| Notes |
- Patrick Stewart is described in The Stewarts of Ardvorlich, Vol. 1, p. 32, as "a natural son [of James Stewart, 4th of Baldorran], from whom are descended a family who lived at Leichtenscridan in Balquhidder."
Recent research by Gordon MacGregor (The Red Book of Scotland) casts doubt on the traditional parentage of Patrick Stewart and his siblings. In 2022, MacGregor discovered documentary evidence showing that Walter Stewart, 3rd of Baldorran, had two sons named James, namely:
a lawful son, James Stewart, 4th of Baldorran and Balquhidder, and
a natural son, James Mhor Stewart, in Port of Lochearn.
All prior histories conflate these two Jameses into one person. It is James Mhor Stewart, Port of Lochearn, who was father to Alexander Stewart, 1st of Ardvorlich, and his lawful siblings, not James Stewart, 4th of Baldorran, as previously believed. However, the parentage of Patrick Stewart of Lednascriddan remains unclear as no documentation surrounding his birth has been found. He could be the natural son of either James. However, as traditional accounts consistently refer to him as a natural half-brother of Alexander Stewart, 1st of Ardvorlich, then he is shown here as a natural son of James Mhor Stewart in Port of Lochearn. (See our Stewarts of Baldorran page for further information.)
"Patrick Stewart, natural son of James Stewart, last of Baldorran (sic), got a lease from his father of the farm of Leichtenscridan in Balquhidder, and his descendants occupied it for many generations. This farm lay just above the present burial ground. For further information, see the Stewart Magazine, vol. XIV, no. 2, 1975, p. 72, et seq." (on file) (The Stewarts of Ardvorlich, Vol. 3, p. 58)
"Another line, hitherto obscure, began with Patrick Stewart, a natural son of James Stewart and therefore half-brother to Alexander and John already mentioned." ("Stewarts in Old Balquhidder," Stewart Magazine, Vol. XIV, No. 2, 1973 by Gordon Stewart.)
"Leichtenscridan appears in the records in a variety of spellings, some barely recognisable, but chiefly as Ledscritan or near variations and sometimes as Lichnascridan, Leadenscreeden et cetera. Like most Gaelic placenames, it was descriptive of the natural features of the place and was most likely derived from lechdain (steep shelving ground) and sgriodan (a stony ravine). In later years, when records were kept by men with little or no knowledge of written Gaelic, the first part became Led, signifying a watercourse, and the second has been taken to mean scree, the loose stony detritus on the steep upper slope. The old township and the mill have vanished and most of the ground is now covered by plantations of the Forestry Commission. The lower part is occupied by a few cottages, the village hall and a cemetery.
"Patrick Stewart obtained his lease about 1530 (sic*) and tradition has it that his descendants were still in Leichtenscridan at the end of the 18th century. Although numerous deeds and charters concerning the lands of Balquhidder have been preserved, nothing has been found in them that specifically mentions the Stewart tenants in the first two hundred years. It is consistent with the practice throughout Scotland that the same family should be in a farm generation after generation and there are many examples to show that the same system prevails to the present day." (ibid)
* No documentation has been found to substantiate the date of Patrick Stewart's acquisition of Lednascriddan. A date of 1530 seems chronologically impossible if he was indeed a half-brother of Alexander Stewart, 1st of Ardvorlich (ca. 1538-1622). As it was more often the case that father's had their illegitimate children prior to marrying, rather than as the result of extramarital affairs, then 1530 is closer to his suggested birth year. Unless he received his charter for Lednascriddan at birth, then his acquisition of Lednascriddan would likely be closer to 1550-1560.
Patrick Stewart was the ancestor of both the Stewarts in Tulloch (Branch V of the Stewarts of Ardvorlich) and the Stewarts in Lednascriddan (Branch VI of the Stewarts of Ardvorlich), however no record has been found of his marriage or the names of his children.
The Stewarts in Lednascriddan are described in Stewarts of the South as:
"Sliochd Sheumais Chrosts or Clachtein not improperly so called. They were named Flints from the white stones on the Farm of Leadsgriachan, Balquhidder, possessed by them for many generations as tenants -- a part of Toun Drummadich, now belonging to Sir John Murray."
Sliochd Sheumais Chrosts is believed to mean "the Seed (Descendants) of Bad Tempered Hamish/James." The word Chrosts is not a recognized Gaelic word, but may be a corruption of chrosda, which means "bad tempered," and may explain the comment "not improperly so called." Clachtein is believed to mean "of the stones."
James Stewart, who gives his name to the descendants of this branch has not been identified. The patronymic likely refers to a son of later descendant of Patrick Stewart in Lednascriddan.
The next record of descendants of Patrick Stewart does not occur until 1644 with the mention of Robert Stewart in Tulloch. It is not known when the Tulloch and Lednascriddan branches separate. They next mention of anyone from the Lednascriddan side does not occur until the commencement of the Balquhidder parish register in the late 1690s. The intervening generations are unknown.
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Abt 1533 - UNKNOWN
