| Notes |
- John Joseph Smale Stewart. The son of a Perthshire soldier, was born about 1838 while his father was with his regiment in Ireland, but was brought up at Lochearnhead where his father, on retiring from the army, wrought for a time as a gardener, and latterly occupied the position of police inspector for the district. At the age of sixteen he went to serve on her Majesty’s Ship, Cumberland, then under command of Captain Seymour, and, after cruising for some time, sailed for Bermuda, and thence to Halifax and Nova Scotia. He took part in the Russian War, and, after being discharged, returned home for a brief season. Subsequently, after voyaging to various parts of the world, he took a farm in Australia (sic, New Zealand), and for some years, along with a brother [Alexander], was a successful farmer. Ultimately he settled as a schoolmaster at Tamarara, near Hooker’s Bay, where he still resides, enjoying much popularity as a teacher and a citizen of the world.
(Ford, Robert. The Harp of Perthshire. A Collection of Songs, Ballads, and other Poetical Pieces chiefly by local authors with notes explanatory, critical, and biographical. Paisley and Paternoster Square, London: Alexander Gardner, Publisher to her Majesty the Queen, 1893, p. 512.)
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JOHN JOSEPH SMALE STEWART. The son of a soldier and brother of the poetess, Mrs. Hyslop, sketched in our series, was born about 1838 while his father was with his regiment in Ireland, but was brought up in Lochearnhead where his father removed after leaving the army. He was a great favourite with his teacher and they used to spend hours together reciting poetry after the school was dismissed in the evening. His poetical sister was years his junior and the kindred spirits were deeply attached to each other. She was the companion of his rambles and she speaks with pardonable pride of the time when he first confided to her the secret that he had made a song. She looked upon him with other eyes and dreamed of something great in store for her poet brother. At the age of sixteen he went to serve on Her Majesty’s ship, Cumberland, then under command of Captain Seymour and, after cruising for some time, sailed for Bermuda and thence to Halifax, Nova Scotia (Canada). He took part in the Russian War and after being discharged returned home to find that his dearly loved mother’s chair was vacant. After several voyages to various parts of the world, he took a farm in Australia (sic, New Zealand) and for some years, along with a brother (Alexander), was a successful farmer. He was seized with the gold fever, sold his farm, and ultimately we find him a schoolmaster at Tamarara near Hooker’s Bay where he has proved himself a successful and popular teacher. We have seen several specimens of Mr Stewart’s poetical epistles - a form of correspondence he generally adopts in writing home to his friends, and these are neatly expressed very entertaining and instructive and show the observant eye and warm heart. A vein of reflective melancholy runs through many of his poems. These show him to be a keen and intelligent student of Nature while his songs are musical and felicitous in sentiment.
(Edwards, David Herschell. One Hundred Modern Scottish Poets: With Biographical and Critical Notices. Brechin: D. H. Edwards Publishing, 1884. Vol. 7, p. 61)
The above biographies indicate that John settled in Australia with his brother Alexander (also known as Abel). However, in the 1800s, the term “Australia” was often used generically to include New Zealand, in much the same way as “America” was used to refer to both the USA and Canada in that time period. The locations mentioned in John’s poetry are all found on the South Island of New Zealand. Furthermore, Wakamarina was the location of a gold rush in the 1860s-1870s on the South Island of New Zealand, which fits with John’s biography. It is our assertion that John and Alexander settled on the South Island of New Zealand and not in Australia-proper.
John and Alexander are believed to have been still living in Lochearnhead at the time of their parents’ deaths in 1854/55. They are not found in the 1861 census and are believed to have begun their global trek by that point. The earliest biography of John was published in 1884 and speaks of him as already having been a farmer, a gold prospector and a teacher of good repute by 1884, suggesting he had been in New Zealand for several years by that point.
We have no further records of John or Alexander in New Zealand. We do not know if either of them married or had children or where exactly they lived or when they died.
So far as we can tell, neither of the Stewart Poets of Lochearnhead, John or Sarah, had any descendants.
John's poetry can be found here:
https://stewartsofbalquhidder.com/2022/09/15/the-stewart-poets-of-lochearnhead/
John Stewart is described in The Stewarts of Ardvorlich Vol 3 as the son of John Stewart [residing] in Australia.
In 1841, at age 7, John Stewart was residing in Lochearnhead, Balquhidder, Perthshire, Scotland, with his parents and siblings.
In 1850, at age 16, John Stewart went to serve on Her Majesty's Ship, Cumberland, then under command of Captain Seymour.
John is not found in later census records. His biography indicates that he
John is listed as being 21 years old in 1855 on his father's death registration.
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1834 - Aft 1893 (> 60 years)
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