James Stuart CB of Gracehill

[Gilby]

I may have missed this but has anyone looked at the Stewart Will Abstracts at the NAI? See https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSNR-W9GL-M?i=494&cat=225052

Excellent find! Thank you. I have no luck with searching for these records. I don’t know why I’m so limited. I wonder why he didn’t leave anything to his son James. Was it because he was over in India? Very interesting. I wonder if there’s an abstract for Henry Irwin Stuart. He must have left the house to his brother James or let him live there when he retired from the HEIC.

I guess you’re right – James may not have been mentioned because he’d disappeared off to India.  And/or he may already have been provided for.

Some details of Henry Irwin Stuart’s will can be found here:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C399-51L7?i=219&cat=234514

It says that not all the property was disposed of.  Does that means he didn’t say who it should be left to?  Since he had no sons the default was probably to his brother James.

[Gilby]

So Irwin and Elizabeth’s children were:
-   James Stuart (c1743-1824) m. Grace Lynd
-   Rev. Charles McDaniel Stewart (c1745-1826) m. Sarah Dunlop
-   Archibald Stewart (c1750-?) m. Jane Henry
-   Frances Stewart (alive in 1791) m. John Stewart
-   Christopher (?-?)
-   Henry (?-?)
-   3 other daughters

So where are these Stewarts from? They aren’t Stewarts of Ballintoy. Are they the Stewarts of Ballyhivistock?

Stewarts of Derrykeighan may be more accurate! 

Rev. Irwin Stewart/Stuart of Derrykeighan (c1707-c1772) was probably originally from further south (e.g. Limerick).  He married Elizabeth McDaniel while his sister Sarah married Charles McDaniel.  The McDaniels were supposedly relatives of the McDonnells, Earls of Antrim.  Their mother was a sister of Captain James Stewart (d. 1736/7).

Rev. Irwin Stewart’s son James founded the Gracehill line, while Rev. Charles McDaniel Stewart founded the Ballyhivistock line.

[Gilby]

I just spent some time going over the older posts and I think I might be able to make some connections now. Please point out any and all inaccuracies 

In regards to the Duffin/Lynd connection:
- Maria Duffin (b 1785) was married to Colin Johnstone and then to my Major General James Stuart. Her father was Charles Duffin.
- Charles Duffin died about 1814 in Dublin. I believe he was a linen merchant. He had a brother named William Duffin who was an acquaintance of the famous Ann Lister. He was also something like a head surgeon for the HEIC and then lived in York.

- Grace Lynd nee Bell died in about 1783. She was the wife of Rev Charles Lynd. The abstract of her Will mentions her daughter Jane Duffin and som William Lynd. William was the father of Grace Lynd (my 4th great-grandmother) who married James Stuart and would have been the mother-in-law of Maria Duffin.

I don’t know how it all fits in. I think Jane Lynd might be too old to be Maria Duffin’s mother but could she her her grandmother?

I haven’t really looked into the Duffin side of things, but I checked Grace Lynd née Bell’s will again.  It reads like Jane Duffin was Grace’s daughter, but she seems to mentions a daughter Grace Todd as well as a daughter Grace Lynd.  So I wonder if Jane Duffin may have been a granddaughter, daughter of Charles Lynd. 

Either way, I don’t think there is necessarily a connection been these Duffins and your Martha Duffin.  Though I agree it is very likely Major General James Stuart was marrying his cousin.  We need more evidence!

Edited to add...

Mullin's Coleraine in Bygone Centuries p153:
The Rev Charles Lynd, minister of New Row, who died 1751, is described as of Hatton Lodge, Co. Londonderry, in his widow's will.

There’s a marriage licence for William Lynd to Margaret Templeton in 1744.  These are the parents of Grace Lynd who married James Stuart.

[Gilby]

Now back to the Stuarts. I was reading about the Siege of Londonderry and it talks about the Brigadier General Stuarts:
- Brigadier Stuart, colonel of the 5th now 9th regiment of foot was descended from the Stuarts of Blackhall in Scotland. One of his ancestors was a member of the Church of Rome and settled in Ballylusk, Antrim.
- this Brigadier Stuart was implicated during the Troubles of 1641, forfeited his lands in Ireland and fled back to Scotland.
- he eventually joined the Spanish service and fought beside James, Duke of York, at Dunkirk and died there in 1688
- a younger brother of the Brigadier decided to join the opposite side and became a Brigadier General in King William’s army. He had a very successful career but was not repaid by William. He supposedly married a daughter of the Earl of Drogheda and had one son who was a captain in his father’s regiment. This Brig-Gen Stuart purchased land in Leitrim and settled there but also had lands in Cavan and Cork until sold by a Bernard Stewart in 1798 when he (Bernard) went abroad.

I believe this son of the Brigadier General was Henry Stewart who married Jane Irwin and the father of Irwin Stewart. I don’t know if there’s any connection to the Brigadier General Steuarts that have been mentioned previously.

What do you think?

That sounds good.  Where did you get that information?  It could fit for your Henry quite nicely.

[Gilby]

And Bernard Stewart was Irwin’s brother? I’m getting so confused 

I was reading about Bernella or Bernarda Stewart who married her relation James Stewart, son of John Stewart of Straidh. She’s buried in the Church of Ballintoy and died in 1663. I wonder if she’s who the Stewart children were named after. Probably too much of a stretch but I’m not seeing the name anywhere else.

I don’t think there is any evidence of a connection between your Stewart/Stuarts and the Stewarts of Ballintoy around the time that Bernard Stewart would have been born (c1705).  So I would guess the name comes from the Irwin side or some other connection.

Bernella (or Bernarda) Stewart is the only child of Archibald Stewart (agent to the Earl of Antrim) listed in the Dobbs Report.  The other children are not mentioned because they were not “needy” enough to qualify for the inheritance.

Claimants descended from ARCHIBALD STEWART, the uncle of Christian, the mother of Testator.

His daughter Bernella married a James Stewart, they had a daughter who married a McBride, their children Archibald, Elizabeth, Mary and Sarah are related in [4th degree].

Francis, a brother of last Claimants, left two children Hugh and Ann, who are in [5th degree].

[Benody1921]

James Stuart and Grace Lynd had a daughter, Sophia (1790-1816) who married Thomas Ledlie, Esq. (1760-1839) on 14 Sep 1812. They had two daughters, Grace Frances (1814-1891) and Sophia (1816-1835). Grace married Basil George Brooke (1813-1869) on 26 Nov 1839 and they had several children.

Charles Stewart of Baileborough would have been the grandson of Charles Stewart, nephew of Brigadier General William Steuart. BG Steuart’s brother was Admiral James Steuart and he was the father of the children mentioned in BG Steuart’s will. Charles’s brother, the other Brigadier General William Stewart (the one who was only left a shilling) married Mary Villiers, stepdaughter of the uncle. I have tried to trace that William Stewart to see if he might be Irwin Stewart’s grandfather but I don’t think the dates line up properly.

The Dublin Alumni record I found (that’s not the correct name but I can’t think of it right now) says that Irwin was born in Dunamon, Limerick and his father was Henry, generosus.

The McDaniels were originally McDonnells, related somehow to the Earl of Antrim. I read somewhere that Captain James Stewart had left Bellisle and another place to Charles McDonnell but only if he changed his name to McDaniel so as not to be associated with the Earl of Antrim who was a troublemaker and got another McDonnell boy in trouble. Talk about not liking your in-laws.

The information I got on the two Brigadier Stewarts was from Google Books and it was The Siege of Londonderry. I can’t remember the exact title but it really seems to fit the common narrative.

I sent off an email to the Presbyterian historical society asking if they had more information on Irwin Stewart. Turns out I don’t know my religious titles very well since he was Church of Ireland.

[Gilby]

Charles Stewart of Baileborough would have been the grandson of Charles Stewart, nephew of Brigadier General William Steuart. BG Steuart’s brother was Admiral James Steuart and he was the father of the children mentioned in BG Steuart’s will. Charles’s brother, the other Brigadier General William Stewart (the one who was only left a shilling) married Mary Villiers, stepdaughter of the uncle. I have tried to trace that William Stewart to see if he might be Irwin Stewart’s grandfather but I don’t think the dates line up properly.

Have you been able to find any sources about this James Stewart, brother of the elder General William Stuart?

According to the History of the Irish Parliament, he was James Stewart of Lurgan.  Elsewhere I’ve seen Captain James Stewart, killed at the Siege of Derry.  You say Admiral James Stewart…?

I’m confused!   

[Benody1921]

It seems I’m confused too!

The brother of William Steuart was Captain James Stewart. James’s son was James Stewart, Admiral of the Fleet and executor of his uncle’s will.

I’m looking on FindMyPast right now to see if I can find any sources on James.

[Gilby]

I looked up the will of Admiral James Steuart (Prerogative Court of Canterbury):

"Admiral James Steuart of the parish of Saint George Hanover Square"
Friend Admiral Robert Long of Hollis Street (executor)
Friend Henry Rouse/Howe in parish of St George Bloomsbury [?] (executor)
Friend Captain Robert Greenway of Hatton Garden (executor)
My wife Mary Steuart daughter of Mr John Taylor of Portsmouth and mother of my...
Son James Steuart (minor)
"my large single stone diamond ring which was my uncle the late Genl William Steuart's"
Wife to have power to dispose chattels to any other children they may have.
Nephew William, only son of my brother Colonel John Steuart of Stafford Street, Dublin (both living).
Other nephews and nieces, lawful issue of my brothers or sisters.
"My friend of long acquaintance" Mary Greenway, spinster, sister of Captain Robert Greenway
My late housekeeper Margaret Lock who is now my agent in the parish of St Giles.
Catherine Richards spinster, who waits on my wife.
Son James who is now at Marybone Boarding School for young gentlemen to be educated as a barrister at law.
[He was very anxious that his son not be given so much money that he drink too much and neglect his studies.]
Dated 1st Dec 1752
Witnesses: James Burnett, George Tyler, Thos Sturgis.

Codicil
If son James dies, and no other issue, then wife to have power to dispose of £1000 as she thinks fit.
Provisions for other children should he or Mary have any.
In default of such issue to nephew William Steuart, son of Colonel John.
Gives his 3 pews to the former house of his uncle Gen. Wm Steuart (corner house opposite Duke of Roxburgh's)
Servant Samuel Lee senr.
[Describes wife as "most sincere prudent and virtuous good women" and himself a "tender and most affectionate husband", and declares that he and his wife were indeed married by a clergyman of the Church of England.]
Dated 7th Sep 1753.
Witnesses: James Burnett, George Tyler, Thos Sturgis.

Proved 2nd Apr 1757 by the oaths of Robert Long, Henry Rowe/Rouse [?] and Robert Greenway.

It’s a very long will with plenty of legal guff and repetition, but there’s a lot of interesting detail which gives a good picture of their lives and feelings.