Peter Stewart in Puslinch, Wellington, Ontario, Canada

Peter Stewart in Puslinch, Wellington, Ontario, Canada on the Donkey Sanctuary Farm

Ancestors from a Royal Clan

Peter Stewart was the tenth of eleven children and the fourth son born to Robert Stewart in Morell and his wife, Catharine McNaughtan. Peter Stewart was descended from the family of the Stewarts of Dalveich, who were, in turn, an illegitimate cadet branch of the Stewarts of Ardvorlich, who were the senior family of Clan Stewart of Balquhidder, a Royal Stewart clan.

They were Jacobites, loyal to the Stewart line of kings, with a notorious history in the Highlands of southwest Perthshire, Scotland. They were descended from King Robert II of Scots, the first Stewart king in Scotland. That also makes them descendants of King Robert The Bruce, the hero king of Scotland, who was grandfather to King Robert II.

Puslinch

Puslinch Township is located just south, southwest and southeast of the city of Guelph, Ontario, Canada. It’s most famous resident is Justin Bieber who owns a lakefront mansion on Puslinch Lake. The township was originally surveyed between 1828-1832 by David Gibson, whose name will come up later in our family history. Our Stewarts arrived in 1834, just two years after the original surveying was completed. They were among the earliest European colonizing settlers.

By 1846 the population of Puslinch reached 1500, most of whom were Gaelic-speaking Highland Scots. One of the larger settlement in Puslinch Township is the village of Aberfoyle. It was founded in the 1840s by John McFarlane who came from Aberfoyle, Perthshire, Scotland, just southwest of Balquhidder, where our Stewarts originate. (Wikipedia) 

Attawandaron Lands

But before the Stewarts arrived, this land belonged to the Attawandaron First Nation. The early French explorers called them the Neutral Nation, because they remained neutral between the Huron and Iroquois peoples.

Europeans began encroaching on this land in the early 1600s. Our trickle became a flood of immigration after the American Revolution in 1776. By the early 1800s, the nearby towns of Guelph, Hamilton, Cambridge and Galt were already established, and European immigrant farmers were moving in en masse to gobble up the land and establish pioneer settler farms.

Robert Stewart was among them those early colonial settlers.

Duff’s Presbyterian Church

Duff’s Church in Puslinch was founded in 1837, just three years after our Stewarts arrived in the township. Among the founding elders were Peter’s brother, Robert Stewart, and his father-in-law, Hugh Gillespie, and Peter McNaughton (believed to be Robert’s mother’s cousin.) Peter’s mother, Widow Catharine Stewart, is listed among the founding members.

Peter Stewart later became an elder and taught Sunday School at Duffs. He was also involved in the debate over the proposed introduction of “the Devil’s instrument” (the organ) into worship services, which had, up to that point, involved only unaccompanied singing.

The Gaelic-speaking Highlanders in Puslinch held fiercely to their homeland customs and language and Duff’s Presbyterian Church, where they worshipped, originally held services only in Gaelic and continued worship in Gaelic into the early 20th century.

The Story of Peter Stewart’s Stone Farmhouse

Photos of Peter Stewart’s Farm

Peter Stewart in Puslinch

Peter Stewart,   b. Abt 24 Jul 1820, Morell, Comrie, Perthshire, Scotland ,   d. 3 Dec 1901, Puslinch, Wellington County, Ontario, Canada   (Age ~ 81 years). Peter married on 1 Jan 1865 in Duff’s Presbyterian Church in Puslinch, Wellington County, Ontario, Canada  to Catherine McLean,   b. 1843, Inverness-shire, Scotland ,   d. 16 Jan 1883, Puslinch, Wellington County, Ontario, Canada   (Age 40 years).

Settling in Puslinch

With the older Stewart siblings established in Hamilton, the younger siblings and their widowed mother acquired a land grant for future farm development on Concession 3, Lot 19-rear, in Puslinch Township, Wellington County, Ontario, just southwest of the newly settled village of Guelph, Ontario. (See map above.) It is likely that MacNab aided in their land acquisition.

The Puslinch settlers included: widow Catharine Stewart (age 60), and siblings, Robert Stewart, Jr. (21), Catharine Stewart (18), Peter Stewart (14) and William Stewart (9). They arrived in Puslinch in 1834.

There was only one road between Hamilton and Guelph in 1834. It would have been a rough dirt path through the forest. At the time that they settled in Puslinch, their land was still uncleared, rough forest — they were true pioneer settlers, and they were the first Europeans to live on their land. Before they could farm their land or even build a house, they first had to clear the land of trees.

Peter’s older brother, Robert, became head of the household in Puslinch and married shortly thereafter to Mary Gillespie, whose family shared the same land.

First Winter in a Shanty

Their first winter was spent in little more than a shack. Peter Stewart’s childhood memory described it as “a shanty without any door but an old country blanket hung over.” Bears, wolves, and rattlesnakes were common hazards. Peter recalled a bear actually barging into the shanty at one point. As someone who has lived through many southern Ontario winters, I can only imagine how harsh it must have been. Highlanders were hardy people.

Peter and the Drunk Oxen

It appears that Peter was a bit wild while growing up. His memoirs tell of a time while he was helping clear a neighbour’s farm land. “There was a great work party with many neighbours and their oxen working to clear trees and stumps.” Peter’s team of oxen were going slower than everyone else’s so he fed them each a bottle of whisky. Apparently they perked up a bit afterwards! He also comments that fortunately they were not his oxen!

Peter also used to haul whisky to Toronto for David Allen of Guelph. Peter and his partner Robert Allen (David’s brother) would sell the whisky for $0.20/gallon. Their trip from Guelph to Toronto and back would take four days.

Peter Helps Build the Brock Road

Between 1838-1846, Peter worked as a road builder, like his older brother, Duncan. Peter worked for Absalom Shade, one of the founders of the town of Galt, to build what is now Brock Road through west Puslinch township. This work provided a significant secondary income for the Stewart household. (History of Brock Road) (This story may have been confused with a later story below.)

Tragedy – a Family Orphaned by Smallpox

In 1848, tragedy struck the Stewart household in the form of a smallpox outbreak in the community, killing Peter’s brother, Robert Stewart, his wife Mary Gillespie, and their mother Widow Catharine Stewart (MacNaughtan), leaving Robert’s four children orphaned.

Siblings Catharine Stewart and Peter Stewart (now ages 32 and 28) stepped up to help raise the orphaned children, including Robert III (age 12), Hugh (9) and Catharine (7). The youngest orphan, James (2), initially went to live with his aunt, Margaret Stewart and her husband William McCallum, in Hamilton, but later rejoined his siblings in Puslinch.

The 1851 census shows Peter and his sister, Catharine, with orphans Robert (14), Hugh (12), and (10) Catharine residing with them in Puslinch, Ontario, Canada. Orphan James was residing with his aunt Margaret in Hamilton. They are residing in a 1 storey log house.

Peter Fights off a Bear with a Branding Iron

“A bear came and got among the pigs and took one of them. I took a fire brand and gave chase, overtook the bear and struck him across the head, but he would not let loose the pig. [Our] dog, a large, heavy one, made an attack on the bear. Still he would not let loose, but he took the pig to the hill in the bush and had a good meal out of it and left what he could not eat under a turned-up maple tree.”

— Peter Stewart, from The McPhatter Letter

Peter Builds the Stone Farmhouse

It is estimated that Peter’s stone farmhouse was built sometime in the 1860s or 1870s. It seems likely that he may have wanted to have it built in time for his new bride to move into in 1866.

(A full gallery of photos of the stone farmhouse is shown above.)

Peter Marries Catherine McLean and Raises a Family

Peter and Catherine raised their niece and nephews until they were old enough to live on their own. (For the story of the orphans and their descendants, see Robert Stewart, Jr.) It was only after the orphans were grown and gone that, in 1866, Peter, then age 46, married the young Catherine McLean, age 23, half his age. Together they had nine children of their own. Witnesses at Peter and Catherine Mclean’s wedding included their nephew, Hugh Stewart and Peter’s younger brother, William Stewart.

In 1871, Peter was residing at concession 3, lot 19, in Puslinch, Wellington, Ontario, Canada, as the property owner, employed as a farmer, residing with his sister, Catharine, and his wife, Catherine, and their children Mary (4), Robert (3) and newborn Catherine Ann. Also residing with them is Peter’s nephew, Edward (13), son of Peter’s brother, William Stewart. Peter’s older sister, Jane, and her son, Peter McCowan (McGowan) was also residing with them. (p2, line4, family 6,) He has 100 acres with one house, one barn, 2 carriages/sleighs, 3 carts/wagons/sleds, 3 ploughs, 1 reaper, and 1 fanning mill. He has improved 75 of his 100 acres, with 10 acres in pasture, 2 acres in gardens or orchards, 10 acres in wheat, yielding 90 bushels in spring wheat and 100 bushels in fall wheat, 80 bushels in barley, 200 bushels in oats, 60 bushels in peas, 1 acre yielding 200 bushels in potatoes, 1600 bushels in turnips, 50 bushels in beets, 40 bushels in carrots, 8 acres yielding 15 tonnes of hay, and 30 bushels of apples. He has 3 horses over 3 years old, 1 colt or filly, 4 milk cows, 7 other horned cattle, 20 sheep, 4 swine. In the past year he slaughtered 3 cattle, 22 sheep, 6 swine. He generated 200 pounds of butter, 80 pounds of homemade cheese, 100 pounds of wool, 20 yards of homemade cloth or flannel, and 11 cords of firewood.

Children

Peter Stewart and Catherine Mclean had the following children:

The Stewart Farm Passes to the Third Generation

In 1901, Neil was residing in Puslinch, Wellington, Ontario, Canada, with his widowed father and younger siblings. His father died later that year and Neil inherited the family farm.

The 1906 Historical Atlas of the County of Wellington, says: “Neil owns and lives on the old homestead (200 acres) where he carries on mixed farming, making a specialty of breeding carriage horses, which he raises the very best. Mr. Stewart takes an interest in military matters, and is a member of the Wellington Field Battery. He m. Kate McPherson. Issue: Peter D.” (Historical Atlas of the County of Wellington, Ontario.Toronto: Historical Atlas Publishing Co., 1906)

In 1911, Neil was residing in Puslinch, Wellington, Ontario, Canada, with his wife and teenage boys. He was employed as a farmer.

In 1921, Neil was residing in Puslinch, Wellington, Ontario, Canada, with his wife and teenage boys. He was employed as a farmer.

In 1935, Neil, age 63, was residing in Puslinch, Wellington, Ontario, Canada, working as a farmer. On the Canada Voter List with him are his wife, his son Douglas Stewart, listed as a farmer, his son Donald Stewart, listed as a farmer, his widowed sister Margaret Stewart and her sons, Kenneth Stewart and John Stewart, both farmers, and her spinster daughter Helen Stewart.

In 1940, Neil, age 68, was residing in Puslinch, Wellington, Ontario, Canada, working as a farmer. On the Canada Voter List with him are his wife, his son Douglas Stewart, listed as a farmer, his son Donald Stewart, listed as a trucker, and Donald’s wife, Neil’s widowed sister Margaret Stewart and her son, John Stewart, a farmer, and John’s wife, and her son, George Stewart, an aviator.

In 1945, Neil, age 73, was residing in Puslinch, Wellington, Ontario, Canada, working as a farmer. On the Canada Voter List with him are his wife, his son Douglas Stewart, listed as a farmer. Douglas is listed first, ahead of Neil, suggesting that Douglas had taken over the farm by this point. Also listed are Neil’s son Donald Stewart, listed as a trucker, and Donald’s wife, Neil’s widowed sister Margaret Stewart and her son, John Stewart, a farmer, and John’s wife, and her son, George Stewart, a soldier.

In 1949, Neil, age 77, was residing in Puslinch, Wellington, Ontario, Canada, working as a farmer. On the Canada Voter List with him are his wife and his son Douglas Stewart, listed as a farmer. Listed separately are Neil’s son Donald Stewart, listed as a trucker, and Donald’s wife. And in another separate listing are Neil’s widowed sister Margaret Stewart and her son, John Stewart, a farmer, and John’s wife.

Neil died in 1954, and the Stewart family farm passed to his son Douglas, as the fourth generation of Stewarts to own the farm since 1834.

Children

Neil and Catherine had the following children:

Sources

The following documents present three differing accounts of the life of Peter Stewart from which the above narrative is derived. As is to be expected, they disagree on some finer details. The narrative above represents this author’s attempt to reconcile these sources with other sources, including census records, baptism and marriage records, and local newspaper clippings to create a coherent narrative of Peter’s life.