Family Tree Maker's Genealogy Site: Genealogy Report: Descendants of Charles Stewart

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Descendants of Charles Stewart

Generation No. 2

2. MARY³ STEWART (CHARLES², ARCHIBALD¹) was born 1724 in Campbeltown, Kintyre, Argyllshire, Scotland. She married GEORGE ROBERTSON.

Child of MARY STEWART and GEORGE ROBERTSON is:

ANNABELLA⁴ ROBERTSON.

3. PETER³ STEWART (CHARLES², ARCHIBALD¹) was born 1725 in Campbeltown, Kintyre, Argyllshire, Scotland, and died 10 Nov 1805 in Charlottetown, PE Canada. He married (1) HELEN MCKINNON. He married (2) SARAH HAMILTON.

Notes for PETER STEWART:
Burial Notes: Old Protestant Burying Ground, Elm Avenue.

General Notes:

Excerpts from the Stewart Family File, compiled by Nina C. Ross:

"Peter Stewart was descended from a branch of the Stewarts of Blackhall in Renfrewshire, Scotland.

Of his life in Scotland we know but little. When young he studied law but the details are scanty. He became a writer in Campbeltown and later the Provost of the town.

With two partners he engaged in the herring fishing industry and it may have been in connection with this business that he became a merchant there. This business failed and left Peter with a considerable debt.

Appointment to office in the colonies always involved much preparation and expense on the part of the recipient. Peter Stewart's personal and business affairs had to be settled. In August 1775 he made an Assignment of Ł60 to be paid annually from his salary to his creditors in order to pay off his debt. He prepared ready for shipping, building supplies, bedding, clothing, utensils, a year's supply of food, etc. It was fall before Peter left Scotland to take up his new position in America.

On or about the 10th of September 1775, Peter Stewart, his second wife, some of his children, servants, etc., with a few settlers boarded the "Elizabeth" with Capt. Russell, at Cork, Ireland, for St. John's Island in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. They arrived there two months later.

The north shore of the Island, where they found themselves, is and was not noted for its gentle breezes and calm waters. Their first night saw them blown out to sea again and it was some days before they attempted to land. The force of the wind and waves lifted their small vessel through the breakers on to the long sand bank which lay along the shore. Most of the cargo was lost with the supplies of the passengers. The date was November 6th.

It was an inauspicious arrival for the new Chief Justice. In a Memorial to the Board of Trade & Plantations dated October 1781, Peter Stewart claimed his loss to have been Ł1500.

Peter and his family spent the winter somewhere in the vicinity but the location is indefinite. The story that they lived in tents during the winter is doubtful. Men were available on the Island well able to build a log hut and there was no lack of trees. It was spring before the party finally arrived in Charlottetown, the little Capital of the Island. Peter was sworn into office 25 Jun 1776. There Peter lived until his death, with nothing found to suggest he ever returned to Scotland.

In his new life Peter Stewart had his problems, some of his own doing and some of his relatives' and in-laws'. Life on St. John's Island during those years of the Revolution was a matter of keeping body and soul together. With the coming of quieter years, conditions improved but money always was in short supply. Like others before and after him, Peter came to the Island in debt and never got out of it. Those in public office found the necessity to keep up some degree of appearance on a meagre and often non-existent salary to be beyond their achievement. It was a time of "each for his own".

Peter and his family were not inclined to compromise. Through the years many lawsuits in the Island Courts involved him and his children."

There is a formal biography for Peter Stewart in The Dictionary of Canadian Biography.

See The Last Will and Testament of Peter Stewart on The Island Register Wills Database

Burial Notes:Old Protestant Burying Ground, Elm Avenue.

Child of PETER STEWART and SARAH HAMILTON is:

MARY DUNDAS BISHOP⁴ STEWART, b. 1779; d. 14 Jan 1872, PEI.

Notes for MARY DUNDAS BISHOP STEWART:
Burial Notes: St. Andrews Pioneer Cemetery.

General Notes: Paper sent to H.R S. by T. E. MacNutt (Oct. 27, 1866 --- copied from Notre Dame Annals).

Mrs. Irving, 86 years of age, the only Catholic of a large Protestant family, a person of fine noble qualities has been asking of us for a long time the favor to end her days at Notre Dame. On account of lack of space we regretted not to be able to grant her request but promised her room in the new building when it was finished. However, as she feared, on account of her advanced age, that her days were few we ceded to her wish and placed our Community Room at her disposal.

Her Autobiography:

I have been requested to give statement of my family connection but I know very little about them and regret that I did not obtain more information from my mother which she could have given clearly and distinctly from proceeding generations. All I recollect is that my mother was a lineal descendant of Robert Bruce, the celebrated king of Scotland, who having no son, married his daughter to the Lord --- Steward of Scots from whom descended the kings of Scotland and England of the name of Steward; from this family my father was lineal descendant. It was so well understood that when his father was at College he met a friend one morning who wished to console with him on the death of his cousin: My grandfather said he had not heard of any deaths in the family; his friend replied: Have you not heard that the Queen's dead? Queen Ann of Scotland and England. Sir Walter Scott says in his writings that the Black Hall family of Steward, which was my father's were the nearest to the throne. Thus both these royal families meet in me and die in me, as I have no child. My mother was first cousin to the gallant Sir Ralph Abercrombie who was killed in Egypt. Their mothers were sisters, daughters of Dundas of Mannor, and nearly related, being first cousin to the Earl of Elgin whose name was Bruce, descendant of King Robert Bruce above named. My father was nearly 30 years Chief Justice of P.E.I. but from old age resigned and retired on a pension. My father's name was Steward,

Mary Dundas Bishop Irving, Widow.

(Jan, 1872 --- copied from Notre Dame Annals). Mrs. Irving, aged 93 years, died on 14th January in the old convent. She edified us all by her strong spirit of faith and great simplicity. Her remains were taken to St. Andrews, near Mt. Stewart. The pupils of Notre Dame sang at the High Mass which was celebrated in the Cathedral and received Holy Communion for the repose of her soul.

Mary married George IRVING-[3858] [MRIN:1254] on 2 Jul 1838 in PE, CAN. George was born in Dumfries, Dumfriesshire, SCO, UK.

General Notes: George was a Mariner and later, in Cape Traverse and Charlottetown, a Merchant.

4. ANNABELLA³ STEWART (CHARLES², ARCHIBALD¹) was born 11 May 1732 in Campbeltown, Kintyre, Argyllshire, Scotland, and died Jan 1818. She married COLONEL ROBERT STEWART 24 Aug 1754 in Campbeltown, Argyllshire, SCO, UK, son of JAMES STEWART and JANET MCDONALD. He was born 1731 in Isle of Bute, SCO, UK, and died 13 Feb 1787 in Princetown, PE, CAN.

Notes for ANNABELLA STEWART:
Buried in Stewart's Brook, PQ, CAN.

Notes for COLONEL ROBERT STEWART:
Burial Notes: Malpeque Pioneer Cemetery - a headstone has been erected in Malpeque People's Cemetery.
General Notes: He was a cousin of Annabella and they came to Malpeque about 1770. He was Speaker of the first House of Assembly.
"Squire"
Leader of the initial British settlement in the Princetown area
Member of the Legislative Assembly
Speaker of the House of Assembly

More About COLONEL ROBERT STEWART:
Emigration: 1770, PEI

Children of ANNABELLA STEWART and ROBERT STEWART are:

	i.		MARY⁴ STEWART, b. Scotland; d. 1852.
	ii.		CHARLES STEWART, b. 1757, Scotland; d. 1838, Dalhousie, NB, Canada; m. ANNABELLA STEWART; b. 1763; d. Malpeque, PEI.

Notes for CHARLES STEWART:
He settled in Malpeque, Prince Edward Island

5.	iii.	JENNET STEWART, b. 1758, Scotland; d. 10 Dec 1838, Netherstory, ENG, UK.
6.	iv.	DUGALD STEWART, b. 1759, Scotland; d. 05 Aug 1842.
	v.	ANNABELLA STEWART, b. 1763, Scotland; d. 1847, Gaspe.
	vi.	JAMES STEWART, b. 1768, Scotland; d. 1840.
7.	vii.	MATTHEW STEWART, b. 1769, Kintyre, Argyllshire, Scotland; d. 1842, Malpeque, PE, CAN.

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