Stewarts of Perthshire - Clunie, Caputh, 1700s

[Alan of Kaslo]

Names of Stewart men having children in Caputh 1740's (possibly James is amongst the kids):

James to a John Stewart 22/05/1748
James to a Robert 26/05/1745

Other Caputh Stewart fathers:

Gilbert
Duncan
Donald

Robert and John have the most kids and both have a son James of approx the right age.

[Alan of Kaslo]

Sites like Wikitree say Robert is the father of James...

Research Notes

see also Robert Stewart who had James Stewart christened August 5, 1744, Callander. Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950 Birth 1 August 1744 Christening 5 August 1744 Callander, Perthshire, Scotland, United Kingdom Father:Robert Stewart Mother:Mary Stewart Accessed 28 November 2021. [2]

But... must be taken with grains of salt and only used as a possible lead.

https://tinyurl.com/2p98d64u

[msharawira]

ah...Aaccording to my older sister who has better eyesight, the father of Margaret Stewart is described on the baptism certificate as James Stewart of Wester Formath. LDS records and Ancestry unhelpfully described it as Jas.
I cannot find a map showing West Formath. Wester Gourdie now exists as an industrial development near Clunie. I am a bit cautious about assuming that for a year or two James Stewart relocated to Wester Formath, since Ive no idea where it is.
The marriage is intriguing. Well, it is all intriguing!   If anyone is interested I do have a copy of the OPRs for Clunie  (am totally unable to read most of them) but there is a big gap at one point due to a church fire.

[msharawira]

If James Stewart of WesterGourdie, father of William, John, David and Janet, is also the father of Margaret (while living in Wester Formath) and Andrew, then being born in 1745 puts him at 15 when Margaret was born.

So either Margaret and James have a different father or the James born in 1745 is not their's. 

I am surprised at the apparent lack of James Stewart's born in Clunie during that period.
When a baptism certificate says eg James Stewart in Wester Gourdie or Wester Formath, my assumption is that they are living there and that the child is taken to Clunie Church for baptism. Would that be correct? Clunie Parish covers a large area, however there is/was also a Clunie village, as I understand it?

[Alan of Kaslo]

Here's Goudrie on the old maps:

https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=13&lat=56.56206&lon=-3.43193&layers=3&b=1

https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=13&lat=56.56158&lon=-3.50287&layers=123969245&b=1

Over Forneth is close to Clunie  (you might have to zoom in on these)

https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=13&lat=56.57812&lon=-3.45692&layers=123969245&b=1


Fornaith
https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=14&lat=56.58271&lon=-3.45460&layers=3&b=1

On the 1750 old map you see that Gourdie is very close to Cluny and Fornaith. It is directly above Fornaith and tthe map barely moves when you search for each...

The crofting site West Fornaith is just above Fornaith (which is on the shore of Loch Cluny)

[Alan of Kaslo]

There was a James Stewart born in 1751 in west Gourdie that would have been 19 for the birth of William 1770.

STEWART
   
JAMES FITZ EDWA
   
CHARLES STEWART/
   
M
20/12/1751
339/
10 254
Clunie

[msharawira]

This is so great, Alan, thank you for the map!  Re 1751 James son of Charles. we found him a few years ago but as he seems never to have got married, had children, or died as far as we can see, we ditched him. Also we were advised that the 'Fitz' prefix generally denotes people of significance/landowners etc.. we had long since concluded that we are descended from solid working class weavers and toilers    

[Alan of Kaslo]

Does it say any clues on the birth of William 1770 or any other children where James Stewart was from? How is he with certainty tied to Caputh?

[msharawira]

you are right Alan, William, John, Janet and David are not tied to Caputh as their certificates all say James Stewart in Wester Gourdie. Margaret and Andrew's dont say that. so the only James Stewart that we have found born in Clunie at that time was the FitzEdward one. I am trying to recall what time the gap is in the OPR records because of the church fire at Clunie. It was the archivist in Perth who told me that. I will check emails and see if I have that. it might potentially help to explain why we can't find any other James born Clunie in that period.?