Stewart Families

The earliest ancestors of the Stewarts — from their origins in Dol, Bretagne (a Celtic-Breton territory in modern day France) to their appointment as High Stewards of Scotland.

Covering the generations between the first Stewart King (Robert II) through the Stewart Dukes of Albany to their exile in Ireland.

The Stewarts of Ardvorlich are the senior principal family of Clan Stewart of Balquhidder. They descend in the senior line directly from Alexander Stewart, eldest son of James Mhor Stewart, 4th of Baldorran and Balquhidder. They acquired Ardvorlich in Comrie parish on the south shore of Loch Earn in the 16th century. Their cadet branches are:

1. The Stewarts of Ardvorlich
2. The Stewarts in Balimeanach
3. The Stewarts in Auchrig
4. The Stewarts in Letter
5. The Stewarts in Tulloch
6. The “Flint” Stewarts in Lednascridan
7. The Stewarts in Dalveich

These cadet branches and their constituent lines are presented below.

The Stewarts of Glenbuckie are the second principal family of Clan Stewart of Balquhidder. They descend from John Stewart, younger son of Sir William Stewart, 2nd of Baldorran. Glen Buckie is not a residence itself, but is the glen containing the major residences of Dallanlaggan, Lianach and Immeroin. This family became extinct shortly after the murder of Capt. Alexander Stewart, 10th of Glenbuckie in 1745, and were succeeded by the unrelated Stewarts of Benmore in Glenbuckie. Their candet branches are:

1. The Stewarts of Glenbuckie
2. The Stewarts in Muirlaggan and Lianach
3. The Stewarts in Ardcheanochdan and Duart
4. The Stewarts in Craiglevan
5. The Stewarts in Edraleachdach and Lorrachan
6. The Stewarts in Strone
7. The “Gaelic Bible” Stewarts in Killin and Duart
8. The Stewarts in Glentarken
9. The Stewarts in Dallanlaggan
10. The Stewarts in Blairchoill

These cadet branches and their constituent lines are presented further below.

The Stewarts of Annat are the fourth principal family of Clan Stewart of Balquhidder. They descend from John Stewart, a younger son of James Mhor Stewart, 4th of Baldorran and Balquhidder. Annat is located in Kilmadock parish in the Braes of Doune above the village of Doune. Their cadet branches are:

1. The Stewarts of Annat
2. The Stewarts of Ballachallan
3. The Stewarts of Craigton
4. The Stewarts of Drumvaich
5. The Stewarts in Norrieston
6. The Stewarts in Powblack and Rait
7. The Stewarts in Lendrick
8. The Bain Stewarts in Auchnahard

These cadet branches and their constituent lines are presented below.

The first branch of the Stewarts of Ardvorlich includes the following lines:

1. The Stewarts of Laggan
2. The Stewarts in Hythie 

The Stewarts in Balimeanach descend from a younger son of Alexander Stewart, 1st of Ardvorlich. Balimeanach is located in Comrie parish, next-door to Ardvorlich on the south shore of Loch Earn. They later inherited Ardvorlich and became the senior line when the original Stewarts of Ardvorlich became extinct. They are current Stewarts of Ardvorlich. They have no secondary descendant line families.

Like the Stewarts in Auchrig, the Stewarts in Letter also descend from Duncan Oag Stewart, youngest son of Alexander Stewart, 1st of Ardvorlich. They resided at Letter in Port of Menteith parish, next-door to Auchrig. They include the following descendant lines:

1. The Stewarts in Rednock
2. The Stewarts in Auchmore and Rednock
3. The Stewarts in Wards of Goodie and Broich

These lines are presented on the Stewarts in Letter page.

The Stewarts in Tulloch descend from the Stewarts of Ardvorlich by unknown means. Their earliest known ancestor is Robert Stewart who was residing in Tulloch in 1644. They are believed to be descended from Branch VI: The “Flint” Stewarts in Lednascriddan, and thus should be ranked lower than Branch V, but Stewarts of the South presents them ahead of Lednascriddan. Tulloch is located in Balquhidder parish on the north shore of Loch Voil, just west of the Kirkton of Balquhidder. They include the following descendant lines:

1. The Family of Dougald Stewart in Tulloch (in Ledcreich and Invercarnaig
2. The Brothers of Dougald Stewart in Tulloch
3. The Shoemaker (in Clachglass) and the Moss Lairds (in Summerline and Kirkline)
   1. Stewarts in St. Anicet, Quebec, Canada
4. Other families not accounted for in Stewarts of the South

These lines are presented on the Stewarts in Tulloch page.

The Stewarts in Dalveich and Ardveich descend from John Dubh Mhor Stewart, an illegitimate son of Maj. James Beag Stewart, 2nd of Ardvorlich. Dalveich and Ardveich are adjacent properties in Glen Beich on the northwest shore of Loch Earn. The parish boundary line falls along the Beich Burn, right between the two properties, so Dalveich is in Balquhidder parish and Ardveich is in Comrie parish. They include the following lines, each presented on their own page:

1. Stewarts in Thornhill
2. Stewarts in Greenloaning
3. Stewarts in Ardveich, Lochearnhead, & Keip
4. Stewarts in Walbeich
5. Ross Stewarts in Ardveich & Stronvar
6. Wright Stewarts in Ardveich & Coilmore
7. Stewarts in Carnlia & Glentarken
8. Stewarts in Cuilantogle

The first branch of the Stewarts of Glenbuckie. They are presented in full above under “Principal Families.” 

Lines:

• Stewarts in Wester Brig ‘o Turk
• Stewarts in Tomnasai

The Stewarts of Benmore are a cadet branch of Clan Stewart of Appin. They are not related to the Stewarts of Balquhidder. After the demise of the original Stewarts of Glenbuckie, the Stewarts of Benmore acquired the Glenbuckie lands through questionable means.

The Stewarts of Ledcreich should have been the senior Glenbuckie branch. However, for reasons unknown, their founder, Patrick Stewart, eldest son of  Alexander Stewart, 4th of Glenbuckie, gave up his hereditary rights to Glenbuckie and exchanged them with his younger brother, and took the lesser property of Ledcreich instead. His only known surviving descendant line, headed by a later Patrick Stewart, 5th of Ledcreich, sold the estate of Ledcreich in 1739 to the same Benmore Stewarts who later acquired Glenbuckie, and immigrated to Cape Fear, North Carolina, USA, where they prospered and had a proliferation of descendants.

As this branch emigrated prior to the writing of Stewarts of the South ca. 1815, they are not listed in that document, and are thus accounted for here as Branch Ia, rather than more properly as Branch II.

Lines:

• Stewarts in Cape Fear, North Carolina, USA

The Stewarts in Ardcheanochdan descend from Alexander Stewart, another illegitimate son of Duncan Stewart, 5th of Glenbuckie. They resided at Ardcheanochdan in Callander parish on the north shore of Loch Achray on the site that is now the Tigh Mor luxury hotel.

Lines:

1. The Stewarts in Ardcheanochdan
2. The Stewarts in Coireachrombie
3. The Stewarts in Aldannabreach, Duart and Wester Brig o’ Turk
4. The Stewarts in Duart in Ledcreich

The Stewarts in Craig Leven descend from Donald mac Alasdair Stewart, believed to be a son of Alexander Stewart, founder of Branch III: The Stewarts in Ardcheanochdan and Duart. Craig Leven is an extinct property, formerly located in Calander parish at the east end of Loch Katrine where the modern marina and SS SIr Walter Scott Boat Tours are located.

Lines:

1. The Stewarts in Tarr of Ruskie

The Stewarts in Strone descend from Walter “of the Ravine” Stewart, youngest lawful son of Duncan Stewart, 5th of Glenbuckie. He resided at Strongalvaltrie (abbreviated to “Strone”) in Callander parish on the north shore of Loch Katrine.

Lines:

1. The Stewarts in Strongavaltrie
2. The Stewarts in Lianach
3. The Stewarts in Drepan, Lendrick, and Inverlochlarig
4. English Peter in Argyll

The “Gaelic Bible” Stewarts descend from the Stewarts of Glenbuckie by unknown means. They resided in the village of Killin in Strathtay. Several of their descendants were clergy. They are known as the “Gaelic Bible” Stewarts because one of them translated the Bible into Gaelic.

Lines:

1. The Stewarts in Duart
2. The Stewarts in Killin

The Stewarts in Dallanlaggan descend from from the Stewarts of Glenbuckie by unknown means. Their progenitor “Old” Duncan Stewart was a subtenant at Dallanlaggan in Glenbuckie in Balquhidder parish. Dallanlaggan is known as Ballimore today.

Lines:

1. The Stewarts in Lianach, Easter Ardcheanochdan, and Summerline
2. The Stewarts in Dallanlaggan and Auchleskine
3. The Stewarts in Dallanlaggan and Ardcheanochdan
   1. The Stewarts in Mosa, Middlesex, Ontario, Canada

The Stewarts of Blairchoill descend from Robert Stewart who was a descendant of an illegitimate son of Duncan Stewart, 2nd of Glenbuckie. They resided at Blairchoill, which is believed to be the same property now known as Breanachoille on the north shore of Loch Katrine in Callander parish.

Lines:

1. The Stewarts in Leanachoille, Blaircrioch and South Drumlich
2. Walter Stewart in The Offrans
3. John Stewart in Cuilanarigh
4. The Stewarts in Coventry, Warwick, England

The Stewarts of Gartnafuaran are the third principal family of Clan Stewart of Balquhidder. They are described above under Principal Families.

The senior branch of the Stewarts of Gartnafuaran includes the following cadet line which is not listed in Stewarts of the South:

The Stewarts in Londonderry descend from Robert Stewart, a covenantor, a younger son of Walter Stewart, 7th of Gartnafuaran. They moved to Londonderry, Ireland.

The Stewarts of Blairgarry, located on the north shore of Loch Vennachar in Callander parish, were descended from John Stewart, younger son of Andrew Stewart, 1st of Gartnafuaran. The Stewarts in Blairgarry had no secondary descendant lines.

The Stewarts in Lower Duart and Grodich descend from Alastair Dubh Oig Stewart, a younger son of Alexander Stewart, 5th of Gartnafuaran. They resided in Lower Duart and Grodich which were located in Glen Finglas in Callander parish. Both of these properties are now submerged under Glen Finglas Reservoir.

Lines:

1. The Family of Old Rob Stewart in Lower Duart, Choillechat, Balfron, Easter Brig o’ Turk
2. The Family of James Stewart in Grodich, Gartmore, Garkechnie, Chrochavie, Auchnahard, The Offerans, Culnagrein

The Stewarts in Glenogle descend by uncertain means from an early branch of the Gartnafuaran family. They were one of largest branches of the Stewarts of Balquhidder and include famous American explorer, Robert Stuart, who discovered the Oregon Trail.

Lines:

1. The Stewarts in Monachyle, Craigrui, Clach Glas, & Glenfinglas
2. The Stewarts in Stank
3. The “Caleb” Stewarts in Auchnandave, Ardnandave, Immerioach and Immervoulin
4. The Stewarts in Inverlochlarig Mhor (Latterly in Stank, Glenogle, Monachyle, and Craigrui)
5. The Stewarts in Auchtow
6. The Stewarts in Soldiers’ Land (Callander Village)
7. The Stewarts in Cuilt and Rusgachan
   1. Founders of the Northwest Company
8. The Stewarts in Cambusburn
9. The Stewarts in Auchraw, Drymen, and Thornhill

The Stewarts in Portnellan descend by unknown means from the Stewats of Gartnafuaran. Portnellan is located in Callander parish on the north shore of Loch Venachar towards the east end of the loch.

Lines:

1. The Stewarts in Easter Portnellan
2. The Stewarts in Wester Portnellan

The Stewarts in Torrie and Brackland descend by unknown means from the Stewarts of Gartnafuaran, possibly as a cadet of Branch III. Torrie and Brackland are both located in Callander parish, with Torrie being just south of the village of Callander and Brackland being just north of the village, up the Brackland Glen.

Lines:

1. Patrick Stewart in Easter Brackland
2. Donald Stewart in Wester Brackland
3. Walter Stewart in Wester Brackland

The Stewarts of Annat are described above under Principal Families.

The Stewarts of Ballachallan, and latterly of Annat, were a very prosperous cadet branch of the Stewarts of Annat, descending from Duncan Stewart, a younger son of John Stewart, 2nd of Annat. They later acquired the estate of Annat by purchase from the principal family. They later immigrated to Maryland, USA. Ballachallan is located in Callander parish on the north side of the River Teith just southeast of the village of Callander.

The Stewarts of Drumvaich descend from James Stewart, a younger son of Alexander Stewart, 1st of Annat. Drumvaich is located in Kilmadock parish on the north side of the Rivert Teith midway between Doune and Callander.

The Stewarts in Norrieston descend by unknown means from the Stewarts of Annat. Norrieston is located in Kincardine parish just south of the village of Thornhill.

The Stewarts of Powblack and Rait descend by uncertain means from the Stewarts of Annat. There are conflicting accounts of the origin of this cadet branch. They were latterly one of the most prosperous of all branches of the Stewarts of Balquhidder. Powblack is located in Kilmadock parish south of the village of Thornhill, near the Fords of Frew. General Robert Stuart later acquired the estate of Rait in the Carse of Gowrie in eastern Perthshire.