1851 Census - James Steward

[Lisa in California]

With help from others, especially from Jacquie in Canada, we have found out quite a bit about my ancestor, James Stuart.  I just found a census return from 1851 for a James Steward; there are similarities, but I don't believe it is for my James Stuart as it states his children were born in Ireland and other things don't quite match up.

However, I have yet to find James Steward or his family on an 1861 census, so I am wondering if it is possible it IS for my ancestor?  I tried looking for obituaries (Toronto newspapers) for those mentioned in the census returns, hoping for leads, but have yet to find anything.  Any help/suggestions absolutely gratefully received.  Is anyone able to find the Steward family in 1861, please?   

1851 Chinguacousy, Peel Co., Ontario     1861 census for Etobicoke, York Co., Ontario
James Steward, 35, cooper                           James Stuart, 46, born Ireland, cooper, married 1840
Sarah Steward, 32                                        Sarah Stuart, 42, born Ireland, married in 1840
Ann Steward, 14                                           Jane, age 13, born U. Canada
Mary Steward, 7                                            Sarah, age 9, born U. Canada
Margaret Steward, 7                                      Elizabeth, age 7, born U. Canada
Jane Steward, 5                                            Dorando, age 5, born U. Canada
Sarah Steward, 4                                          Infant of J.S., age 1, born U. Canada
                                                                      Louisa, age 3, born U. Canada
All born in Ireland, religion: W. M.                  Religion: Ch of England

                                                          1871 census in Etobicoke, York West:
                                                          Sarah Stewart, 55, born Ireland
                                                          Sarah, 19, born Ontario
                                                          Louisa, 15, born Ontario
                                                          Emma, 12, born Ontario
                                                          Rebecca, 9, born Ontario
                                                          Religion: Ch of England

My ancestor and sisters in 1881: Emma Stewart, Sarah Stewart, Rebecca Stewart and a Charles Field.  Religion:  Methodist W.  Charles apparently was the son of Ann Stewart and James Field.  I cannot find the deaths of James or Ann.  Ann was apparently born c1844, daughter of James and Sarah Stewart and married James Field 22 July 1874.

Note:  I believe my James Stuart was the brother of John Stuart and they were the sons of James Stuart.  John and James Sr. are mentioned in Ontario census, as being born in Ireland and they were coopers.

My James' and Sarah's children were born in (depending upon which source is used): Etobicoke, Lambton Mills, Canada West, Brampton, Canada.  James is not on the 1871 census; Sarah is not on the 1881 census.  We cannot find their deaths.  There are other threads on RootsChat that I started about this family - but nothing about the 1851 census. 

Thank you so much for reading this; I know it is long and most likely a but confusing.

[Lisa in California]

Sarah Stuart (my ancestor's sister) died in 1923.  According to the death certificate, she was age 67, born in Brampton, Ontario.  This would make her birth year 1855 or 1856.

However, census returns shows variances for Sarah's year of birth:
1891 - c1852
1881 - c1851
1871 - c1852
1861 - c1852
So, her year of birth varies, depending upon the document.

After a somewhat brief search on the internet, am I correct in understanding that Brampton was a town in Chinguacousy Township?     If so, the 1851 Steward family (living in Chinguacousy) could possibly be for my Stuarts.   

[Jacquie in Canada]

No luck finding a Steward family in 1861 so far.

There's a death of a James Field in Toronto on 22 Apr 1877. It says he was 35 and born in Deptford, England. The marriage registration for James Field and Ann Stewart did say he was born in England and his age does match this James. Their occupations are both listed as labourer as well. Unfortunately the informant was a doctor so there isn't anything to conclusively prove it's the same James Field.

There may be another way though. If Sarah's maiden surname was Fowler then there is a connection. There is an entry in the Necropolis Cemetery in the Toronto Trust Cemeteries database at Family search for the James Field who died in 1877: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/F3G5-ZL4
There is a note in the entry which indicates the plot was purchased by Elizabeth Craik in 1912. I see there is a death for Elizabeth Craik which indicates her parents were Stuart (father) and Fowler (mother) - no given names listed. Elizabeth Stewart's marriage registration gives her parents as James and Sarah Stewart.

Jacquie

[Lisa in California]

Hi Jacquie:

According to various documents, James Stuart married Sarah Fowley.

I believe it was Elizabeth Stuart's marriage information (certificate or other document) that indicated the witnesses were Emma Stewart and Sarah Fowlie.  Elizabeth married a Walter Scott Craik on 30 September 1880.

In 2009, you found an 1861 census for a James Fowley and his family.  I believe we came to the conclusion that James Fowley could have been the brother of Sarah Fowley.  James was a cooper, born in Ireland c1818 and was living in Vaughan in 1851 and 1861.

Thank you very much for finding James' death!  I do believe it could be for the correct James.  I really appreciate your time and for finding the connection. 
--------------------------
2009 post for the Stuarts that contains information about James Stuart's family and James Fowley's family -
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=386169.0
------------------
1878 Toronto Directory
Mrs. Annie Field, wid James, 89 Agnes
So, she was alive as of 1878.

1879 Toronto Directory
Mrs. Annie Field, wid Jas, 129 Agnes
I believe I've seen 129 Agnes (or a similar address) somewhere - I will try to find out where I saw it before.  (It wasn't 89 Agnes of which I'm thinking.)   

Found it - Miss Emma (Dora Emmeline) Stuart and Miss Sarah Stuart, dressmakers, were living at 129 Agnes in 1879.  I think Emma's future brother-in-law was living on Agnes as well, as some point.

[Lisa in California]

Two children not on either census returns:   
Dist./Co: Home, Area: Vaughan Twp., Sarah Stuart, daughter of James and Sarah.  Residence: Vaughan.  Birthplace: Etobicoke, born April 11, 1849, baptised April 11, 1850, place: Vaughan, Minister: Rev. John Law

Dist./Co: Home, Area: Vaughan Twp., James Hamilton Steward, son of James and Sarah.  Residence: Vaughan.  Birthplace: Vaughan, born July 4, 1850, baptised May 13, 1851, place: Vaughan, Minister: Rev. John Law

I've yet to find them on a census return or anywhere else.  Perhaps they died young?   

[Lisa in California]

Listed directly above the Steward family on the 1851 census:
Hamilton Steward, Cooper, age 28
M???, age 24
John, age 4
May? J?, age 2
Wm, age 1
All born Ireland

   Too many Stuarts/Stewards who were coopers.

1861 Brampton Census
Hamilton Stewart, Cooper, born Ireland, age 34
Maria, born Ireland, age 28
John, Cooper, born Ireland, age 15
Mary Jane, born Upper Canada, age 12
William, born Upper Canada, age 9
Eliza, born Upper Canada, age 7
Robert, born Upper Canada, age 5
Anna Maria, born Upper Canada, age 4

[Lisa in California]

When I started this thread, I was wondering if the James Steward found on the 1851 Chinguacousy census could have been my ancestor, James Stuart (I cannot find James Stuart in 1851).  I still have not yet found "James Steward" and his family in 1861, so it is still possible that the James in 1851 is in fact my ancestor.

In the meantime, I've found out a little more about Hamilton Steward's children. (Hamilton Steward was listed directly above James Steward on the 1851 census.)

Hamilton's son, William, died in 1915 and his death certificate states William was born in Brampton (not Ireland, as was stated on the 1851 census) and his father's name was Hamilton Stuart.

Hamilton's daughter was Mary Jane and on her marriage record, it shows their spelling as Stuart and that she also was born in Brampton (not Ireland).

Finding out that Hamilton's name was most likely Stuart and that his children were born in Ontario, makes it more likely that Hamilton could have been James' brother and that they arrived in Canada around the same time.