| Notes |
- John Stewart was a published poet who travelled throughout Europe. He served as Door Keeper to Lord Henry Dundas, Secretary of State.
Research on John Stewart was conducted by Barbara Neal. (https://geneal4real.wordpress.com/2019/07/06/alexander-stewart-of-balquhidder-footman-to-the-queen-of-denmark/)
On April 6, 1746, John Stewart was born in Tomnasai, Kirkton, Balquhidder, Perthshire, Scotland, as the son of Duncan Stewart, 2nd of Tomnasai, and Jean Campbell. John, a poet, later says that he was “born on the Hill of the Hay, In the Month of May...ten months before the Prince left the Culloden Muir and soon after Falkirk." His reference to "hill of the hay" may be an allusion to the meaning of the Gaelic name Tomnasai. John Stewart was born during the Jacobite Rising.
John is described in quite flattering terms in Stewarts of the South as: "John resided in Callander. [He] was a gentleman's servant and became door keeper to the Secretary of State's Office, in the time of the Honourable Henry Dundas and Mr Pit's administration. [He] has a pension of £80 a year. He was a great favourite of [Henry Dundas,] Lord Melville and Mr. Pit. He has no family. And for all that this man traveled through Europe, his morals were not corrupted, nor his good manners were changed from what they should be, nor from what becomes an honest man. He is loved and respected by all his friends and acquaintances. He rears up and educates his brother's son as a gentleman."
Henry Dundas lived 1742-1811 and served in Parlaiment 1774-1805. In 1766, Henry became Solicitor General for Scotland. John was presumably serving as doorward ca. 1774-1805. William Pitt, served under George III, and was Prime Minister in 1783-1801, 1804-1806.
In 1770, at about 24 years of age, John Stewart left Scotland. In 1796, he wrote that he had been gone 26 years and mentioned that he was working for Gov. James Johnston on Minorca, who was there from 1763-1774.
1774 - 1775 - John Stewart went to Rome with Gov. James Johnston “and all the places and palaces he visited there himself.” John said at Easter, 1775, that he climbed the rope-work to the cupola of St. Peter’s. He later wrote a poem about it, which is in his 1800 book.
In 1775, Henry Dundas became Lord Advocate for Scotland, having been a Member of Parliament for Midlothian since 1774. In that same year, John Stewart was in Florence, Italy, on the first day of Lent. John requested, and was granted a brief meeting with Prince Charles Stuart, who was in exile there. In his 1800 book, John described two conversations in which he says about himself that he was born in the Kirkton of Balquhidder between the battles of Falkirk and Culloden, and that he was a son of Tom-na-soi in Glenbuckie and that his mother was of the Campbells of Breadalbane. At the mention of Glenbuckie, Prince Charles said “Ah! Poor Alexander, I remember that affair,” which was a reference to the suspicious death of Capt. Alexander Stewart, 10th of Glenbuckie. Another account of John’s meeting with the Prince appears in The Lyon in Mourning, Vol III, in which the unidentified speaker claims the slain Stewart chieftain was a “close relative.”
In 1784, John Stewart was in Lorraine, France, and received news of the return of forfeited Scottish lands from the Exchequer to “the unfortunate Stuarts.” The farm in Kirkton, Balquhidder remained in the hands of Randald McGregor.
In 1786, Ranald McGregor, son of Rob Roy, died and the farm at Kirkton, including Tomnasai, went to the McLarens.
In 1790, Sir Robert Boyd started his second term as Governor of Gibraltar. John Stewart‘s later statements about Boyd's death suggests that John was on Gibraltar at this time.
In 1791, Henry Dundas was appointed Secretary of State for the Home Department.
In August, 1793, John wrote his poem on Europa-point, Gibraltar.
In 1794, Sir Robert Boyd, Governor of Gibraltar, died. John said he served him for four years. It may be at this point that John Stewart, age 48, went to work for Mr. Dundas in London.
In 1797, Governor James Johnston died. John Stewart served Johnston on Minorca and saw him buried at Westminster Abbey. “Fighting Johnston” was at battles of Fontenoy in 1745 and Minden in 1759. He was Lt. Governor of Minorca 1763-1774 and (absentee) Governor of Quebec from 1774-1797.
In August, 1798, the Battle of the Nile took place. It was a great naval victory for Admiral Nelson and was referenced in one of John Stewart’s poems.
In June, 1799, John Stewart, age 53, retired to Callander, Perthshire, Scotland.
In 1800, John Stewart published in London, Britons United, or Britannia Roused, a book of poems and stories about his life and career in the British Government, coinciding with his retirement from Mr. Dundas’ office. The bookseller was William Stewart of Piccadilly, and the printer was D. Stewart of Bridgeport, Westminster, possible relatives in London.
In 1805, the Battle of Trafalgar occured which was referenced in one of John Stewart’s poems.
On June 18, 1815, the Battle of Waterloo was fought. It was referenced in John Stewart’s poems.
1817 - John Stewart publishes book in Edinburgh, written from his home in Callander. This is another book of poems plus a reprint of Alex’s book and a mini-bio, from which many facts on this page are reckoned.
John Stewart never married nor had any children.
In 1827, local newspapers record the death of a John Stewart at a farm at Callander, as well as stories about a John Stewart, formerly of Callander, raising cattle at Greenock, who was trampled to death by one of his own bulls at the age 90. About the same time, there is a death record for a John Stewart, age 90, occupation Porter, which matches with the account of Stewarts of the South saying that John Stewart was a doorman for Mr. Dundas. It is not know if any or all of these accounts refers to John Stewart, and his age is out by a decade.
John is also listed in Mitchell's Monumental Inscriptions as one of the three sons of Duncan who placed a stone in Brig O' Turk cemetery in memory of their father: "From Brig O' Turk Cemetery, 26 table stone (next to 25) DS 1786. IC. Pelican plucking its breast, on her nest. Alexander STEWART, brother John STEWART of Glenbucky, first son Duncan, 6 JUN 1760, age 68 (by sons Alexander, John, Duncan)".
For further information:
https://geneal4real.wordpress.com/2019/07/06/alexander-stewart-of-balquhidder-footman-to-the-queen-of-denmark/
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Abt 1746 - Abt 1827 (~ 80 years)
