Puzzled

[fifer1947]

I took a wee break from John Stewart Shoemaker of Thornhill because it was "doing my head in".
See if any of you can figure this out:-

In 1773 a master shoemaker James or Jas 'Campbell' died. There's two sources for that info only one has the surname. There's no Will or Testament Davit that I can find. So no idea who the business passed onto at that time, but most likely John Stewart also a shoemaker. In 1816 James STEWART son of John Stewart and Isobel Dog is the tanner and shoemaker. Later valuation records confirm the family retained the tenancy right up until post WW1.

My Q is how could a STEWART become a CAMPBELL heir/descendant within a generation without a will or testament davit? Anyone?

[GR2]

Jas. is just an abbreviation of James, as Chas. and Thos. are for Charles and Thomas.

A master shoemaker is one working for himself, with or without apprentices or journeymen assistants. There were large numbers of them throughout the country as people got their shoes ready-made or custom-made locally. These businesses were not like modern companies.

John Stewart might have been a completely independent shoemaker working in the same parish as James Campbell (most parishes needed a number of shoemakers). It is possible that he had once been a journeyman assistant or apprentice of James, but equally he might have had no connection with him at all.

[fifer1947]

Hi I've been researching JOHN Stewart for around 20 years (had a break for 10) there's just zilch on him. Records go back to his marriage in 1768 and that's it. 

However recently I purchased some CDs and 1st edition copies of vols 2-4 of The Stirling Antiquary from The Scottish Genealogy Society and a p/back copy of vol 1, because I'd read on-line 10 years ago a bit that could only refer to this family.

From Valuation Rolls and Pigots I know that the family continued the tenancy of the land of the tannery into the 1900's (by then as part of a coal hauliers business)

Far from being a sole operator this was a family/cottage industry exporting shoes abroad, as the records show. From my personal research notes:-

"The real surprise was the later addition by the Minister to the MIs for Norrieston regarding
stones removed by the Council in 1929/39 one in particular stood out.
Re item 138 - "1773 Jas was a Tanner where Mr Sands shop is now. He made shoes and sent them
abroad. He was an ancestor of the Stewarts and Morrisons. grannies gfa and gmo" Mrs Morrison

A date of 1773 is too early for the death of any adult Stewart I'm able to
confirm through records. Can this possibly be the elusive James Stewart father of the John S
who married Isobel Dog/Doig in 1768? How on earth can I confirm this - Kirk Session records?

I knew something was niggling away in the back of my mind, I had to go back and check.
Vol 1 of Stirling Antiquary has this item on NORRIESTON, THORNHILL pge 135 first para
"Near the close of the last century the men were employed for the most part in agriculture,
while the women spent their time at the loom, knitting and tambouring. A hundred years ago
tanning was an important trade here. James Campbell, whose tannery was where Mr Sand's workshop now stands, got much of his leather made into shoes for exportation abroad. He died about 1773."

As you see the 1st story matched what I was looking for. The second states he's a JAMES CAMPBELL not the JAMES STEWART I was searching for, though it is the same story for one extremely impressive grave stone.

One possibility I guess is that CAMPBELL could be an uncle to John Stewart through his mother if she was a Campbell?