The Stewarts in Greenloaning

The Stewarts in Greenloaning, Dunblane, Perthshire, Scotland

2 Line of the Stewarts of Dalveich

The Stewarts in Greenloanding were probably not in Greenloaning for very long. They descend as one of the senior lines from the Stewarts of Dalveich on Loch Earn in Balquhidder parish, in historic Perthshire, Scotland (present-day Stirling Council Area). By the early 1800s only two brothers were known to have survived from this family, and both of them had already emigrated — one to Canada and the other to England. Thus, there were no known members of this line left in Scotland by 1820.

Ancestors of the Stewarts of Greenloaning

The Stewarts in Greeenloaning descend from the Stewarts of Dalveich who descend from the Stewarts of Ardvorlich who are the senior branch of the Stewarts of Balquhidder.

We know that the Stewarts in Greenloaning descend from the Stewarts of Dalveich. The fact that they are listed as second of the eight lines of descent from John Dubh Mhor Stewart of Dalveich suggests they likely descend from one of his older sons. However, we cannot be confident that Stewarts of the South is necessarily correct in the seniority of each line, nor that the lines are even presented in order of seniority. The means by which this family descends from John Dubh Mhor Stewart is completely not known. What is known, is presented below.

Donald? mac Iain Dubh Mhor Stewart

Our narrative begins with Donald? mac Iain Dubh Mhor Stewart, son of John Dubh Mhor Stewart of Dalveich: 

John Dubh Mhor Stewart, of Dalveich,   b. Abt 1630, Ardvorlich, Comrie, Perthshire, Scotland ,   d. Abt 1732, Dalveich, Balquhidder, Perthshire, Scotland   (Age ~ 102 years). He was the founder of the Stewarts of Dalveich clan. His information can be found on our Stewarts of Dalveich page. He was the father of eight sons, including:

1. 1. Donald? mac Iain Dubh Mhor Stewart,   b. Abt 1670, Dalveich, Balquhidder, Perthshire, Scotland ,   d. UNKNOWN. John Dubh Mhor Stewart had eight sons who all grew to adulthood and had descendants. Following traditional custom, his second son would have been named after his father-in-law whose name is unknown. According to the Atholl Hunting Rolls, John Stewart (presumably our John Dubh Mhor) and Donald McCara were joint-tenants in Carnlia in 1667. As the name Donald/Daniel became prominent in the first four of his eight descendant lines, then this strongly suggests that John likely married a daughter of Donald McCara. In which case, following tradition, he would have named his second son, Donald. Donald is suggested as the patriarch of 2 Line – The Stewarts in Greenloaning, 3 Line – The Stewarts in Ardveich, Lochearnhead and Keip, and possibly also of 4 Line – The Stewarts in Walbeich.

      Based on our current interpretation of known evidence, it is suggested that Donald? mac Iain Dubh Mhor Stewart may have had the following sons, though we are not certain exactly how Lines 2, 3 & 4 actually descend from John Dubh Mhor Stewart.

“Line 2” Stewart

This person’s name is unknown. He’s currently called “Line 2” because he is an ancestor of the Stewarts of Greenloaning, who are Line 2 of the Stewarts of Dalveich. That family is known to descend from John Dubh Mhor Stewart of Dalveich, but the intervening generations are unknown. We also do not know when or in which generation this family moved from Dalveich to Greenloaning. This unknown person is suggested to be the father of:

1. 1. Alexander Stewart,   b. Abt 1738, Dunblane, Perthshire, Scotland , d. UNKNOWN. Alexander Stewart was the father of Donald/Daniel Stewart born 5 Apr 1775 in Dunblane parish, Perthshire, Scotland. Alexander’s wife’s name is not given in the Dunblane OPR. Alexander’s birth has not been identified. Alexander was the father of:
      1. Daniel Stewart, in Greenloaning,   b. 5 Apr 1775, Dunblane, Perthshire, Scotland ,   d. 16 Oct 1863, Easthope, Perth, Ontario, Canada   (Age 88 years). Daniel Stewart’s information is presented below.
      2. John Stewart, in London,   b. Abt 1780, Dunblane, Perthshire, Scotland ,   d. UNKNOWN. There are several potential births for a John Stewart, son of Alexander Stewart, about the correct age in the Dunblane parish records. As the parish clerk did not record the mothers’ names on baptisms, then it is difficult to know which John Stewart’s birth is the brother of Daniel Stewart in Greenloaning. John Stewart is described in Stewarts of the South as, “John Stewart, brother of Donald Stewart, is a gardener and land surveyor in London, and is in respectable circumstances.” It is unclear from this description if John had a family or not. John has not been identified in parish or civil records in Scotland or England. Nothing more is known of John.

Daniel Stewart in Greenloaning, Dunblane, Perthshire, Scotland

And Ste. Martine, Huntingdon, Quebec, Canada

And in Easthope, Perth, Ontario, Canada

Daniel Stewart, in Greenloaning,   b. 5 Apr 1775, Greenloaning, Dunblane, Perthshire, Scotland ,   d. 16 Oct 1863, Easthope, Perth, Ontario, Canada   (Age 88 years), as the son of Alexander Stewart. His mother’s name is not recorded in the Dunblane OPR.

In 1775, Daniel Stewart was born in Greenloaning, Dunblane parish, Perthshire, Scotland. Nothing is known about his younger years.

On 31 May 1807, at age 32, Daniel Stewart married in Dunblane, Perthshire, Scotland to Christian McNab,   b. 1775, Crieff, Perthshire, Scotland ,   d. 11 Mar 1858, Easthope, Perth, Ontario, Canada   (Age 79 years). 

Stewarts of the South, which was written ca. 1815-1820, describes Daniel as, “Donald Stewart – a feuer in Greeloaning (sic, Greenloaning), Dunblane parish, is now living in Upper Canada, America (present-day Ontario, Canada). He has four sons who are all minors.” Despite the very limited details provided in Stewarts of the South, they are sufficient to identify Daniel and his family.

There is only one Donald/Daniel in the Dunblane parish records having children who would be the right age to be described as minors around 1815-1818 and that is Daniel Stewart who married Christian/Chirsten McNab and who had the children shown here between 1808-1816. A perfectly matching Daniel Stewart and Christian McNab is found later in 1851 in Easthope, Perth, Ontario, Canada with children that exactly match the Dunblane births shown here. Thus confirming that this family is indeed the family described in Stewarts of the South.

Stewarts of the South claims that Daniel had four sons ca. 1818, although Dunblane parish records reveal only two. Given that Daniel was 32 years old when he married Christian McNab, it’s possible that he may have had a prior marriage with two sons from that marriage. However, no such prior family has been found in Dunblane, Kincardine, Comrie, or Balquhidder parish records. Given the lack of detail in the entry in Stewarts of the South, it’s possible that the author was not very familiar with Daniel’s family and was mistaken on the number of sons that Daniel had.

1833 in Easthope, Perth, Ontario, Canada

Daniel’s whereabouts between 1825-1851 is uncertain. A History of the North Easthope Pioneers, (by Mary Louise McLennan, 1937), p. 25, lists John and Alexander Stewart among the earliest Scottish immigrants who arrived in the summer of 1832. “In 1833 came more families from Perthshire, Scotland… (including) Donald Stewart, Duncan Stewart, John Stewart…. From 1835-1841, settlement was slow. During this period, came… James Stewart (among others).” It’s not known if the Donald Stewart who arrived in 1833 is Daniel Stewart from Greenloaning, but it seems likely that it was him. Further research is required to confirm this.

In 1851, at age 78, Daniel Stewart was residing in Easthope, Perth, Ontario, Canada, with his wife Christian McNab (72). He was employed as a labourer. Their religion is Baptist. Residing with them was their daughter, Mary Stewart (34) and James Stewart (17). James exact relationship to the family has not been determined. Residing two lots away was their son Peter Stewart (37) and his wife Catherine Miller (33) and their children Alexander Stewart (6), Peter Stewart (4), and Catherine Stewart (2). Also residing with them was Ellen Monteath (11). Her relationship to the family is unknown. Residing nearby (four pages away on the census) is Daniel’s recently widowed daughter Margaret Lillico (40) and her children.

In 1861, at age 87, Daniel Stewart was residing in North Easthope, Perth, Ontario, Canada, as a widower. He was “retired from his labours.” His daughter Mary Stewart (44) and grandson Charles Craven were residing with him. His widowed daughter Margaret Lillico and her children along with Daniel’s grandson Titus Craven, were residing next-door.

Daniel Stewart and Christian McNab had the following family:

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