The Stewarts of Craigton

The Stewarts in Craigton, Kilmadock, Perthshire, Scotland

Branch I.3 of the Stewarts of Annat

The information on this page has not been updated since 2010.
It has been copy/pasted from our old Rootsweb site.
Links below may be out-of-date.

Ancestry.com is shutting down access to all old Rootsweb sites starting January 2024, so we have had to hastily copy this information here before we lose access to our old site.

Our volunteers are in the process of updating the information on this page. We cannot provide a timeline for when this page will be updated as it depends entirely on volunteer availability.

William STEWART , 1st of Craigton b: ABT 8 JUN 1649 in Annat, Kilmadock, Perthshire, Scotland, son of John Stewart, 2nd of Annat, shown above. William purchased the lands of Craigton in the Braes of Doune. William married ABT 1670 in Perthshire, Scotland to Katherine MACFARLANE b: ABT 1650 in Perthshire, Scotland. The following inscription in the Crieff Church gives evidence of their marriage and some of their children: “In church hall, on wall (emblems) W S K McF (arms, lion rampant, crescent and fess chequy, motto) vivur ingenio Wm Stewart of Craigtoun 29.8.1702 53, w Kath McFarland 1810 37, chn Marjorie, Marie & Helen Stuart” (Crieff Church Inscriptions). William and Katherine had the following children:

Alexander STEWART , 2nd of Craigton b: ABT 30 SEP 1671 in Annat, Kilmadock, Perthshire, Scotland. He married on 6 APR 1693 in Drummonderinoch, Comrie, Perthshire, Scotland to Katherine DRUMMOND , Of Drummonderinoch b: ABT 1675 in Comrie, Perthshire, Scotland. They had the following children:
1. James STEWART b: ABT 1693 in Craigton, Doune, Perthshire, Scotland. He must have died young as his cousin John (below) is said to have “had the income of the estate during his life”.
2. Margaret STEWART b: ABT 1695 in Craigton, Doune, Perthshire, Scotland. She married Patrick HALDANE , 1st Of Lanrick b: 1685 in Scotland.
John STEWART b: ABT 3 MAY 1673 in Annat, Kilmadock, Perthshire, Scotland
Marjorie STEWART b: ABT 1676 in Perthshire, Scotland. She is suggested from evidence in the Crieff church inscription, shown above. She is presumed to have died young.
Marie STEWART b: ABT 1679 in Perthshire, Scotland. She is suggested from evidence in the Crieff church inscription, shown above. She is presumed to have died young.
Helen STEWART b: ABT 6 AUG 1683 in Kilmadock, Perthshire, Scotland. She is suggested from evidence in the Crieff church inscription, shown above. She is presumed to have died young before the birth of her same-named sister.
Gilles STEWART b: ABT 6 AUG 1686 in Kilmadock, Perthshire, Scotland. Presumably died young or would have been ahead of Mary as heir of Craigton.
Jean STEWART b: ABT 2 JUN 1689 in Kilmadock, Perthshire, Scotland. Presumably died young or would have been ahead of Mary as heir of Craigton.
James STEWART b: ABT 1693 in Annat, Kilmadock, Perthshire, Scotland. Presumably died young or would have been ahead of Mary as heir of Craigton.
Mary STEWART, Heiress of Craigton b: ABT 1695 in Annat, Kilmadock, Perthshire, Scotland. After the death of her brother Alexander and his son James, the Craigton estate fell to Mary, presumably as the eldest surviving heir. She married Alexander STEWART b: ABT 1686 in Probably Glenfinglas, Perthshire, Scotland, who was the son of James Stewart, 4th of Ardvorlich. Mary Stewart and Alexander Stewart had the following children:
1. John STEWART, 3rd of Craigton b: ABT 1717 in Kilmadock, Perthshire, Scotland. Described by the Stewarts of the South as “a lunatic who had the income of the estate during his life.” He died without issue.
2. Janet STEWART b: ABT 1720 in Kilmadock, Perthshire, Scotland. Stewarts of the South records that she “tried unsuccessfully to claim her father’s estate” (presumably from her lunatic brother). She married ABT 1742 in Kilmadock, Perthshire, Scotland to John MCQUEEN in The Heads, b: ABT 1720 in The Heads, Kilmadock, Perthshire, Scotland. Janet and John had the following children. This branch is being researched by Belinda Dettmann.
  1. Elisabeth MCQUEEN b: ABT 2 SEP 1744 in The Heads, Kilmadock, Perthshire, Scotland
  2. Alexander MCQUEEN b: ABT 13 APR 1746 in Craigtown, Kilmadock, Perthshire, Scotland
  3. Donald MCQUEEN b: ABT 8 FEB 1750 in The Heads, Kilmadock, Perthshire, Scotland
  4. Archibald MCQUEEN b: ABT 19 JUL 1752 in The Heads, Kilmadock, Perthshire, Scotland
  5. Margaret MCQUEEN b: ABT 2 APR 1758 in The Heads, Kilmadock, Perthshire, Scotland
  6. Katharine MCQUEEN b: ABT 14 AUG 1764 in The Heads, Kilmadock, Perthshire, Scotland. Katharine married on 23 FEB 1788 in Kilmadock, Perthshire, Scotland to James STEWART , in Brackland b: 22 JUL 1757 in Wester Brakland, Callander, Perthshire, Scotland, son of Walter Stewart in Wester Brackland and Christian McArthur. The Stewarts of Brackland were the most junior cadet branch of the Stewarts of Gartnafuaran.
    1. Their descendants are presented under the Stewarts of Brackland, Branch VIII of the Stewarts of Gartnafuaran.
3. Jean STEWART b: ABT 1725 in Kilmadock, Perthshire, Scotland. Stewarts of the South records that she “tried unsuccessfully to claim her father’s estate” (presumably from her lunatic brother).
4. William STEWART b: ABT 1728 in Kilmadock, Perthshire, Scotland. Died in England without issue.
Robert STEWART b: ABT 19 JAN 1699 in Crieff, Perthshire, Scotland. Died without children.
Helen STEWART b: ABT 28 FEB 1700 in Crieff, Perthshire, Scotland.

From Sue Mackay:

Craigton near Annet Braes of Doune

According to the Ordnance Survey Name Book, on the Braes of Doune, a Castle once stood here. William Stewart (born: 8th of June 1649) purchased the lands of Craigton, on the Braes of Doune, in the parish of Kilmadock. William Stewart becomes the 1st Laird of Craigton.

Roy’s Military Survey of Scotland Map in 1747-1755 depicts a substantial settlement at Craigton on the Braes of Doune. By 1863 the OS 25” map grid reference: NN 6800 0548, only marks the site of Craigton castle and further indicates 3 building possibly the remaining buildings depicted on Roys map. By 1863 the remaining builds have become abandoned and are noted as roofless. Today there is little to be seen at Craigtoun, a small bridge crosses the burn on the Drumloist road and a low almost indistinguishable wall runs along the road side where the entrance to Craigton is met by a more substantial wall, there appears here to be 19th century use of farm building now ruinous timber and corrugate roofing underfoot. There is a handy gate to the west which appears to be the entrance depicted on the OS map to Craigtoun, it is flat a faint trace of an road is evident, however upon scaling the small rise all becomes apparent on the downward gradient, the tounship of Craigton comes into what I can only imagine as an impressively staged view point. The farm settlement is situated on raised natural platform the castle (Substantial house) possibly a tower house of that period, would have had an uninterrupted 360 degree vantage point, commanding the entire valley below. The road to Craigton suddenly jumps out on the landscape and is raised as it approaches the elevated settlement. The buildings of the depopulated tounship of Craigton are reached first and are now reduced to little more than turf-covered footings and are easily traced. Further inspection of the field reveals nothing and no trace of the castle can be found here. Ariel photography reveals the outlines of the farmstead. On the slopes of the platform are several large scattered stones possibly field clearance or the remains of Craigton ploughed out, the stones simply carried off, now little more than a rubble mound remains.

Craigton’s elevated position allows it to be seen by nearly all of the farmsteads on the Braes of Doune.

Interestingly within the boundary wall of the adjacent field to the west is incorporated into the drystone dyke wall an impressive glassier erratic one of many found on the Braes of Doune.