| Notes |
- Lt. James Steuart was a brother to Sir John Steuart, Valet to Prince Charlie.
RA SP/MAIN/467 f. 152-154 Contains a series of letters exchanged from February to April 1773 from Col. Grant of Blairfindy, one of the highest ranking jacobite officers in service in the French army at the time. He informed Lord Cayll, Prince Charlie's secretary and main advisor at the time, of having used the name of the King over the Water to recommend for a promotion and for receiving the Order of Saint Louis, lieutenant James Steuart, brother of John Steuart, the Prince's valet. The recommendation was addressed to Louis François, marquis de Monteynard, Secretary of State for War, who -in the words of Blairfindy- kept in great esteem Charles and always called him King when speaking with Blairfindy. In virtue of such recommendation the Marquis complied, obtaining from King Louis both graces required and promoting Steuart to the rank of captain. Monteynard specified “the consideration of the protection of Prince Charles Edward have mainly determined those two dispositions by His Majesty”. However, Lord Caryll reprimanded Blairfindy for having used the King’s name of his own initiative and without the formal consent of the Jacobite court, especially in a time in which Versailles was not supporting the Cause adequately.
Lieutenant James Steuart was here described as a veteran of the 1745, having served in Keppoch's battalion and was currently serving in the scottish Ogilvy's regiment (Regiment Ecossois d'Ogilvy, note you will find from various sources that the regiment had been incorporated in 1762 in the Regiment irlandais de Clare, but this seems to be incorrect). James was, at least at the time, evidently a Catholic being otherwise not eligible to the Order of St Louis (for protestant in the French service there was an equivalent honour which was "the protestant cross"). I've consulted No Quarter Given, the Muster Roll of Prince Charlie's Army, but for Keppoch's regiment are known to have served only three Stewarts man, all named John, all having surrendered themselves to the Government forces in May 1746. I think none of them is related with John or James.
FULL STATI D'ANIME TRANSCRIPTION Age YEAR ESTIMATED BIRTH
Mons Gioanni Stuart eret. 40 1766 1726
Mr Gioanni Stuardo Eretico 52 1767 1715
Mr Giovanni Stuard Ca.re Scozzese eretico 53 1768 1715
Monsgr Stuard eretico 55 1770 1715
Gio: Stuart di Scozia cam.re Eret.° 45 1771 1726
Sig. Giovanni Stuard Ingl.ĕ Eretico Libero 50 1772 1722
Sig. Gio.ni Steuard Scozzese 53 1773 1720
As you can see the these records are sometimes incoherent being entries written each year during the Easter benediction of the houses by priests which came visiting often in a hurry. Anyway Steuart is described as "eretico" (heretic) meaning he was a protestant. Such decription is no more present from 1773 when he married and evidently converted to catholicism. His date of birth remains quite uncertain given the contradictory ages registered, but it's for sure to be located between 1715 and 1726.
James wrote his Last Will on 1.IX.1791, but it has not been possible to find it in the archives where it should have been deposited.
(Stefano Baccolo)
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1726 - Abt 1791 (~ 76 years)
