Genealogical Record of the Stewarts of Croftcarnoch, Lochtummel

Croftcarnoch of Borenich

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.

Name Born Married Date Residence Died
Margaret Dec 14 1740 James Frazer Mar 18 1773 Balnald
of Borenich
h.
w.
Duncan May 24 1747 Isobel McLauchlan Dec 25 1770 Croftcarnach h.
w.
John Mar 22 1750 Christian Douglas Nov 26 1776 Croftcarnach h.
w.
Alexander Sep 15 1752 - - Croftcarnach d.
Neil Jun 13 1755 Janet Fraser Nov 28 1780 Croftcarnach h.
w.
James May 13 1760 Isabel Stewart Jul 6 1792 Balintochich h. by 1817
w. after 1817

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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.

Name Born Married Date Residence Died
John Dec 11 1774 - - Balnald
of Borenich
d.
Alexander May 10 1777 Christian McIntosh Nov 25 1838 Tomanbuie
of Borenich
h. c1845
w.
James May 19 1780 - - Balnald
of Borenich
d.
Isabel May 3 1785 - - Balnald
of Borenich
d.
Duncan May 15 1788 - - Balnald
of Borenich
d.

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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.

Dwelling Name Age Occupation Birth-place
1 Alexander Fraser 62y grocer Perthshire
Cirstina Fraser 50y Perthshire
Janet McDonald 10y servant Perthshire

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.

Name Born Married Date Residence Died
James Sep 18 1817 - - Balnald d.
Margaret Feb 9 1819 - - Balnald d.
Donald Jul 2 1820 - - Balnald d.
Isabel Sep 8 1822 - - Balnald d.
Alexander Sep 2 1824 - - Balnald d.
Duncan Nov 23 1825 - - Balnald d.
Christian Jan 12 1828 - - Balnald d.

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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.

Name Born Married Date Residence Died
Christian Dec 21 1771 died in infancy - Croftcarnach d. by 1775
Janet Feb 5 1773 - - Croftcarnach d.
Christian Sep 14 1775 - - Croftcarnach d.
Isabel May 25 1778 - - Croftcarnach d.

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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.

Name Born Married Date Residence Died
Christian Sep 4 1777 - - Borenich
(Croftcarnach)
d.
Elspeth Jan 31 1780 - - Croftcarnach d.
Alexander Oct 9 1782 - - Croftcarnach d.
Duncan Jan 18 1785 - - Croftcarnach d.
James Oct 4 1787 1w. Elizabeth Stewart
2w. Janet McGregor
c1824

c1847
Esquesing Township,
Halton, Ontario
h. Apr 19 1865
1w. 1841
2w. 1890
John Feb 23 1790 - - Croftcarnach d.
Neil Jul 6 1792 - - Croftcarnach d.

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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.

Name Born Married Date Residence Died
Alexander Jan 2 1782 Elizabeth Stewart Apr 30 1809 Beckwith Township
Ontario
d.
John Jul 30 1785 - - Croftcarnach d.
Duncan Jul 16 1790 - - Croftcarnach d.
Christian Dec 12 1794 - - Croftcarnach d.

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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.

Name Born Married Date Residence Died
Alexander Jan 1 1794 Janet Stewart May 27 1827 Croftdouglas h.
w.
Margaret Nov 17 1796 - - Balintochich d.
Donald Sep 30 1798 Janet Stewart Mar 22 1829 Croftdouglas h.
w.
John Oct 16 1801 Christian Robertson Nov 28 1841 Foss and
McNab Township
h. Oct 8 1875
w. Feb 10 1906
Christian Jan 16 1804 Daniel Stewart May 19 1844 Broughty Ferry h. 19 Nov 1888
w. 5 Apr 1893
Isabel Oct 19 1807 unmarried - Broughty Ferry d. 1891
William Jun 22 1811 - - Croftdouglas d.

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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)

Dwelling Name Age Occupation Birth-place
1 John Stewart 70y farmer Blair Atholl
Hellen Stewart 70y Blair Atholl
Margaret Stewart 40y Blair Atholl
William Stewart 25y ag. labourer Blair Atholl
John Stewart 12y Blair Atholl
Isabella Stewart 10y Blair Atholl
Donald Stewart 8y Blair Atholl
2 Isabella Stewart 30y housekeeper Blair Atholl
James Stewart 11y Blair Atholl
Alexander Stewart 9y Blair Atholl
3 Margt. Robertson 30y independent Blair Atholl
Janet Stewart 4y Blair Atholl
Mary McMillan 28y Blair Atholl
un-named boy 1m Blair Atholl

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.

Name Born Married Date Residence Died
James Nov 10 1828 - - Croftdouglas d. after 1841
John c1830 - - Croftdouglas d. after 1841
Alexander c1831 - - Croftdouglas d. after 1841
Isabella Mar 20 1832 - - Croftdouglas d. Apr 19 1869
Donald
(Daniel)
May 28 1834 Catherine McNab Jun 19 1873 McNab Township,
Ontario
h. Sep 27 1905
w. Sep 1 1925

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

Name Born Married Date Residence Died
Janet
(Jessie)
c1837 - - Croftdouglas d. after 1893

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