John Stewart 1738, Selkirk

[coombs]

I think I downloaded a copy of the baptism about 10 years ago.

The baptism has been transcribed on FreeREG here https://www.freereg.org.uk/search_records/581804c3e93790ec8b957dbf?search_id=5b91549e791e3be21fdb46da&ucf=false

What info do you have on his first wife Jannet Bell?

The suggested link to Robert The Bruce is interesting.

I am not sure when James Stewart born c1712 died but probably sometime after 1740. He may have died in Co Durham. John Stewart and his brother James born 1738 may have moved to England when children or young adults with their parents.

[Anydogsbody]

OK, I'll get a look at that link but the quote was very helpful in pinning down the Selkirk origins.

I suspect that the regal connections will turn out to be nothing other than ill researched fantasy but there is just enough substance to make it worth investigating for a while.

Jannet Bell(1752-1785) is shown in other trees as being a wife of John Stewart but is unverified. The only link I can see is this one from Ancestry to a wedding in Findo Gask in Perthshire. Interesting from the point of view that it places John further north than when he married Patience Brown and closer to the heartland of the Balquhidder Stewarts. A lot more work to do before I change my kilt to Bruce tartan

https://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=60144&h=3123827&tid=106325442&pid=402014712181&hid=1043155680533&usePUB=true&_phsrc=ymB38&_phstart=default&usePUBJs=true

[coombs]

I am not so sure about Jannet Bell either.

John and his first wife had 1 child

James Stewart in 1777.

John and his 2nd wife Patience had the following children.

James Stewart in 1789.
Anne Stewart in 1792.
Isabella Stewart in 1794
Isabella Stewart in 1796.
John Stewart in 1798. (said to he his 3rd son).
William Stewart in 1800
Mary Stewart in 1803. (said to be his 4th daughter).

Going by what the number of sons/daughters he had, it looks like John Stewart only had 1 child by his first wife.

A John Stewart married Mary Lind in 1769 in Sedgefield, which is a few miles from Bishop Auckland.

[Anydogsbody]

I’m currently liaising with a few folks to try and find out more about James Stewart c1712. I imagine that if anything at all can be found out about him it will be anything but royal. The DNA is a bit of a poser though.

If anyone has any info on James it would be appreciated

[coombs]

I too cannot seem to find the birth of James Stewart born c1712. I think a John or James Stewart married Agnes Brown in 1701 in Selkirk. Could be the parents.

I know James Stewart and Isabella Dickson had a daughter Agnes Stewart. Often Scots did name children after parents (As well as England, etc).

I think Isabella was the daughter of James Dickson and Mary Gib. Gib is a common surname in the Midlothian area which is just North of Selkirk.

[Anydogsbody]

In view of the difficulty in finding James’s origins I can’t see that anyone who is claiming noble ancestry beyond that is doing anything other than indulging in fantasy genealogy . If I find anything out I will post it on here.

I know some of the borders towns, Kelso in particular, but I don’t recall being in Selkirk. If we’re travelling south these days it tends to be down through Perth and Glasgow. Must take a detour through Selkirk some time. We lived In Edinburgh for several years but, even then,  never had reason to be in Selkirk. Might be useful to go and brush the lichen off a few gravestones and see if that turns up any rellies!

[JustinL]

I know it's a very long time since you two were posting in relation to his family.

My Walker ancestors were living in the parish at about the same time, and I'm struggling to move back prior to a marriage in 1738.

You have presumably seen that James Stuart married Isobel Dickson on 3 Sept 1737 in Selkirk (the record can be found and viewed on ScotlandsPeople). Who were the cautioners? What was James' occupation? Did he live in Selkirk town or in one of the smaller settlements in the parish?

I take that you have assumed that James was about 25 when he married, without having any evidence. Have you seen the baptism of James son of Robert Steuart on 3rd July 1700 in Yarrow?

Do you know whether your James named a son Robert?