Rev. James Stewart, Minister of Killin

1701 - 1789  (88 years)

• Name	James Stewart  [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]
  Title	Rev.
  Suffix	Minister of Killin
  Born	1701	Perthshire, Scotland
  Gender	Male
  Died	30 Jun 1789	Killin, Perthshire, Scotland   [9]
  Person ID	I16170	Brown Genealogy
  Last Modified	26 Sep 2026

  
  

  Father	_____ Stewart, in Killin (2-Line),   b. Abt 1670, Perthshire, Scotland ,   d. UNKNOWN
  Relationship	natural
  Family ID	F8313	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Elizabeth Drummond,   b. Abt 1720, Dalchonzie, Comrie, Perthshire, Scotland ,   d. 22 Feb 1796  (Age 76 years)
  Married	23 Jun 1742	Killin, Perthshire, Scotland   [1]
  Children	1. Rev. Dr. John Stuart, Minister of Luss,   b. 31 Jul 1743, Killin, Perthshire, Scotland ,   d. 24 May 1821, Luss, Dunbartonshire, Scotland  (Age 77 years)  [natural]   2. Thomas Stewart,   b. 5 Apr 1745, Killin, Perthshire, Scotland ,   d. Bef 1815, Perthshire, Scotland  (Age < 69 years)  [natural]   3. Mary Stewart,   b. 10 Apr 1747, Killin, Perthshire, Scotland ,   d. UNKNOWN  [natural]   4. Rev. Patrick Stewart, Minister of Killin,   b. 2 Apr 1749, Killin, Perthshire, Scotland ,   d. 18 May 1795  (Age 46 years)  [natural]   5. Elizabeth Stewart,   b. 28 Apr 1751, Killin, Perthshire, Scotland ,   d. UNKNOWN  [natural]   6. James Stewart,   b. 28 Apr 1751, Killin, Perthshire, Scotland ,   d. UNKNOWN  [natural]   7. Donald Stewart,   b. 13 Jan 1754, Killin, Perthshire, Scotland ,   d. Bef 1815, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland  (Age < 60 years)  [natural]   8. Catherine Stewart,   b. 29 Apr 1756, Killin, Perthshire, Scotland ,   d. UNKNOWN  [natural]
  Last Modified	26 Sep 2026
  Family ID	F4418	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  James Stewart was born in 1701 presumabley in Perthshire, Scotland, to unknown parients. James and his two brothers, Donald and David, are identified in Stewarts of the South as the founding family of 2-Line of the Stewarts in Killin. They descend by unknown means from an earlier branch of the Stewarts of Glenbuckie. Their exact relationship to the Stewarts of Glenbuckie is unknown. James is described in Stewarts of the South as: "The late pious and worthy Reverend Mr James Stewart, Minister of Killin. The Reverend Mr James Stewart had three sons [who lived to adulthood]: John Peter & James." James is described in the Fasti Ecclesia as: "James Stuart, born 1701, licensed by the Presbytery of Dunblane 3rd July 1733; assistant at Weem; presented by John, Earl of Breadalbane, in 1736; ordained 23rd March 1737; died 30th June 1789. He translated the New testament into Gaelic, and began a translation of the Old Testament which was finished by his son, minister of Luss. there is a public monument to him in Killin. He married 23rd June 1742, Elizabeth Drummond, who died 22nd Feb. 1796 and had issue -- John, DD, minister of Luss, born 31st July 1743; Thomas, born 5th April 1745; Patrick, minister of this parish [Killin]; Elizabeth, born 28th April 1748; James, born 28th April 1751; Donald, born 13th Jan. 1754; Catherine, born 29th April 1756, (married James McLagan, minister of Blair Atholl). Publication - Tiomadh Nuadh ar Tighearna* (Duneudain**, 1767, and in 1796 the editio princeps of the New Testament in Gaelic)." * New Testament; ** Edinburgh. James' accomplishments in translating the New Testament into Gaelic are described in the following article: It was in every way desirable that a correct translation of the Gaelic Bible should be provided for the use of the Highlands, and this was finally undertaken by the Society for Propagating Christian Knowledge. The person employed to perform the work was the Rev. James Stewart of Killin, a man fully qualified for it, and although his translation retained too much of the Irish dialect of O'Donnell's Irish New Testament, it was welcomed as a highly creditable work, and as a great boon to the Highlands. Many minor changes have been made in the Gaelic New Testament of 1767, but it has been the basis of all subsequent editions which have sought merely to render certain portions of the work more idiomatic and pleasing to a Scottish ear. The publishing of this version of the New Testament proved a great benefit to the Highlands. Soon after the publication of the New Testament, it was resolved that the Old Testament should be translated into Gaelic also. This work, like the former, was undertaken by the Society for Propagating Christian Knowledge, assisted by a collection made throughout the congregations of the Church of Scotland amounting to £1483. The principal translator employed was the Rev. Dr. John Stewart of Luss, son of the translator of the New Testament, who translated three portions of the work, while a fourth portion, including the Prophets, was executed by the Rev. Dr. Smith of Campbellton, the accomplished editor of the Sean Dana. The whole work was completed and published in the year 1801. This work has been of incalculable service to the Highlands, and is one of the many benefits conferred upon that portion of the country by the excellent Society who undertook it. Objections have been taken to the many Irish idioms introduced into the language, and the extent to which the Irish orthography was followed, but these are minor faults, and the work itself is entitled to all commendation. -- http://www.electricscotland.com/history/literat/gaelicb.htm ------- He may be the person found in a letter dated 1727 of recommendation for a James Stewart in the parish of Callander, already a student in philosophy, to undertake further studies. He is being recommended by a John McCallum, minister in Dunblane. It appears that James has been to a “college” locally some three years previous. He is still referred to as a youth so I am assuming he is perhaps under the age of 20. This document is found at CH1/2/55 enclosure 411 in National Records of Scotland.

  
  

• Sources

  [S561] Scotland, Red Books of Scotland, 1600-1939, Ancestry.com, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc; Location: Lehi, UT, USA; Date: 2023;), Compiled by Gordon McGregor; The Red Book of Scotland; Volume: Red Book of Scotland Volume 3 Car-Drum. [S9] Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950, Ancestry.com, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Lehi, UT, USA; Date: 2014;). https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X1J2-G6F [S513] Select Counties, Scotland, Church of Scotland, Baptisms, 1615-1854, Ancestry.com, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Lehi, UT, USA; Date: 2025;), West Dunbartonshire Council; West Dunbartonshire, Scotland; West Dunbartonshire Parish Records. [S963] Dictionary of National Biography, Volumes 1-22, Ancestry.com, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Lehi, UT, USA; Date: 2010;), London, England: Oxford University Press; Volume: Vol 19; Page: 101. [S9] Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950, Ancestry.com, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Lehi, UT, USA; Date: 2014;). https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X1JT-94B [S9] Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950, Ancestry.com, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Lehi, UT, USA; Date: 2014;). https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X1JB-3LH [S9] Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950, Ancestry.com, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Lehi, UT, USA; Date: 2014;). https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X1JK-BNG [S9] Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950, Ancestry.com, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Lehi, UT, USA; Date: 2014;). https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X1JB-6LN [S964] England, Extracted Parish and Court Records, 1399-1795, Ancestry.com, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Lehi, UT, USA; Date: 2017;), Obituaries prior to 1800; Author: Musgrave, William, Sir, 1735-1800; Armytage, George J., Sir, 1842-1918.