Genealogical Record of the Stewarts of Croftcarnoch, Lochtummel

The scant remains of Croftcarnoch of Borenich (between the trees and the orange coloured marsh sedges)

The Blair Atholl Old Parish Register of marriages is very incomplete. A Record of Proclamations was kept between between October 1733 and December 1734, but it was not until November 1743 that marriages were properly recorded. So the family history of the Stewarts of Croftcarnach relies upon the Dull OPR for its first marriage.

Dull OPR (marriages), 24th March 1740
Alexander Stewart in Blair Atholl parish and Christian Stewart in Fincastle, Dull parish. Witnesses: Neil Stewart and James Stewart.

This appears highly speculative, but the couple had the baptism of their daughter recorded in the Dull OPR where it clearly states that the child was born at Balnald of Borenich, which is next to Croftcarnach. All of the other five children were born at Croftcarnach.

Alexander Stewart also had an illegitimate child, and the Blair Atholl Session Minutes for 12th April 1761 mentions that Alexander Stewart in Croftcarnach was guilty of adultery with Katherine Robertson in Tomintianda. He was rebuked and fined £50 Scots (a large fine equivalent to the price of a good milking cow and calf). Katherine's fine was paid by Patrick Robertson and James Robertson, both in Auchdrumnahuagie (a small settlement between Trinafour and the present-day Glen Errochty dam). It is quite likely that they were her brothers. What became of the child, baptised as Margaret, is unknown.

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(Generation 1) The Family of Alexander Stewart and Christian Stewart in Croftcarnach.

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Alexander Stewart's daughter Margaret probably married James Frazer from Balnald of Borenich. The marriage is not certain as girls tended to marry in their twenties and Margaret would have been thirty-two. However there do not appear to be any other Margaret Stewarts living at Croftcarnach, except Alexander Stewart's illegitimate daughter who would have been too young, even in the unlikely event of her being made part of Alexander's family.

(Generation 2) The Family of James Frazer and Margaret Stewart in Balnald of Borenich.

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Alexander Fraser appears in the 1841 census for Tomanbuie of Borenich as a grocer, aged 62, but had died by the time of the 1851 census. His wife, Christian McIntosh, had been born in Dull parish, but was living at Dalmarnock in Little Dunkeld parish when they married 25th November 1838.

As Alexander Fraser was over sixty when he married Christian McIntosh, it is possible that he had been married before. If this is correct, then the most likely marriage is that of Alexander Fraser in Croftcarnach and Helen Stewart in Balnald of Borenich, married 7 Apr 1816.

(Possible Generation 3) The Family of Alexander Fraser and Helen Stewart in Balnald of Borenich.

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Alexander Stewart's son Duncan married Isobel McLauchlan, who came from Carrick at the top of Glen Fincastle, overlooking Invervack.

(Generation 2) The Family of Duncan Stewart and Isobel McLauchlan in Croftcarnach.

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Alexander Stewart's second son, John, married Christian Douglas who came from Lick in Dull parish, which was the other side of Loch Tummel, but easily reached using the ferry at Ardgualich.

(Generation 2) The Family of John Stewart and Christian Douglas in Croftcarnach.

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Alexander Stewart's fourth son, Neil married Janet Fraser who came from Tomanbuie of Borenich, which was next to Croftcarnach. However the marriage banns were also read in Logierait parish, and the Logierait OPR gives Janet Fraser as living at Fonab, 11th November 1780. Perhaps she was working there as a domestic servant. John Fraser was living at Tomanbuie in 1780 and he may have been Janet's brother.

(Generation 2) The Family of Neil Stewart and Janet Fraser in Croftcarnach.

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Alexander Stewart's fifth son, James, married Isabel Stewart who came from Uchdnanetaig, another close neighbour in Borenich. They took up residence at Balintochich, just up the hill from Croftcarnach, before moving to Croftdouglas at some time around 1805.

(Generation 2) The Family of James Stewart and Isabel Stewart in Balintochich.

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James Stewart's eldest son, Alexander, married Janet Stewart from Balcastle. She was the daughter of John Stewart and Helen Stewart who, later, also farmed part of Croftdouglas. Her parents are rather enigmatic as no marriage banns have been found for them, neither were any of the children baptisms recorded in the OPR, so the little information that does exist comes from census returns and death certificates.

The circumstances of the family's move to Croftdouglas are revealed in a letter to The Duke of Atholl from his agent, James Stewart, dated 10th May 1817.

Let Croftdouglas to John Stewart from Dr Stewart's lands of Borenich, and Alexander Stewart who, with his mother, a widow in Croftdouglas, had before a part of it under Alexander McDonald in whose name the tow was held in tack. Alexander McDonald, having been seized with a palsy some time ago, had to subsett the tow except two acres and a cow's grass to others.

In 1854 there was a mad rush to get baptisms recorded in the Old Parish Registers before the introduction of Civil Registration in 1855. Only James had been entered in the OPR, but when the baptisms of Isabella and Donald (Daniel) were added there seems to have been a clerical error as their mother's name was entered as Isabella Stewart, rather than as Janet Stewart. The two entries are next to each other in the OPR.

The 1841 census for Croftdouglas appears to show six children belonging to Alexander Stewart and his wife Janet Stewart, distributed amongst the three households but without the parents. Fortunately, this circumstance is explained in a letter written by Daniel Stewart in Broughty Ferry, who was the husband of Alexander's sister Christian (Christina). In the letter he mentioned that he, his wife, and sister-in-law were being cared for by Jessie, the daughter of his wife's brother Alexander, by his second marriage. When he died, Daniel Stewart left £100 to Jessie in his will.

So, Alexander's wife Janet must have died after the birth of Donald in 1834. The exact date is not known but the Blair Atholl OPR record that Alexander Stewart in Croftdouglas and Margaret Robertson in Gaskan, married 6th March 1836. Their daughter Janet (Jessie) was born around 1837, although her baptism was not registered in the Blair Atholl OPR.

Returning the 1841 census, all of the six children would have been the grandchildren of John Stewart and Helen Stewart in the first dwelling, who were looking after John, Isabella and Donald (Daniel). Their unmarried daughter Isabella, in the second dwelling, was looking after James and Alexander, while Margaret Robertson in the third dwelling was looking after her daughter Janet (Jessie). Margaret is described as 'independent', and this suggests that Alexander Stewart was now deceased.

1841 Census Return for Croftdouglas (Blair Atholl parish, District 4)

There is no record of the children in the 1851 census, but the 1861 census shows that Isabella was being cared for by her aunt, Margaret Stewart, aged 60 years. Isabella, who was given as an invalid pauper in the 1861 census, died on 19th April 1869 aged 38 years. Her death certificate gives her parents as Alexander Stewart and Janet Stewart, both deceased. The death certificate shows that she had suffered from paralysis for 18 years and it was signed by her sister Jessie (Janet).

(Generation 3) The Family of Alexander Stewart and Janet Stewart in Croftdouglas.

(Generation 3) The Family of Alexander Stewart and Margaret Robertson in Croftdouglas.

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