Robert Stewart in Puslinch, Wellington, Ontario, Canada - Ryk Brown

Robert Stewart, Jr., and Mary Gillespie in Puslinch, Wellington, Ontario, Canada

This is the story of the tragically short lives of Robert Stewart, Jr., and his wife, Mary Gillespie, and the descendants of their orphaned children.

Robert Stewart, Jr., was born in the clachan of Morell in Easter Glentarken, Comrie Parish, Perthshire, Scotland and immigrated in 1833-34 with his siblings and widowed mother to Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. With the likely assistance of their distant cousin, Sir Allan Napier MacNab, Robert and Mary acquired a farm in Puslinch township, just southwest of the city of Guelph, Ontario, Canada. That farm is now the Donkey Sanctuary of Canada.

Robert would have been fluently bilingual in both Gaelic (his first language) and English.

Ancestors from a Royal Clan

Robert Stewart (Jr) was the eighth of eleven children and the third son of Robert Stewart in Morell and his wife, Catharine McNaughtan. Robert 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.

Tragedy

In 1848, Puslinch was hit by a small pox outbreak, claiming the lives of Robert and Mary, and leaving four orphaned children. This is their story.

Young man crouching beside his ancestor's gravestone

Gravestone: Robert Stewart, Mary Gillespie & Catharine Stewart (nee McNaughtan)

Robert Stewart with his 4x-great-grandson, Ewan Brown

Robert Stewart in Morell

Stewarts of Dalveich

Stewarts of Ardvorlich

Clan Stewart of Balquhidder

The Donkey Sanctuary of Canada farm property in west Puslinch (shown above) was originally owned in 1834 by Robert Stewart. After his premature death, the farm passed to his younger brother, Peter Stewart.

Duff’s Presbyterian Church

Duff’s Presbyterian Church, Puslinch – exterior

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. Among the founding elders were Robert Stewart, Robert’s father-in-law, Hugh Gillespie, and Peter McNaughton (believed to be Robert’s mother’s cousin.) Robert’s mother, Widow Catharine Stewart, is listed among the founding members.

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.

Robert Stewart and Mary Gillespie in Puslinch

Robert Stewart, b. Abt 13 Jun 1813, Morell, Comrie, Perthshire, Scotland , d. Jan 1849, Puslinch, Wellington County, Ontario, Canada (Age ~ 35 years). Robert was the 8th of 11 children and 3rd son born to Robert Stewart in Morell. Robert, the younger, was named after his father following the traditional Scottish naming pattern.

Robert married on 22 Jul 1836 in nearby Galt, Wellington County, Ontario, Canada to Mary Gillespie, b. 12 Jul 1811, Deanston, Kilmadock, Perthshire, Scotland , d. Feb 1848, Puslinch, Wellington County, Ontario, Canada (Age 36 years), daughter of Hugh Gillespie, b. 19 Nov 1774, Lecropt, Perthshire, Scotland , d. Abt 15 Feb 1848, Puslinch, Wellington County, Ontario, Canada (Age 73 years) and Mary Reid, b. Abt 1780, Scotland (probably Perthshire) , d. UNKNOWN, Ontario. It is not known whether Robert and Mary met in Scotland prior to emigration or in Canada after immigration.

Gillespie Family in Kilmadock (not yet published)

Because their lives were cut short, Robert and Mary have left us no words of their own. There is no first-hand account of their lives. Only two of their four children left surviving descendants, and one of those is in another country, thus reducing the opportunity for even second-hand accounts of their lives to be passed down through the generations. Everything we know about them comes from the accounts of Robert’s surviving brothers, Duncan and Peter, as well as public records. What follows is my best attempt to pull together a narrative from those different sources.

Life in Scotland

Robert Stewart was born in 1813 in the clachan of Morell, Easter Glentarken, Comrie, Perthshire, Scotland. The Comrie OPR records his place of birth as “Moril.” He was the eighth child of Robert Stewart and Catharine McNaughtan.

Immigrating to the New World

When Robert was still a young boy, the local landlord in Scotland decided to empty Glen Tarken of residents and forcefully moved all his tenant cottars to the nearby village of St. Fillans. Economic conditions and increasing rents finally drove Robert’s family to the point of deciding to leave Scotland and sale to the New World. The entire family emigrated en masse, including all 11 children, the older siblings spouses and their children, as well as Robert’s widowed mother. Robert would have been 21 when the family left Scotland. The full story of their hazardous journey, including losing all their possession at the bottom of a river after their barge sank, is detailed in Robert’s mother’s notes.

Arriving in Hamilton, Ontario Canada

Upon arriving in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, the family was temporarily quarantined in the waterfront warehouse district due to a cholera outbreak. Having lost all their possessions on the journey, Robert’s family presented themselves at the door of their distant cousin, Sir Allan Napier MacNab, latterly of Dundurn Castle, Hamilton. Robert’s maternal grandmother was a MacNab from nearby to the original Dundurn in Perthshire, Scotland, not far from Robert’s birthplace. MacNab provided housing in Hamilton for the older siblings and likely assisted Robert and the younger siblings in acquiring the farm property in Puslinch.

Settling in Puslinch, Wellington, Ontario, Canada

Robert and his wife Mary, along with his younger siblings, Catharine, Peter, and William, as well their widowed mother, Catharine, made the 40 km treck from Hamilton to their new home in Puslinch. There was not much of a road through the forest to travel on. The journey, which today takes about 30 minutes by car, would have taken them at least a full day by horse and wagon.

By March 1835 (at the latest) the family had arrived in Puslinch Township, Wellington County, in what was then called Upper Canada (present-day Ontario, Canada). They were among the earliest settlers in Puslinch. They occupied concession 3 lot 19-rear with Robert’s in-laws, the Gillespies, occupying the front of the same lot. When they arrived in Puslinch their property would have been uncleared forest. There was nothing there for them to live in. They had to clear the land themselves and build their own accomodations.

According to Robert’s brother Peter’s memoires, Robert and Mary and their family initially lived in a shanty “without any door, but an old country blanket hung over.” A later biography of Peter Stewart indicates that the land was originally owned by a Mr. Burnside, however it’s more likely that he was just the clerk who sold them the land. The Stewarts appear to have been the original settlers of the property.

The Stewarts and the Gillespies seem to have arrived at the same time. It’s quite probable that the two families knew each other before coming to Puslinch, and possibly even before coming to Canada.

Early census records indicate that the Stewarts were Secessionist Presbyterians, not Church of Scotland. The Secession Presbyterian Church (United Synod) Congregation in Puslinch was organized in part by Hugh Gillespie in 1837. This congregation soon merged with the local Church of Scotland congregation to become Duff’s Presbyterian Church.

In 1842, Robert Stewart was residing in Puslinch, Wellington, Ontario, Canada with his wife and children.

Tragedy

Between February 1848 and January 1849 Robert, his wife Mary and mother Catherine, all died within 11 months of each other. There was a small pox outbreak in the community that year. It is presumed that was their cause of their collective deaths. Robert and Mary had four children (ages 1-11) who found themselves orphaned. Robert’s younger brother Peter and sister Catherine were in their 20s by this point (and residing on the same family farm), and assumed guardianship of their orphaned niece and nephews.

In 1851, Robert and Mary’s older children, Robert, Hugh and Catharine, were residing in Puslinch, Wellington, Ontario, Canada, on the Stewart family farm in the care of their uncle Peter Stewart and aunt Catharine Stewart. Robert and Mary’s youngest son, James, was residing in Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada in the care of his oldest aunt Margaret McCallum (nee Stewart) and her husband, William McCallum. James would have been still nursing at the time and would have needed a guardian capable of breast feeding him. Aunt Margaret was still having children at that point.

Robert Stewart and Mary Gillespie, along with Robert’s mother, Catharine McNaughtan, are buried in Crown Cemetery in Puslinch, Wellington, Ontario, Canada, directly across the road from Duff’s Presbyterian Church.

Peter Stewart Inherits the Farm

After the deaths of Robert Stewart, his wife, Mary Gillespie, and his mother, Catharine McNaughtan Stewart, the family farm passed to Robert’s surviving younger brother, Peter.

The Stewart Orphans

Robert and Mary had the following children, all of whom were orphaned between the ages of 11-1:

Peter Stewart in Puslinch

1. Robert Stewart, b. 20 Jun 1837, Puslinch, Wellington County, Ontario, Canada, d. 25 Aug 1922, Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada (Age 85 years)

Robert Stewart, b. 20 Jun 1837, Puslinch, Wellington County, Ontario, Canada , d. 25 Aug 1922, Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada (Age 85 years). Robert married on 15 Jun 1866 at Central Presbyterian Church in Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada to his first cousin, Elizabeth McCallum, b. 4 Apr 1832, Gorbals, Glasgow, Lanark, Scotland , d. 10 Nov 1912, Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada (Age 80 years), daughter of Margaret Stewart (Robert’s father’s oldest sister) and William McCallum.

Robert Stewart was born in Puslinch, Wellington County, Ontario, Canada on the family farm owned by his parents. His grandmother Catharine Stewart, his aunt Catharine Stewart, and his uncles Peter and William Stewart initially lived with the family. Robert’s parents and grandmother died when Robert was only 11 years old leaving Robert as the eldest of four orphans. Robert and the two next eldest orphans were raised by their uncle, Peter Stewart and aunt, Catherine Stewart on the Stewart farm in west Puslinch, Wellington County, Ontario, Canada. Robert’s youngest brother, James, was raised by his aunt Margaret McCallum in the nearby city of Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada. Robert would later marry that aunt’s daughter.

In 1851 Robert was residing in Puslinch, Wellington, Ontario, Canada with this Uncle Peter Stewart and his orphaned siblings Hugh Stewart and Catharine Stewart.

Robert has not been found in 1861 anywhere in Ontario. Sometime between 1851-1866 Robert moved to Chicago, Illinois, USA. The 1861 Puslinch census does not show Robert living with the rest of his siblings, so it is possible that he may have already left for Illinois by this time. However he has not been found in the 1860 American census. So it’s possible that he may have been residing in Ontario in 1860 and the USA in 1861 thereby missing both censuses.

In 1866 Robert returned briefly to Hamilton to marry his first cousin, Elizabeth (“Edith”) McCallum, daughter of Margaret McCallum (nee Stewart), Robert’s father’s oldest sister. Robert’s youngest brother, James, was a witness to the wedding. Robert Stewart is listed in Central Presbyterian Church’s marriage record as residing in Chicago, Illinois, USA at the time of his wedding. In 1869, Robert’s sister, Catherine, also emigrated to Illinois, settling in Bellflower, south of Chicago.

Robert and Edith began their family in Hamilton where their first two daughters, Margaret and Mary were born. In late 1869 (after the birth of daughter Mary) or early 1870 (prior to the American census), Robert returned to Chicago, Illinois, USA, this time with his young family. The 1870 USA census shows Robert with his wife and first two daughters living in Chicago. Robert was employed as a carpenter, like his father-in-law. Their third child, Robert, was born in Chicago.

By 1873 Robert and his family had returned again to Hamilton where their fourth child, Minnie, was born.

In 1881, Robert was residing in Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada with his wife and children. He was employed as a merchant.

In 1891, Robert was residing in Ward 7 of Hamilton City, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada with his wife and children. He was employed as a brewery agent. Also residing with them was Robert’s 90 year old mother-in-law/aunt, Margaret McCallum.

In 1901, Robert was residing in Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada with his wife and three of his adult children. He was employed as a beer agent.

In 1911, Robert, now 72 years of age, was residing in Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada with his wife and daughters Margaret and Mary along with their husbands. Robert’s employment is given only as “income,” presumably referring to a pension or other retirement income. It is worth noting that, by this time, the alcohol business in Hamilton was become controlled by the emerging Italian mafia, under the future kingpin, Rocco Perri, who had close criminal ties to Chicago. Robert’s son-in-law, Detective John Cameron, would be the first recorded Hamilton Police officer to have an encounter with Rocco Perri. Robert’s niece, Jane Ord Stewart (daughter of Robert’s brother, Hugh) married Tom Brown, future Chief of Police for Hamilton, whose career became very involved with Rocco Perri.

In 1921, Robert, now 83 years of age and widowed, was residing in Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada with his daughter, Mary, and her husband, Jack Leith. Robert was not employed.

Robert and Edith had four children, but only one grandchild, who died as an infant in 1905. Robert died in 1922 from acute pneumonia. He was 85 years old. He had no suriviving descendants. With the deaths of his children, this line became extinct.

Robert’s gravestone reads:

Hamilton Cemetery
Hamilton, Hamilton Municipality, Ontario, Canada
PLOT M/O, 1878
Inscription
Robert STEWART / died Aug. 25, 1922 / aged 85 years / Elizabeth McCALLUM / wife of / Robert STEWART / died Nov. 10, 1912 / in her 75th year / Robert James / their only son / died April 24, 1906 / in his 32nd year / Jack LEITH / 1873 – 1964 / John CAMERON / born June 27, 1861 / died July 11, 1921 / Annie CAMERON BEAR / born Nov. 4, 1875 / died Apr. 16, 1956 / Muriel / died Aug. 7, 1899 / Stewart / died July 28, 1908 / infant children of / John & Minnie / CAMERON / Charles CAMERON / born Dec. 24, 1879 / died Dec. 27, 1912 / John MUIR / born Mar. 4, 1857 / died Mar. 1, 1924 / James A. MUIR / born in Orkney / Scotland 1858 / died Oct. 24, 1942 / his wife / Margaret MUIR / 1872 – 1954.

Robert and Edith had the following children:

1. Margaret E. Stewart, b. 31 Aug 1867, Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada , d. 1954, Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada (Age 86 years). Margaret married on 14 Dec 1905 in Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada to James Anderson Muir, b. 15 Dec 1858, Holm and Paplay, Orkney, Scotland , d. 28 Oct 1942, Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada (Age 83 years).
  Margaret Stewart was born in 1867 in Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada. Her parents moved the family to Chicago, Illinois, USA when Margaret was a young child.In 1870, Margaret was residing in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, USA with her parents. They later returned to Hamilton.In 1881, 1891, and 1901, Margaret was residing in Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada with her parents and siblings.In 1905, Margaret married James Muir, a bridge and building inspector. They continued to live with Margaret’s parents for a time.
  In 1911, Margaret was residing in Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada with her husband in the home of her parents. Her husband James was employed as a bridge and building inspector.
  
  In 1921, Margaret was residing in Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada with her husband. They were in their 50s and had no children. He was employed as a labourer.
  
  Margaret and James continued to live out their lives in Hamilton. They are buried in the family plot in Hamilton Cemetery with her parents and siblings.
2. Mary Elizabeth Stewart, b. 20 Apr 1869, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, USA , d. UNKNOWN. Mary married on 28 Aug 1901 in Welland, Ontario, Canada to John Leith, b. 19 Nov 1871, Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada , d. 1964, Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada (Age 92 years).
  Mary Stewart was born in 1869 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, USA, though her family was originally from Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada.In 1870, Mary was residing in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, USA with her parents and older sister.About 1873, her family moved back to Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada.
  In 1881, Mary was residing in Hamlton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada with her parents and siblings.
  
  In 1901, a matching Mary Stewart is found residing in Welland, Ontario, Canada, not employed. She is living with 41 year old Charles Howell who is identified as her uncle. I can find no such uncle on the Stewart side. The birth date given for Mary in the census does not match, but the year does and she’s born in the USA. Mary also married that same year in Welland to John Leith, so finding her in Welland in 1901 is consistent. It’s possible that Charles Howell was an uncle of John Leith.
  
  In 1911, Mary was residing in Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada with her husband. They had no children. They were residing in the home of her parents along with her sister Margaret and Margaret’s husband.
  
  In 1921, Mary was residing in Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada with her husband and widowed father. They had no children.
  
  No record has been found of Mary’s death. She is the only member of her extended family who is not recorded on the family headstone. Her husband John Leith is listed, but Mary is not. It appears that Mary was the last of her family to die and that there may have been no surviving family member to ensure that her name was added to the stone. Mary had no children and her siblings had no surviving children. If she outlived her husband passed 1964, then her closest surviving relatives in Canada would have been her first-cousin, once-removed, John Stewart Brown (this author’s grandfather), or one of the similarly distant McCullough cousins on her mother’s side.
3. Robert James Stewart, b. 12 Jul 1871, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, USA , d. 24 Apr 1906, Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada (Age 34 years)
  Robert was born in 1871 in Chicago, Illinois, USA, while his parents briefly lived there, but Robert lived most of his life in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.In 1881, Robert was residing in Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada with his parents and siblings.
  In 1891, Robert was residing in Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada with his parents and siblings. He was employed as a stone cutter.
  
  In 1901, Robert was residing in Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada with his parents and siblings. He was employed as a shipper.
  
  Robert died in 1906 at the age of 35 from convulsions. He never married and had no children.
4. Minnie Catharine Stewart, b. 3 Nov 1873, Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada , d. 16 Apr 1956, Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada (Age 82 years). Minnie married firstly on 28 Jul 1898 in Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada to Detective John Cameron, b. 27 Jun 1862, Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada , d. 11 Jul 1921 (Age 59 years). After his death, Minnie married secondly on 1 Oct 1924 in Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada to Beniah Baer, b. 1877, Canada , d. UNKNOWN.
  Minnie was born in 1873 in Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada as the youngest of four children. her parents were first cousins.
  In 1881 and 1891, Minnie was residing in Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada with her parents and siblings.
  
  In 1898, Minnie married John Cameron, a police constable, later detective. Her first cousin, Jean Stewart (daughter of Hugh Stewart), married Tom Brown who was also a police officer and later became Chief of the Hamilton Police Force. Minne and John had two children who both died in infancy. The Stewart and Cameron families both came from pioneer settler families in Wellington County, Ontario, Canada.
  
  In 1901, Minnie and Jack were living in a multi-family lodging residence in Hamilton.
  
  In 1911 and 1921, Minnie and Jack were residing in Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada.
  
  Minnie and Jack had two children who did not survive infancy.
  
  After the death of her first husband in 1921, Minnie married secondly in 1924 to Beniah Baer (Bear). He was a locomotive engineer. They had no children.
  
  Minnie and Jack Cameron had the following children:
  1. Muriel Cameron, b. 1899, Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada , d. 7 Aug 1899, Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada (Age 0 years). She died in infancy.
  2. Stewart Ferguson Cameron, b. 27 Jul 1905, 23 Leeming Street, Hamilton, Wentworth County, Ontario, Canada , d. 28 Jul 1905, 164 Stinson St., Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario (Age 0 years). He died in infancy.

2. Hugh Stewart, b. 1840, Puslinch, Wellington County, Ontario, Canada, d. 20 May 1885, Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada (Age 45 years)

Hugh Stewart, b. 1840, Puslinch, Wellington County, Ontario, Canada , d. 20 May 1885, Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada (Age 45 years).

Hugh Stewart’s information is presented below.

3. Catharine Stewart, b. 28 Dec 1842, Puslinch, Wellington County, Ontario, Canada, d. 2 Nov 1887, Bellflower, McLean County, Illinois, USA (Age 44 years)

Catharine Stewart, b. 28 Dec 1842, Puslinch, Wellington County, Ontario, Canada , d. 2 Nov 1887, Bellflower, McLean County, Illinois, USA (Age 44 years).

Catharine’s information is presented below.

4. James Stewart, b. 22 May 1847, Puslinch, Wellington County, Ontario, Canada, d. UNKNOWN, possibly Chicago, Illinois, USA

James Stewart, b. 22 May 1847, Puslinch, Wellington County, Ontario, Canada , d. UNKNOWN.

James Stewart was orphaned at the age of only 20 months after his father died, with his mother having died nearly a year prior. James’ siblings were raised by their Uncle Peter Stewart and Aunt Catherine Stewart on the Stewart farm in west Puslinch, Wellington, Ontario, Canada.

In 1851, James Stewart was residing in the nearby city of Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario in the care of his aunt and uncle Margaret (nee Stewart) and William McCallum. He would still have been at a nursing age, so would have needed to be with a family who could nurse him. His aunt Margaret McCallum in Hamilton was still nursing, whereas his aunt Catharine Stewart in Puslinch was not.

In 1861, James was residing in Puslinch, Wellington, Ontario, Canada with his Uncle Peter and Aunt Catherine and his brother and sister Hugh and Catherine.

In 1866 James witnessed the wedding of his brother Robert Stewart in at Central Presbyterian Church in Hamiltonm Wentworth, Ontario, Canada. Robert was residing in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, USA at the time. After that James disappears from record.

Two possible matches has been found in 1870 for a James Stewart born in Canada and living in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, USA not far from his brother, Robert Stewart, however these are an unconfirmed. No match has been found for James in the 1881 census in Canada or the 1880 in the USA. It is possible that James may have died between 1866-1881.

Police Detective Jack Cameron

Our family’s first encounter with mobster Rocco Perri

Detective John Cameron was born in 1862 in Hamilton. He married Minnie Catharine Stewart, daughter of Robert Stewart, eldest of the Stewart orphans. (at left)

John “Jack” Cameron was a police officer with the Hamilton Police Force. His wife’s first cousin, Jean Stewart, was married to Tom Brown, who later became Chief of the Hamilton Police.

Jack’s first encounter with the burgeoning Italian mob presence in Hamilton, was a Black Hand extortion case and raid in 1909.

Jack is mentioned in James Dubro’s book, The King of the Mob: Rocco Perri and the Women Who Ran His Rackets:

“It was the late winter of 1917 when Rocco and Bessie (Perri) first came to the attention of the police. A man came to detective Ernest Goodman to complain that after visiting a prostitute at 157 Caroline Street North and paying her a two dollar fee, he had been robbed of the rest of his cash.

Goodman, along with Detective Jack Cameron and the complainant, visited the house and interviewed Bessie and Rocco in the kitchen. (Bessie told the cops her name was ‘Rose Cyceno.’ The surname was probably an anglicization of ‘Sussino,’ the name Rocco would use later, and which was most likely his mother’s name.) In the end, Goodman had to report that the prostitute involved was not in the house. She may actually have left of the complainant may have lost his courage. The man promised to meet the police later, but didn’t show up at the appointed time. Goodman merely reported that 157 Caroline Street was a disorderly house and recommended that it be watched.” (p.36-37)

Hugh Stewart and Mary Tait in Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada

Hugh Stewart, b. 1840, Puslinch, Wellington County, Ontario, Canada , d. 20 May 1885, Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada (Age 45 years). Hugh was the second orphaned son of Robert Stewart and Mary Gillespie, shown above.

Hugh married on 17 Sep 1868 in Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada to Mary Tait, b. 5 Jan 1844, Beauharnois Canal, Châteauguay Valley, Huntingdon County, Quebec, Canada , d. 30 Dec 1927, Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada (Age 83 years).

Orphaned in Puslinch at 9 years old

Hugh Stewart was born on the family farm in Puslinch Township, Wellington County, just southwest of present-day Guelph. The family were still living in a log cabin at the time. When Hugh was only nine years old his parents (and grandmother) all died within 11 months of each other orphaning Hugh and his sister and brothers all under the age of 11. Hugh and his siblings were raised by their uncle Peter Stewart and his sister, their aunt, Catherine Stewart.

In 1851, Hugh was residing in Puslinch, Wellington, County, Ontario in the care of his uncle Peter Stewart and aunt Catharine Stewart, along with his brother, Robert, and sister, Catharine.

In 1861, Hugh was residing in Puslinch, Wellington, Ontario, Canada in the care of his uncle Peter and aunt Catharine Stewart. Hugh’s three orphaned siblings, Robert, Catharine, and James, were also residing with him. In the early 1860s the family moved from their log cabin into the stone farm house that still stands today.

In 1868, Hugh was a witness to his uncle Peter Stewart’s marriage to Agnes Mclean.

Mary Tait

Mary Tait, b. 5 Jan 1844, Beauharnois Canal, Châteauguay Valley, Huntingdon County, Quebec, Canada , d. 30 Dec 1927, Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada (Age 83 years). She was the daughter of Leonard Tait, b. Abt 1 Apr 1821, Cornhill, Northumberland, England , d. 18 Mar 1871, Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada (Age ~ 49 years) and Jane Ord, b. 21 Jul 1815, Eccles Lodge, Eccles, Berwickshire, Scotland , d. 20 Nov 1872, Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada (Age 57 years). Leonard Tait was the local blacksmith in Puslinch, where Hugh Stewart was born.

Mary Tait married Hugh Stewart and began a family with him. They were married 17 years when he died, leaving her to raise their four surviving children on her own. Her son, Leonard, took over the family grocery store after his father’s death. In 1921, Mary was living with her daughter Jean and son-in-law, Tom Brown, in Hamilton. She outlived her husband by over 40 years and outlived five of her six children

Tait Family Page (not yet published)

Move to Hamilton

Hugh has not been found in the 1871 census, however his only son (at that time) was residing in Puslinch with Hugh’s uncle Peter. In 1871 Hugh moved to Hamilton with his wife and first son. It was the same year that Hugh’s father-in-law, Leonard Tait, died. Leonard was already living in Hamilton, and since later census records show the Tait children living with Hugh and Mary, it seems likely that Hugh and Mary moved to Hamilton in order to look after Mary’s siblings. Having been orphaned himself, I suspect Hugh would have felt compelled to look after his wife’s younger siblings.

[Note: Lovell’s Canadian Dominion Directory for 1871 lists a Hugh Gillespie, grocer, at 263 McNab St North in Hamilton. 1871 Census shows him residing in St. Mary’s Ward, born about 1826 in Scotland. Wife Martha, children: Agnes, John, Margaret, Martha.]

Tait & Stewart Grocers

In Hamilton, Hugh worked initially as a machinist and general labourer, but in 1877 he opened a grocery store at Hunter and Walnut streets with his brother-in-law, Robert Tait. The family store was known as “Tait & Stewart Grocers.”

In 1881 Hugh was residing in Ward 2, Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada, with his wife and children. Also living with them were his wife Mary’s siblings, Robert, David and Margaret Tait.

Robert Tait eventually moved to London afterwhich Hugh and Mary moved the grocery store to the corner of Ferguson & King William streets.

Hunter & Walnut Streets – location of the former Tait & Stewart Grocers

Hugh dies young

Hugh Stewart died suddenly at the young age of 44. The cause of his death is was recorded as “consumption” (Tuberculosis.) After Hugh’s death Mary ran the grocery store herself with the help of their son, Leonard, who eventually took over the family store. Two years later, their son Robert also died of tuberculosis. And in 1901, their son James also died of tuberculosis.

Hugh and his family are buried in unmarked graves in Hamilton Cemetery.

Children

Hugh and Mary had the following children:

1. Robert Albert Stewart, b. 11 Sep 1869, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada, d. 9 Mar 1887, Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada (Age 17 years)

Robert Albert Stewart, b. 11 Sep 1869, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada , d. 9 Mar 1887, Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada (Age 17 years)

Robert was only 15 years old when his father, Hugh, died. Robert, himself, died two years later; the cause of death is recorded as phthisis pulmonalis (tuberculosis). He was employed as a plumber at the time.

2. Leonard Tait Stewart, b. 2 Nov 1871, Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada, d. 2 May 1914, Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada (Age 42 years)

Leonard Tait Stewart, b. 2 Nov 1871, Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada , d. 2 May 1914, Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada (Age 42 years). Leonard married on 12 Dec 1906 in Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada to Florence McMeekin, b. 23 Apr 1870, Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada , d. 2 Jul 1913, Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada (Age 43 years).

Leonard Tait Stewart was born in 1871 in Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada. He was named after his maternal grandfather, Leonard Tait.

In 1881, Leonard was residing in Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada with his parents and siblings.

Leonard was only 13 years old when his father died.

In 1891 and 1901, Leonard was residing in Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada with his widowed mother and his siblings. He was employed as a shoe cutter.

In 1906, Leonard married Florence McMeeking. Their wedding record indicates that he was a shoe cutter, but by 1907 and 1909, the baptismal records for their daughters indicate that Leonard was a grocer. Leonard’s uncle, David Tait, was a shoe maker and Leonard’s father ran a grocery store, so it’s possible that Leonard was both a shoe maker and a grocer. Harriett Jones remembered him running the Stewart family grocery store at King Street and Gage Avenue in Hamilton. Leonard died of electrocution. His marriage to Florence McMeekin indicates that he was a widower at the time of the marriage, but no prior marriage has so far been found.

Leondard died at the young age of 44; the third generation of father’s in a row to not live past their mid-40s.

Leonard and Florence had the following children:

1. Lieut. Margaret Agnes Stewart, b. 5 Jul 1907, Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada , d. UNKNOWN. Agnes appears to have been in a long-term committed same-sex relationship with Mary Watson, b. Abt 1907, d. UNKNOWN.
  Agnes never married and had no children. She lived with a friend, Mary Watson, for most of her life. Agnes was a Lieutenant in the military. She may have been friends with Winnifred Brown in London. It is impossible to conclude from available evidence if Agnes and Mary’s relationship was intimate. In that era it would not have been safe for them to have been out. I’m going to give them the benefit of the doubt and honour what their relationship appears to have been.On 11 Jul 1945, just a few weeks before the end of WWII, Agnes sailed on the Queen Mary vessel and arrived in New York City. Her next of kin was her niece Miss J McMeekin, residing at 12 Bold Street in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. It appears the ship was commissioned as a military transport as all the passengers were military.
2. Mary Florence Stewart, b. 25 Sep 1909, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada , d. 28 May 1911, Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada (Age 1 years)Mary died in infancy.

3. Jane Ord Stewart, b. 26 Sep 1875, Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada, d. 1957, Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada (Age 81 years)

Jane Ord Stewart, b. 26 Sep 1875, Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada , d. 1957, Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada (Age 81 years). “Jean” married at Central Presbyterian Church on 19 Oct 1904 in Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada to Chief Const. Thomas Albert Brown, MBE Chief of Police, b. 12 Apr 1877, Tandragee, Armagh, Ireland , d. 30 Mar 1952, Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada (Age 74 years).

They had the following children:

1. John Stewart Brown, b. 28 Jun 1905, Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada , d. 29 Jan 1979, Burlington, Halton, Ontario, Canada (Age 73 years)
2. Margaret Ruth Brown, b. 12 Apr 1907, Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada , d. Dec 1982, Prospect, Oneida, New York, USA (Age 75 years)
3. Mary Helen Brown, b. 4 Dec 1912, Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada , d. UNKNOWN, Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada
4. Florence Jean Brown, b. 9 Aug 1917, Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada , d. 18 Apr 2009, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (Age 91 years)

Their information is presented on the Brown in Hamilton Family Page.

4. James Gillespie Stewart, b. 28 Oct 1877, Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada, d. 11 Sep 1901, Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada (Age 23 years)

James Gillespie Stewart, b. 28 Oct 1877, Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada , d. 11 Sep 1901, Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada (Age 23 years)

In 1891, James was residing in Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada, with his widowed mother and teenage siblings.

In 1901, James was residing in Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada with his brother Leonard, sister Jean, and their widowed mother. James died later that year.

There are six graves in the Stewart family plot in Hamilton Cemetery. James is one of only two that are marked. His parents and his brother and sister are buried in unmarked graves on the same plot. Like his brother, Robert, he died of tuberculosis.

5. Maggie Ann McFarlane Stewart, b. 4 Oct 1880, Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada, d. 17 Feb 1886, Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada (Age 5 years)

Maggie Ann McFarlane Stewart, b. 4 Oct 1880, Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada , d. 17 Feb 1886, Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada (Age 5 years)

Maggie died in childhood.

6. David Tait Stewart, b. 24 Jan 1883, Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada, d. 31 Jul 1883, Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada (Age 0 years)

David Tait Stewart, b. 24 Jan 1883, Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada , d. 31 Jul 1883, Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada (Age 0 years)

David died in infancy.

Lieutenant Agnes Stewart

Lieut. Margaret Agnes Stewart was born in 1907 in Hamilton as the daughter of Leonard Tait Stewart and Florence McMeekin (at left).

Agnes never married and had no children. She lived with a friend, Mary Watson, for most of her life. Agnes was a Lieutenant in the military. It is impossible to conclude from available evidence if Agnes and Mary’s relationship was intimate. In that era it would not have been safe for them to have been out. I’m going to give them the benefit of the doubt and honour what their relationship appears to have been.

Police Chief Tom Brown

Our family’s second encounter with mobster Rocco Perri

Chief Const. Thomas Albert Brown, MBE, Chief of Police was born in 1877 in Armagh, Ireland. Tom married Jean Ord Stewart, daughter of Hugh Stewart (at left).

Tom was the second member of our extended family who had dealings with the Italian mafia in Hamilton, and, in particular, with Rocco Perri.

Tom’s information is presented on the Brown in Hamilton Family Page.

Catharine Stewart and Hugh McIntyre in Bellflower, Mclean, Illinois, USA

Catharine Stewart, b. 28 Dec 1842, Puslinch, Wellington County, Ontario, Canada , d. 2 Nov 1887, Bellflower, McLean County, Illinois, United States (Age 44 years). Catharine was the third orphaned child born to Robert Stewart and Mary Gillespie, shown above.

Catharine married on 11 Feb 1869 in Puslinch, Wellington County, Ontario, Canada to Hugh Munro McIntyre, b. 16 Oct 1832, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland , d. 11 Sep 1910, Bellflower, McLean Co., Illinois, United States (Age 77 years).

Catherine Stewart was orphaned at the age of 7. She was raised by her uncle Peter Stewart and her aunt Catherine Stewart on the Stewart farm in west Puslinch.

In 1851, Catharine was residing on the family farm in Puslinch, Wellington, Ontario, Canada with her uncle Peter and aunt Catharine and her siblings.

In 1861, Catharine was residing on the family farm in Puslinch, Wellington, Ontario, Canada, with her orphaned sibligns, her uncle Peter Stewart, aunt Catharine Stewart, aunt Jane (Stewart) McCowan, and cousin Peter McCowan.

Catharine married in 1969 in Puslinch, Wellington, Ontario, Canada to Hugh Munro McIntyre, farmer, originally from Glasgow, Scotland. They moved to Bellflower, Mclean, Illinois, USA where their first child was born a year later.

In 1870, Catharine was residing in Bellflower, Mclean County, Illinois, USA, with her husband.

In 1880, Catharine was residing in Bellflower, Mclean County, Illinois, USA, with her husband and children.

Catharine died in 1887 at the age of 44.

Children

Catharine and Hugh had the following children:

19th century photo of a woman in her 30s wearing a dress

Catharine Stewart McIntyre-Bellflower-Ill-USA

Catharine Stewart McIntyre, Bellflower, Illinois, USA

1. Allan McIntyre, b. 21 Sep 1870, Bellflower Township, Mclean County, Illinois, USA, d. 30 Sep 1956, possibly Bellflower, McLean County, Illinois, United States (Age 86 years)

Allan McIntyre, b. 21 Sep 1870, Bellflower Township, Mclean County, Illinois, USA , d. 30 Sep 1956, possibly Bellflower, McLean County, Illinois, United States (Age 86 years).

Allan was a farmer in Bellflower, Illinois, USA.

Allan married firstly on 23 Feb 1898 in Bellflower, McLean County, Illinois, USA to Minnie Belle Keefer, b. 19 Oct 1873, Illinois, USA , d. 17 Dec 1905 (Age 32 years). They had the following children:

1. Zelia E McIntyre, b. 24 May 1899, Bellflower, McLean County, Illinois, USA , d. 18 Mar 1987, Champaigne, Illinois, USA (Age 87 years)
2. Stewart Paul McIntyre, b. 19 Dec 1900, Bellflower, McLean County, Illinois, USA , d. Mar 1984, Wayne County, Illinois, USA (Age 83 years)
3. Keefer McIntyre, b. 2 Dec 1905, Bellflower, McLean County, Illinois, USA , d. 3 Aug 1984, Richland, Wisconsin, USA (Age 78 years)

After his first wife died, Allan married secondly in 1907 to Ida Lourine Francisco, b. 12 May 1876, Church Hill, Tennessee, USA , d. 1 Dec 1910 (Age 34 years). They had the following children:

1. Clyde Francisco McIntyre, b. 30 Aug 1908, Bellflower, McLean, Illinois, USA , d. 6 Jul 1932, Bellflower, McLean, Illinois, USA (Age 23 years)
2. Wilbur Allan McIntyre, b. 12 Aug 1909, Bellflower, McLean County, Illinois, USA , d. 1 Sep 1996, Brandon, Hillsborough, Florida, USA (Age 87 years)
3. Harry I McIntyre, b. 24 Nov 1910, Bellflower, McLean, Illinois, USA , d. UNKNOWN

After his second wife died, Allan married thirdly in 1912 to Verna Emma Fletcher, b. 8 Oct 1880, Illinois, USA , d. 5 Apr 1957. They had the following child:

1. Delmar Willis McIntyre, b. 22 Oct 1914, Bellflower, McLean, Illinois, USA , d. 26 Feb 1984, Chenoa, McLean, Illinois, USA (Age 69 years)

2. Robert McIntyre, b. 6 Oct 1872, Bellflower Township, Mclean County, Illinois, USA, d. 21 Dec 1947, Bloomington, McLean County, Illinois, USA (Age 75 years)

Robert McIntyre, b. 6 Oct 1872, Bellflower Township, Mclean County, Illinois, USA , d. 21 Dec 1947, Bloomington, McLean County, Illinois, USA (Age 75 years). Robert married on 2 Feb 1898 in Bellflower, McLean County, Illinois, USA to Zella May Johnson, b. Sep 1874, Illinois, USA , d. Aft 1930 (Age ~ 57 years). They had the following child:

1. Gaylord F. McIntyre, b. 1903, Bellflower, McLean, Illinois, USA , d. Aft 1930 (Age > 28 years).

3. Hugh Monroe McIntyre, Jr., b. 1 Feb 1875, Bellflower Township, Mclean County, Illinois, USA, d. 20 Dec 1953, Bellflower, McLean County, Illinois, USA (Age 78 years)

Hugh Monroe McIntyre, Jr., b. 1 Feb 1875, Bellflower Township, Mclean County, Illinois, USA , d. 20 Dec 1953, Bellflower, McLean County, Illinois, USA (Age 78 years). Hugh married on 3 Mar 1899 in Champaign County, Illinois, USA to Isabelle Jordan, b. 9 Jul 1873, Fisher, Champaign County, Illinois, USA , d. 6 Oct 1941, Bellflower, McLean County, USA (Age 68 years). They had the following children:

1. Freda Lorelei McIntyre, b. 12 Apr 1901, Bellflower, McLean, Illinois, USA , d. 22 Jan 2000 (Age 98 years)
2. Walter Theodore McIntyre, b. 20 Feb 1910, Bellflower, McLean, Illinois, USA , d. 9 May 1991, Seaside, Clatsop, Oregon, USA (Age 81 years)

4. Euphemia McIntyre, b. 17 Jun 1878, Bellflower Township, Mclean County, Illinois, USA, d. 24 Sep 1939 (Age 61 years)

Euphemia McIntyre, b. 17 Jun 1878, Bellflower Township, Mclean County, Illinois, USA , d. 24 Sep 1939 (Age 61 years).

Euphemia (“Fanny”) never married.

5. Mary S. McIntyre, b. 12 Dec 1880, Bellflower Township, Mclean County, Illinois, USA, d. 20 Mar 1969, Jerseyville, Jersey County, Illinois, USA (Age 88 years)

Mary S. McIntyre, b. 12 Dec 1880, Bellflower Township, Mclean County, Illinois, USA , d. 20 Mar 1969, Jerseyville, Jersey County, Illinois, USA (Age 88 years). Mary married in 1901 in Illinois, USA to William M. Biggs, b. 1880, Illinois, USA , d. Aft 1930, Elkhart, Indiana, United States (Age > 51 years).

Mary and William had no children.

6. Katharyn Mcintyre, b. 5 Mar 1884, Bellflower Township, Mclean County, Illinois, USA, d. 24 May 1967, Alton, Madison County, Illinois, USA (Age 83 years)

Katharyn Mcintyre, b. 5 Mar 1884, Bellflower Township, Mclean County, Illinois, USA , d. 24 May 1967, Alton, Madison County, Illinois, USA (Age 83 years). Katharyn married on 30 Oct 1907 in Bellflower, Illinois, USA to Rev. Cecil Clyde Wisher, b. 23 Oct 1879, d. Between 1920 and 1930, In the pulpit, Bellflower, Indiana, United States (Age 40 years). They had the following children:

1. Hugh Paul Wisher, b. 1909, Cheney Grove, Mclean, Illinois, USA , d. UNKNOWN
2. Katharyn Wisher, b. 18 Apr 1911, Illinois, USA , d. 30 Oct 1952, Lexington, Rockbridge, Virginia, USA (Age 41 years)