmation of the irregular marriage between James Stewart and Elizabeth Young; I'm guessing it doesn't name his father. You've got James's burial record; unfortunately, it doesn't seem to give you any clues to his origins, either.

Have you checked the online newspaper archives to see if there might have been a death notice placed in a newspaper back home (in Scotland, England or Ireland) by someone in James's or Elizabeth's family?

Did he have a tombstone?

Have you contacted any local history groups, libraries or archives that might be able to help?

Regards,
Josephine

[hilarykellis]

Hi Josephine,

Thanks for your reply. Yes, obviously there are hundreds of James Stewarts baptised in those places in 1793 - I just need to find the RIGHT baptism, which has been my struggle. 

The marriage record does not name his father.

I have tried to comb online newspaper archives, so far to no avail because the name is so common, it's like searching for a needle in a haystack. I have traced Elizabeth's family back a few generations and they are from Morebattle area in Roxburghshire.

I am not sure if he had a tombstone - I will check that out.

I have found a history of the area in Quebec where James Stewart settled, but it doesn't give his origins at all. It just states that he and Ralph Young occupied nearby lots.

You can see why I am still no closer after 10 years... . Will look into the tombstone, but am not too hopeful as I doubt it would say his father's name. Was considering also where Sir Charles Ker might have had property in England and maybe James ended up in Roxburghshire because of his service to him...

[Josephine]

Believe me, I feel your pain!

It's so frustrating to try to trace anyone who came to Canada in those early years. My husband and I have ancestors who came here from England, Ireland and Scotland and there is no trace of their origins. There are no ship lists, census records, death records, burial records, marriage records, etc., etc., etc.

Sometimes you can luck out if one of the children became successful, because there might have been an official write-up or bio somewhere that provided info about his parents and the family's journey to Canada. But when it was ordinary people, with ordinary jobs and little to no money, it's really, really tough.

Sometimes it can help to go sideways in your research. For example, someone might have named someone in their will, etc. But it is, as you say, a struggle.

Regards,
Josephine

[Lisa in California]

You most likely have thought of this, but also consider that the spelling of the surname could have been Stuart and he could also have records as Steward.

[Lisa in California]

...His burial record says he is 52. A witness to his burial is Ralph Young, also Robert Hall and Nichol Portres (?). The record notes he died in his own home and is buried in St Louis de Gonzague Presbyterian cemetery.

Have you contacted the cemetery office?  It may give his place of birth.

Since you have been researching a long time, you've probably already tried this, but looking at an online tree (possibly yours), one son was named Mungo.  Have you followed up to see if he was named after a relative (possibly James' or Elizabeth's relative).  Note:  I see that Mungo was Elizabeth's father's name. 

Mungo apparently named one of his sons William Forest Stewart.  Could Forest be a surname from James' side (or, possibly from Mungo's wife side).  Wrong again - I see that Mungo's sister's husband was William Forrest.

I won't bother looking, as they were probably named after known family members, but James' son (also named James), had two children named Maggie Cameron and Carlyle.  Have you tried researching their names?  Also, James (the son) after the passing of one daughter named Eva, named another daughter Eva.  Have you followed up on this name - could it possibly be from James' side?   

[Lisa in California]

Previous thread:
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=761537.0

Reading Don's reply,
..."The 1842 Census lists a lot of Stewarts within the Beauharnois District and some might be worth a closer look as they could James' siblings..."

When I started researching, I didn't know that I had Stuart ancestors.  Since so little was known about my ancestor (once I finally found her), I thought perhaps my ancestor didn't have any siblings and that her father sailed from Ireland to Canada on his own.  Thanks to brilliant research by RootsChatters and someone from another website, we found out that she actually had several siblings and her father possibly had several siblings as well.  Have you had a look around for your James' (possible) siblings?

[Westoe]

Another RootsChat thread with information on this same family:

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=499905.0

Cheers,
Westoe