I am so very pleased and proud to welcome you to your
family website.
From as far back as I can recall, the family and our somewhat mysterious history, have played
a major role in my life. My first trip to Ardler, Scotland back in 1959, was with my father Ian Graham MacLeod-Stuart (1911-1971).
It was the only time I would ever meet his sister Anne Bruce Mackenzie Stuart 1901-1979, and my father's nurse, Ms. Bella
Dargie. From that moment forward, I was "hooked" on my ancestry and always felt that Scotland
was "ma tru hame".
The search for my brothers John Graham MacLeod Stuart (1944-) and Hamish
Graham MacLeod Stuart (1949-) was where my journey began back in 1983. Since that time, I have managed with the help
of many societies, organizations, websites [see Useful Links] and some remarkable
individuals, to accumulate a large amount of information, documentation, pictures and commentary, regarding our family from
its early roots in Campbeltown, Argylshire, Glasgow, Lanarkshire and various counties in England, to the present day.
25 years later, in March of 2008, I received an e-mail from Edwin "Bruce" Morley (1942-) who
spoke of his late mother. Her name was Sheila McLeod-Stuart 1907-2000 (pictured above). Sheila was the daughter of my great
uncle John Stuart 1870-1937 (also above) and was the youngest brother of my grandfather Rev. Archibald Graham Stuart
1866-1936 (also above).
In August of
2008, I also connected with three cousins who live in Utah, Georgia, USA and Alberta, Canada (Hugh Stewart,
Cari Crane and Melonie Stewart-Crnich).
The
month of September 2008 introduced me to Donald Stewart, who lives in Lanark, Scotland and is a great grandson of
Andrew Stewart and Barbara McVicar. Andrew Stewart was a brother to our great great grandfather Alexander Stewart, the
father of John Kelly-Stuart. In October of 2008, I was introduced to Alexander Stewart (via Donald in Lanark, Scotland)
also a fourth cousin, who lives only one mile from my home in Oakville, Ontario! Alexander is the g.g. grandson
of my g.g.g.grandfathers brother Andrew Stewart and Barbara McVicar.
Also this October (2008) I was
in contact with Jane Belair of Kenora, Ontario, Judy Noel of Barrie, Ontario and Elizabeth Kitching of Dorset in England all
three of whom connect to the Stewart family via the Bowie marriage to Cathrine Stewart and Archibald Bowie
(often found as "Buie") 31 March 1814 They had (9) nine children including: Lachlan Bowie b. 1820 via whom Jane,
Judy and Elizabeth connect.
In November, I discover via my yDNA test, a branch of Stuarts' who live in
South Carolina. Cousins Elam, Frank and James Stuart are avid anglers, so expect a lot of fishing pictures to be posted! I
also met Terry Stewart who is also a cousin from the Carolina's!
Back here in Ontario I have met
yet another Alexander (Alec) Stewart who lives in downtown Toronto. A talented musician, we hope to keep in touch as we research
additional information concerning our heritage.
January 2009.
I receivied the Stewart
family book written by Paul and Michael Jackson and made contact with the Stewart's of Massachusetts (Abby Hafer, daughter
of Mary Stewart Hafer) and was thrilled to discover that Stewart International Airport in Newburg New York was named after
our family relatives who donated the land to the region (see the new pages added this month). I also met via the Internet
with Edward Stewart of Ohio. After consulting with Donald Stewart in Lanark, Edward is a g.g. grandson of one of the Stewarts
who left Campbeltown circa 1820 and was never heard from again! With thirty three new relatives located in 2008, I am beginning
to wonder what 2009 has in store for us all!
February 2009.
After Charles' yDNA results
had been tested to the 37/37 loci,it has been discovered that our family is of royal descent. Charles is currently working
with two gentlemen in England to determine the connection. This has been made possible by matching yDNA from the living
decendents of; the Duke of Richmond, the Duke of St. Albans, the Duke of Monmouth, the Earl of Euston and Lord Montague of
Beaulie.
Please click on the page links (left side of your screen) to read the details. If you are
a direct line male decendant of the Stewart/Stuart line, I highly recommend that you test your yDNA (male only at this time)
with the services of Family Tree DNA , who have been approved by the Stewart Society. (Ms. Muriel Walker)
Please
visit them at:
www.FTDNA.com
For those who may be interested, membership to the Stewart Society can be found here:
www.stewartsociety.org
June 2009.
Another Stewart connection has been found in Australia, this time with
our cousin Helen Stewart, who decends from Donald Stewart (1789-1855), who left Kintyre in the early 1800's for the promise
of a new life in Australia (See Australian Stewarts' page). Another great day for the Stewart's!
August
2009
August 25th and 26th, 2009. During their vacation, I was able to meet with Stewart Gray and his charming
wife Del, here in Ontario, Canada. Stewart is a "Stewart family" cousin (his mother was a Stewart). He still owns
and operates the family farm that began back in 1881. It was an honour to meet them and we shared two wonderful evenings
together, talking about family and our lives. Now I HAVE to go to Australia!
I discovered that my maternal
grandmother was a orphan in the Foundling Hospital in London. Her records were released to me after a 110 year waiting period!
Her real name (Lillian Rush) was changed to Isabel Ida Portal, so that she would never know her origins. How sad this news
has made me feel.
On a brighter note, a large group of Mackenzie's (my paternal grandmothers family) have
been discovered in South Africa. I have been sent pictures of my great grandmother and have posted them under the `NEW Mackenzie
page. The pictures are amazing!
September 2009
Located Andrew Alexander Stewart in Lanarkshire,
Scotland. His family stems from Archibald Stewart who married Mary McLean. His tree can be seen on the site.
Located
Deborah Devlin Adams in Ontario, Canada,who is a cousin from the Stewarts of Refluich.
Located David Rickhard
(thanks to Cousin Helen Stewart) in Australia. He is a 2nd Stewart cousin to Stewart Gray.
October 2009
Met face to face with Edward Stewart in Buffalo, New York (see January 2009). Also met his lovely wife
Heidi (nee Fyfe) and daughter Heather!
February, 2010
I moved to Bolingbrook,
Illinois in January of 2010 and I met with one of my Canadian cousins Dick Stewart, who was visiting in Illinois
on a trip from Sudbury, Ontario. That same week, I also received a book from our Carolina cousins entitled "Oak Leaves"
symbolic of the Stewart's of Appin Crest.
Also discovered a new branch of the Ohio and Minnesota Stewarts!
March, 2010
Mourning the loss of my grandson George (see below)
Discovered
another Stewart branch (yDNA related) from Georgia and South Carolina. Our cousin is the Hon. Francis Marion Stewart III
May, 2010
A Memorial Day trip to Argyle, Illinois.
Argyle,
is located about 40 miles north of my Illinois home. It was a wonderful opportunity to see the land that the men and
women of Kintyre worked in the mid 1800's, to create the beautiful setting in which the small town and church now reside.
June 2010
Additional front page family picures! My thanks to the
Potter family of Michigan and the Tippett family of New Jersey.
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After so many years of searching for living family, my joy is still beyond words. The continuous
stream of news, has re-kindled the flame which has burned in my heart for almost 50 years and gave me the incentive
to continue growing this website.
Charles G MacLeod
Stuart.
DEDICATIONS:
This site content is dedicated to many members of our family, who lost their
lives under very tragic circumstances.
Frances Margaret Stuart (1957-1989)
who is pictured here, the sister of Barbara
Maud and daughter of John Alexander Stuart 1918-1981 and Joyce Florence 1925-.
Frances was taken from us at 32 years of age in a car accident, while driving near
Lagos, Nigeria on February 6th, 1989. Frances was working for the VSO on a two year mission at the time.
My grandson, George Eric MacLeod Stuart (2010-2010) pictured below.
George was born on January 8th 2010. Died April 11th, 2010.
He lived for only 93 days before being taken from us. His cause of death has been listed as SIDS (Sudden
Infant Death Syndrome).
"A ray of sunshine came
into our lives for just a brief moment. That light has now gone, but has touched our hearts forever".
If you would like a relative to be remembered, please let Charles know and he will add their
details to this section.
Keeping
their memory alive in words and pictures, will keep them with us always.
They will
never know old age and their faces will remain forever young whenever we think of them.
As
this is a constant "work in progress", our children and their children must keep this record of all our families
"alive" for future generations and for those who will forever ask the question:
"What is your name"?
"Dè an t-ainm a tha oirbh"?
To which we can reply;
"We are the Stewart's of Campbeltown"!
