Tracing the Stuart's of Tulliallan

[tommacgregor]

Hello,

In other postings on this and other Boards, I have attempted to show the many pitfalls that await us due to a variety of reasons.

I have just concluded a most interesting exercise with "Ev" on the Fife Board, and that involved the change of a Surname from Drylie to Drylaw. That problem had caused considerable difficulties for a lady in the U.S., but Ev and I believe that we have been able to supply a significant amount of data that, hopefully, will resolve the problem.

What I want to do now is to involve many more people into working together with other members of RootsChat with the sole intent of assisting others. I will supply you with quite a bit of infomation that I know to have spelling anomalies. I will give you "leads" from generation to generation, and ask you to test your skills so that at the end of a period of time, we will be able to supply those people with an interest in the Stuart's of Tulliallan, Perthshire, with some valuable information.

I am aware that William Izatt married a lady on 8th February, 1755 at Tulliallan in Perthshire. However, the name of his wife appears to change each time that I look at it! She is shown as Elspeth or Isobel Couts or Colt.

It is possible to ascertain that this lady's parents were Thomas Colt or Couts
and Isabel Stuart or Steuart. Thomas, born on the 17th December, 1699 at Tulliallan in Perthshire had married Isabel on the 25th November, 1726 at Tulliallan in Perthshire.

So, straight away, we can see those damned variations in the spelling of surnames. To save you a bit of confusion, let's concentrate on Isabel's family for this part of the exercise.

Isabel Stuart was christened on the 6th of May, 1705 at Tulliallan, Perthshire. Her parents were Walter Stuart and Isabel Hendrie or Hendry. As we have seen, she married Thomas Couts or Colt.

Walter Stuart or Steuart was born about 1670 at Tulliallan in Perthshire to Walter Stuart (Steuart) and Agnes Crockett. He was not an only child, He had a sister, Hannah Stuart (Steuart) who had been born in 1665 at Tulliallan, and a brother, John Stuart (Steuart) who had been born in 1683 at Tulliallan.

The older Walter Stuart (Steuart), had been born around 1640 at a place called Bridgend, Tulliallan in Perthshire and had married Agnes Crockett at Tulliallan in 1670. To give you that little bit of extra information, Walter died in 1726 at Tulliallan.

So, how about the younger Walter Stuart's wife, Isabel Hendrie (Hendry)? Well, she was born about 1683 to Alexander Hendrie (Hendry) and Janet (Jeannette) Bruce. Alexander and Janet (or Jeannette) had married on 26th February, 1680. To the best of my knowledge, they had both been born at Airth, Stirlingshire - not all that far from Tulliallan in Perthshire.

Not enough information for you? O.K. I;ll push back even further in time and inform you that old Walter Stuart (Steuart) was the son of James Stuart (Steuart) and Isobel Nesbit. He was not an only child either. James and Isabel had the following children:

William. born about 1635 at Bridge of Allan, Perthshire.
Isobel, born about 1637 at Perth.
Jean, born 1637/38 at Perth.
Walter, born aout 1640 at Bridgend, Bridge of Allan, Perthshire.
James, born about 1642 at Bridge of Allan, Perthshire.
Alexander, born 1645 at Bridge of Allan, Perthshire.

So, there you have it. Quite a considerable amount of information for anyone researching their Stuart, Nesbit, Hendrie or Colt (Couts) ancestors.

Most of you will know that I reside in the State of Victoria in Australia and may ask, how does this guy know about places such as Bridge of Allan? Well, I was actually born in the Lang Toun of Kirkcaldy in Fife many moons ago. Bridge of Allan? My father spent a considerable amount of time in hospital there due the illness contracted in World War II that eventually killed him.

Now, let's see what response I get back from you, and I will closely examine it and add it to the many entries that I already have that I utilise when assisting others.

My very best wishes to you all.


Tom.

[apanderson]

Hello Tom,

Can I just add my tuppenceworth?

Your post got me to thinking that although you mention both Stuart and Steuart, is there any particular reason you didn't add Stewart?

I was having a wee look at the pre-1855 East Stirlingshire MI Book, particularly Logie Old Churchyard (which as well as the published MI's,  has various records dating back to as early as 1567). This would have been the 'local' burying ground for Bridge of Allan but no stones bearing the name Stuart/Steuart were found. There are however, quite a few Stewarts, mostly from around the middle of the 1700's and also one Coutts (Mary, born c1764).

Was it not the case, that many people depended on the 'educated' to record their names and any version of Stuart/Stueart/Stewart would have been acceptable?

Anne

[tommacgregor]

Hello Anne,

Many thanks for your comments. No, there was no particular reason apart from the fact that I tend to get a bit tired as the years pile on! Steuart, Stewart or Stuart. You're quite right about how the "educated" person interpreted the way that the word was uttered. Another example is Colt, Cout, Coult, Couts and so on and so-forth.

The graveyard patrol interests me immensely since it's a long swim from Melbourne, Australia. I would be extremely interested in what Stewarts (let's not get into the spelling again because it's getting near my beauty-sleep time!) and Couts (same comment applies!).

When people such as yourself supply me with such interesting data, I am just over-the-moon, because it's the kind of information that is difficult for me to come by.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Kind regards,


Tom.

[apanderson]

Hi Tom,

The following are details taken from the MI Book I mentioned in my last message.

1.
1845
Mary Coutts died 20.12.1834 age 70
May Stewart died 11.2.1837 age 72

2.
John Stewart of Cornton died 18.10.1820 age 68
Wife Jean Davidson died 25.11.1789 age 31
Only child Catherine died 1841 (Wife of Rev. James Logan)

3.
1845
Alex Stewart & Jean McFarlane in Menstrie

I've had a look around this graveyard and the only stone I found out of these 3 was No. 1. The others are probably there but either lying face down, completely eroded or covered in grass, moss or lichens.

Anne

[sharleen]

I can sympathize with the whole Stuart/Stewart/Steuart thing because looking for a Stuart is like looking for a needle in a haystack.

I had a Thomas Stuart in Glasgow but that is as far as I got.
Enjoy your day
Sharleen

[patvp1]

You can say that again..am still looking for my Robert Stewart 1790 ? Stirlingshire ..maybe... married Ann Denovan 01 Oct 1821 St Ninians..that's according to the IGI..and that'as far as I have got  patvp