| Notes |
- Patrick was the eldest son of Alexander Stewart, 4th of Ledcreich, and Catherine Stewart of Glenogle.
A Disillusioned Country
Patrick Stewart was born in 1697 at Ledcreich, Balquhidder, Perthshire, Scotland. He grew up in a Scotland full of disillusionment. He would have been raised with the stories of his grandfather's long suffering loyalty to the Stuart kings and the constant defeat of the Stuart cause. He would have been ten years old when the Act of Union was passed in 1707, which would have felt to many loyal Scots like the death of their country by the stroke of a pen without a sword having ever been drawn. He would have heard the ire expressed around him at the Scottish nobles who sold out their country for English blessings. He would have suffered as a teenager through the depression in the local economy due to new English taxes and predatory English trade policies that followed the Union. He would have heard the angry words and whispered talks of revolution around him. Patrick was alive during the 1715 Jacobite Uprising and was old enough to have likely been involved to some degree. We don't know if Patrick fought at the Battle of Sheriffmuir, but most of his neighbours did and many of his clan did. Patrick would have been the third generation of his family to experience the gut-punch of defeat in their loyalty to the Royal Stuarts. He would have also heard the stories of the thousands of his countrymen who were "transported" to the colonies, as punishment for their participation in the 1715 Rising, many as indentured servants, never to return to Scotland. Some of them were likely his neighbours. It must have been a depressing and deflating time to have been alive.
Patrick tries to start a family - more grief
It was in such a climate as this that Patrick entered adulthood and tried to establish a life of his own. Patrick married firstly on 19 March 1717 in Kirktown, Balquhidder, Perthshire, Scotland to Jean Stewart. Her birth family is unknown. They had two daughters who did not survive. Their mother followed them to the grave.
Patrick married secondly in 1728 in Balquhidder, Perthshire, Scotland, to Katherine Stewart. Her birth family is unknown. They had one daughter. Then his second wife also died.
Patrick inherits Ledcreich and has a family
Having lived through all of this death and defeat, then, in 1731 his father died. Patrick would have been 34 years old. The silver lining of his father's death was that Patrick inherited the family estate of Ledcreich and Stronslany.
On 8 January 1731, Patrick Stewart, bought the feu for the lands of Ledcreich. Eight years later, he would sell that feu to John Stewart of Benmore.
Patrick tried again for a family and married thirdly on 31 Oct 1733 to Elizabeth Menzies, daughter of Dr. Duncan Menzies. They had four children while living at Ledcreich in Balquhidder parish. Two of their children died young.
A hopeless cause
During the 1730s, while Patrick was raising his wee bairns, talk of another Jacobite Rising would have begun to circulate; that talk would have evolved into clandestine planning. We know that many of Patrick's kin from amongst the Stewarts of Glenbuckie, the Stewarts of Annat, and their allies-by-marriage, the Stewarts of Appin, were deeply involved in the planning for the next Rising. Patrick, as the head of a major house, would certainly have been privy to the emerging plans. Given his past experience, he likely viewed the possibility of another rising as a pointless, futile cause, doomed to failure just like the past hundred years.
Meanwhile, Patrick would also have been hearing stories coming back from the colonies by those same people who had been "transported." Stories of lands of opportunity and freedom, far away from the reach of the British government.
"Most commentators have been satisfied that American emigration was led by tacksmen and was due to the collapse of the tacksman system and later to the clearances. While these considerations undoubtedly apply after 1745 it would seem that they have no relevance to 1739. All the leaders were apparently landowners and men of substance. Their move was apparently engendered by disillusionment with the Union, a desire for improvement and the hope of more prosperity than they could expect in the rather forlorn Scotland of the immediate post-Union period."
(Stewart, A.I.B., "The North Carolina Settlement of 1739," The Kintyre Antiquarian and Natural History Society Magazine, Issue Number 15, Spring 1984.)
The Argyll Expedition
In Campbeltown, in Kintyre, Argyllshire, Scotland, plans were starting to be made for an expedition of colonists to the New World in America. Their destination was the colony of North Carolina. We don't know exactly how Patrick came to be connected to the planned expedition from Argyll, it may have been through a marital connection unknown to us; it may have been through a connection to the Campbell Earls of Argyll in Campbeltown. But Patrick was invited to join six Argyllshire gentlemen and three hundred commoners to settle in North American colony of North Carolina.
Selling the family estate
Duncan Stewart (1739) describes Patrick Stewart as being the current holder of Ledcreich and as being 5th in lineal descent from Patrick Stewart, 1st of Ledcreich. Duncan's book was published the very same year that Patrick Stewart left for America. Before departing, a mere eight years after inheriting Ledcreich, Patrick sold the estate that had been in his family for eight generations to Capt. John Glas Stewart of Benmore, whom Duncan Stewart (1739) elsewhere refers to as "now of Ledcreich."
Farewell to Scotland
Patrick Stewart, along with his wife, Elizabeth, and their two surviving children, together with Patrick's younger unmarried brother, William, travelled to Campbeltown and on June 6th, 1739, they boarded the ship “Thistle” of Saltcoats, under its shipmaster, Robert Brown, and sailed for Cape Fear in America.
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Patrick and Elizabeth had three more children after settling in America.
Another history of the Stewarts, entitled, A Genealogical History of the Royal and Illustrious Family of the Stewarts, from the year 1034 to the year 1710, written by George Crawford and James Watson, published in 1710, was circulting during the time when Patrick was preparing to leave Scotland. The book contained errors in its presentation of Patrick’s family. Patrick wrote to the publisher in an effort to get the errors corrected, but received no reply. After giving up waiting for a reply from the publisher, in 1763, Patrick dictated to his son Charles, his own version of the correct family history. In that history, Patrick says of himself:
“January 18th, 1763. “1st. Patrick Stewart, of Ledcreich, in the Balghinder [Balquhidder], the southeast [sic, southwest] district of Perthshire, and Elizabeth his wife, daughter to Doctor Duncan Menzies and his wife Margaret, daughter to Robert Menzies, cousin-german to Sir Robert Menzies, of Weem, and grandfather to the present Sir Robert and William Stewart, brother-german to the said Patrick, came in company with six Argyllshire gentlemen and above three hundred common people from Scotland to Cape Fear in North Carolina the year 1739. The said Patrick was eldest lawful son to Alexander Stewart of Ledcreich, and Catherine his wife, daughter to Alexander Stewart, brother to Robert Stewart, of Glenogle, predecessor of John Stewart, of Hindfield and Strauser [Stronslany].”
Stewart Clan Magazine quotes this same history in its Dec 1956 issue:
“Patrick Stewart and his wife came to America in company with six Argyleshire gentleman and above 300 common people from Scotland to Cape Fear in North Carolina in the year 1739.” By the word ‘gentlemen’ he meant men who were of the class of landlords, or tenants of the king, while ‘common’ people were those who held no royal property or privilege. “Patrick Stewart of Ledcreich, in Balquhidder, in the southeast district of Perthshire,” the narrator wrote, “and Elizabeth, his wife, daughter of Dr. Duncan Menzies and his wife Margaret (daughter of Robert Menzies, cousin-german to Sir Robert Menzies of Weems and grandfather of the present Sir Robert), and William Stewart, brother-german to the said Patrick.” (Edson, George, Stewart Clan Magazine, Tome G, December 1956, vol. 34, no. 6, pp.177-179)
Gordon MacGregor, The Red Book of Scotland, says:
“Patrick Stewart, 5th of Ledcreich, succeeded his father and purchased the feu of the lands of Ledcreich from James, Duke of Atholl, on 8 January 1731. He married at Dull, on 31 October 1733, to Elizabeth, daughter of Duncan Menzies, surgeon in Camuserny,and in company with his brother William Stewart, “six Argyleshire gentlemen and above three hundred common people” he emigrated to Cape Fear in North Carolina, in 1739. He died on 1 May 1772 and had issue.”
The group called itself the Argyll Colony because Argyll was the shire in western Scotland from which they sailed. They were the vanguard of what began as a trickle and grew into a flood of Highland emigrants to what was then Bladen County, North Carolina. The colony sailed from Scotland in June 1739. On 6 June the customs office of Campbeltown, Argyll, cleared the “Thistle” (ship) of passengers for “Cape Fear in America.” From Cambeltown, she sailed to Gigha to take on additional passengers and join the “Charming Molly” (ship), cleared at Belfast also to carry part of the colony.
Stewart Clan Magazine says:
“Patrick Stewart, born about 1687 (sic), at Ledcreich, Balquhidder parish, Perthshire, was heir to the lairdship of that estate. He married Elizabeth Menzies, daughter of Dr. Duncan Menzies and his wife Margaret (daughter of Robert Menzies, “cousin german to Sir Robert Menzies of Weem, and grandfather to the present Sir Robert”). With his younger brother William, “in company with six Argyllshire gentlemen, and upwards of 300 common people from Scotland,” Patrick and his wife came in 1739 to Wilmington, North Carolina, forming a settlement at Brown’s Marsh, on the Cape Fear river. In 1740 Patrick and Dugald Stewart received grants of land on the Cape Fear River in Bladen county. In 1756, Patrick had a grant of land on Harnett’s Branch, and in 1763, at Brown’s Marsh, both in Bladen County. After the Stuarts failed to re-establish themselves on the throne in 1746 the laird of Ledcreich is said to have decided never to return to Scotland, and sold his estate there to his younger brother, Robert. (sic) On Jan. 18, 1763, he had his son Charles write down his genealogy, from which many of these data are taken. After the marriage of his daughter Catherine in 1764, he and his wife “removed to South Carolina at the Cheraws, where he died about 1772.” The will of Patrick Stewart of St.David’s parish [co-extensive with Cheraws district], S.C., dated May 8, 1772, divided his property among his wife Elizabeth, son James, daughters Catherine Little and Margaret Caraway, and his grandson Charles Stewart Caraway: the executors were Catherine Little and Alexander Gordon. Children: Charles, c.1721, died in 1765, in Wilmington, N.C., unmarried; Margaret: m. (1) Thomas Stewart, (2) John Caraway; James: m. ______ Vilpontan, in South Carolina; Catherine: m. (1) Dec. 25, 1764, William Little, (2) July -, 1774, John Speed; Elizabeth: m. James Stewart, her cousin.” (Edson, George, Stewart Clan Magazine, Tome C, May 1935, vol. xii, no. 11, pp.121-122)
Patrick Stewart and the colony arrived in North Carolina in September and probably spent most of their first winter in or near Newton (soon to be renamed Wilmington) because they had not yet decided on a specific location for settlement. Earlier settlers, mostly from Pennsylvania and Jersey, had already taken up most of the river frontage along the Cape Fear as far up as the mouth of Lower Little River, some twenty miles above Cross Creek. For that reason, the Argyll Colonists had to go farther upriver to find available river frontage, the preferred location because, in the absence of roads at the time, the river was the most convenient highway. On 4 and 5 June 1740, some twenty-five men with Highland names were issued patents for a total of 14,000 acres in parcels of varying sizes on both sides of the river as far up as The Forks, the confluence of the Haw and Deep Rivers which form the Cape Fear, about fifty miles above Cross Creek.
In 1740 Patrick Stewart received land grants for 320 acres in Bladen County, North Carolina. In 1756 he was granted land on Harnett’s Branch, and in 1763 at Brown’s Marsh, all in Bladen County. After the Stuarts failed to re-establish themselves on the throne of England and Scotland in 1746, Patrick is said to have decided to never return to Scotland. On January 18, 1763, he and his son, Charles, wrote down his genealogy. Patrick and his wife Elizabeth later moved following his daughter, Catherine and her husband William Little, to South Carolina at the Cheraws where he died 1772.
The will of Patrick Stewart of St David’s Parish in the Cheraws District of North Carolina, dated 8-May-1772, divided his property among his wife, Elizabeth, son James, daughters Catherine Little and Margaret Caraway, and his grandson Charles Stewart Caraway. The executors were Catherine Little (who in 1774 married John Speed) and Alexander Gordon.
The old written record of the Stewart ancestors which was dictated by Patrick Stewart, former Laird of Ledcreich, Balquhidder, Scotland, on January 18, 1763, and recorded by Patrick’s son, Charles, was in the possession of Patrick’s granddaughter, Ann Gist (Ann was the daughter of Patrick’s son, James) at the time of her death. Her surviving husband, Gist, sent this original record to Dr Morgan Brown who was married to Patrick Stewart’s granddaughter, Elizabeth Little (daughter of Catherine Stewart). It has survived these many years in the Brown family bible and was published in the American Historical Magazine; University Press, Volume 8; Date: 1902.
“During his lifetime Patrick Stewart corresponded with the members of his family who remained in Old Scotia. At long intervals, American cousins have visited the old manorial hall in Balgheidder (Balquhidder), and have been hospitably entertained on making themselves known.” (The American Historical Register)
The first and second marriages of Patrick Stewart and the three daughters from these marriage are not recorded in any of the later genealogies of the Stewarts of Ledcreich, but the births are found in the Balquhidder Church records. The third daughter married and remained in Scotland. It is presumed that the first two daughters either died in childhood or also married and remained in Scotland and thus were unknown to their later American kin.
Stewart Clan Magazine published a final update on Patrick Stewart in 1957:
Patrick Stewart, born about 1705 (This date is speculative. He may have been born even before the year 1700.) in Balquhidder parish, Perthshire, Scotland, was, no doubt, well acquainted with his maternal grandfather, Alexander Stewart, who was a younger brother of Robert Stewart of Glenagle. He probably knew his cousins.
Patrick Stewart sold his lands of Ledcreich in Balquhidder to John Stewart, a younger son of John Stewart of Aucharn in Argyleshire, and sailed with his wife and young children for American in 1739. He and John McLauren bought Oct. 31, 1739, of Ann Shirley two tracts of land of 300 acres each in Bladen County, North Carolina. Later, on May 21, 1741, he was granted a patent to 600 acres of land on Maple branch, in the same county. He, “of New Hanover County,” sold to John McLauren on June 16, 1747, his half of the 600-acre tract which together they had bought of Ann Shirley in 1739. On Sep. 29, 1750, Patrick was granted 200 acres on John Young’s path between Six Runs and Goshen swamp in Sampson [then in Duplin] County. He sold this place to Peter Smith for 20 pounds on Feb. 23, 1754. At that time, he was residing on the place, for the deed said that he was “of Duplin County.” He evidently moved to Bladen County within the next twelve years, for on Dec. 19, 1766, Pat. Stuart (This Pat. Stewart may have been the son of William Stewart, for it is said that he changed the spelling of his name to Stuart.) and Peter Broades signed as witnesses to a deed from Joseph Clarke to James Stewart of Bladen County, conveying 292 acres of land on the south bank of Cape Fear River, in Bladen county.
James Stewart had, by that date, married Patrick’s daughter Elizabeth. Some eight months later, on Aug. 7, 1767, “Patrick Stewart, late of Bladen County,” deeded to his grandson, Charles Stewart Carraway, “son to John Carraway & Margaret, his wife, my oldest lawful daughter,” for love and affection, a negro lad named Sambo. This deed, which was recorded in Cumberland County, stipulated that if Charles Stewart Carraway should die before his marriage the negro should “return to his full brother, James Carraway.”
Margaret had first married one Thomas Stewart, who died early, leaving her with a little daughter, Elizabeth; and she afterward married John Carraway, by whom she had four children - James, Charles, Thomas and Robert. Robert Carraway died young.
Patrick’s son Charles died in 1765 in Wilmington, unmarried, and James went to Dorchester County, South Carolina, perhaps because he had relatives there. Charles was, perhaps, the Charles Stewart, mariner, “of Brunswick in county & province of North Carolina & New Hanover County” who, on Aug. 16, 1759, gave power-of-attorney to William Bradley to collect his share of prize money and salary which might be due him for his services and prize money of captives taken by Thomas Wright, commander of the Hawk, a privateersman, “on board the said brigt. Hawk on his last cruise.”
After the marriage of his daughter Catherine to William Little, jr., (of Edenton) in 1764 Patrick Stewart went to live in South Carolina, “at the Cheraws,” probably in that part which is now Darlington County. There he died some time before the Revolutionary war. Designing himself as “Patrick Stewart of St. David’s parish” (which was Cheraws district, formed in 1768), he made his will May 8, 1772. He appointed as his executors Catherine Little and Alexander Gordon, and named his wife Elizabeth; son James; daughter Catherin Little; daughter Margaret Carraway; and grandson Charles Stewart Carraway. Children:
Margaret, c.1730 : m. (1) Thomas Stewart, (2) John Carraway
James : m. ______ Vilpontan : had daughter Ann
Charles : died in 1765 in Wilmington, unmarried
Catherine : m. (1) Dec. 26, 1764, William Little, (2) John Speed
Elizabeth : m. James Stewart (of Robeson county)
(Edson, George, Stewart Clan Magazine, Tome G, January 1957, vol. 34, no. 7, pp.181-183)
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1717, March 9th - Which day Patrick Steuart and Jean Steuart both in this parish listed in order to proclama~ne of bonds and married 19 of March. (Balquhidder OPR)
1728 - Contracted Patrick Stewart and Katrine Stew___ both in this paroch upon 23d November 1728. (Balquhidder OPR)
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1697 - 1772 (75 years)
