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I am looking for any relatives of Neil Stewart (spouse Elizabeth Downie-- my ggrandparents) who lived in Sarclet and who owned a fishing boat named Sweetpea registered as WK12. I understand that there was a son named Neil who was the harbour master in Wick, any information would be greatly appreciated.
I have a bit of info on this family - 12 children, so a big family, even for that time. Neil and Elizabeth's daughter Grace Livingstone Stewart married into my family, so I have more information on her. She married Benjamin Cromarty, had 4 children and moved to Leith prior to 1901. PM me if you want any more information.
Thank you for the reply, I would be greatly interested in any information that you have, my grandfather was William who appears to be the seventh child of the family, he emigrated to Canada at the age of 17. The only other members of the family that I have information on is George & Mary, should you have any pictures that would be fantastic!
Kindest Regards
Dwaine Stewart (dwstwrt@gmail.com)
Hi Dwaine
I can't help with the living. But I might have a line worth pursuing for you. Unfortunately I think a lot of it is from unsourced internet materia and maybe some of it further back from John Henderson's book, Families of Caithness, and I haven't sourced the material myself. I think I bunged it all in my database intending one day to follow it up but never did. If it is correct then we will be distantly related via SINCLAIR. Saying it is one thing but proving it is another. Even if not all of the links pan out then hopefully some of them might still hold for you.
I have Neil STEWART (=Elizabeth DOWNIE) as the
son of William STEWART (=Isabel MILLER),
son of Margaret SINCLAIR (=Neil STEWART),
daughter of Marjory INNES (=Alexander SINCLAIR of Borrowstown),
daughter of William INNES (=Janet/Joane),
son of James INNES (=CALDER),
son of James INNES of Thursater (=Barbara MURRAY),
son of Robert INNES of Thursater (=Margaret SINCLAIR),
son of John INNES of Thursater (=Isobel INNES),
son of Margaret SINCLAIR (=Robert INNES of Thursater),
grandchild of George SINCLAIR the 4th Earl of Caithness.
I have no idea if the latter connection is correct. I haven't got a candidate in my database who could be Margaret SINCLAIR. I have a note that Robert Innes of Thursater married Margaret to was Archdeacon of Caithness and that his father was William INNES of Thursater who was Baillie of the Bishopric of Caithness some time around the 1500s.
I descend from the 4th earl but not by a granddaughter Margaret.
Peter
I can confirm that a number of the links I gave are from John Henderson's book 'Families of Caithness' published posthumously in 1884 (he died 1883).
http://www.fionamsinclair.co.uk/gene.../Thursater.htm
Henderson says that Margaret was the granddaughter of the 4th earl.
Peter
I have Neil Stewart 1828-1912 (1852 Wick =Elizabeth DOWNIE (1835-1922) as the son of William STEWART 1805-1895 & Isabel MILLER 1807-1852 married 1828 Wick.
I have a second marriage for William STEWART in 1854 Wick to Catherine LAING,
daughter of Sidney/Sydney SINCLAIR (=James LAING),
daughter of Alexander SINCLAIR (=Elizabeth SUTHERLAND (Betty MCRYRIE),
son of James SINCLAIR 'the chamberlain' (=1st wife Anna ROBERTSON),
who was a ggggg-grandon of George SINCLAIR 4th earl of Caithness.
I descend from the chamberlain's second marriage to Elspeth SINCLAIR.
James LAING was from Morayshire. He married Sydney SINCLAIR 1828 Latheron.
I have the following issue to William STEWART & Catherine LAING:
James
Donald
Alexander
Robertine Laing = James MILLER
Sydney
Peter
Elizabeth
Peter = Janet/Jessie MILLER
Sinclair
sorry, I didn't make it clear that Elizabeth SUTHERLAND married MCRYRIE before she married Alexander SINCLAIR.
Also the daughter of William STEWART & Catherine LAING was Robertina not Robertine.
Dwaine,
There are a couple of points which prompt me to post.
The first is the mention of a fishing vessel named "Sweet Pea". I am interested in a James Miller (1878-1940), and in his obituary published on 10 May 1940 in the John O'Groat Journal, it mentions that he worked aboard a vessel named "Sweet Pea".
The second is that James Miller's aunt, Mary Miller, married George Downie (1855-1893). George Downie was the son of George Downie and Ann Oag, and he was lost at sea aboard "WK327 Charlotte" on 14 February 1893 somewhere in the Pentalnd Firth.
I don't know if there is any link through either of the facts I have, but if you think there are then I would welcome any contact - either through this forum, or by a private message.
Kind Regards,
Steven McGregor (Thurso, Caithness)
IGI Individual Record
William STEWART
Spouse: Catherine LAING
Marriage: 10 Feb 1854 Wick, Caithness, Scotland
Batch # M110434, 1819 - 1854, FHL film 0990559
Parish registers, 1701-1854 Church of Scotland. Parish Church of Wick
07 Apr 1861 Census of Scotland
@ Gaunsclet, Wick, Caithness
Willim STEWART Head 55 Fisherman & Crofter b. Wick, Caithness
Catharine STEWART Wife 31 b. Latheron, Caithness
Alexander STEWART Son 11 scholar b. Wick, Caithness
John STEWART Son 08 b. Wick, Caithness
James STEWART Son 06 b. Wick, Caithness
Donald STEWART Son b. Wick, Caithness
Alexr STEWART Son 02 b. Wick, Caithness
02 Apr 1871 Census of Scotland
@ Gansclate, Thrumster, Wick, Caithness
William STEWART Head 65 Farmer 7 Acres Of Which 5 Arable b. Wick, Caithness
Catherine STEWART Wife 41 Farmer's Wife b. Latheron, Caithness
Alexander STEWART Son 21 Fisherman b. Wick, Caithness
James STEWART Son 16 Stable Boy b. Wick, Caithness
Alexander STEWART Son 11 Scholar b. Wick, Caithness
Sydney STEWART Dau 07 Scholar b. Wick, Caithness
Elizabeth STEWART Dau 02 b. Wick, Caithness
Peter STEWART Son 1 month b. Wick, Caithness
Sydney LAING Mother-in-law 70 Farmer's Mother-in-law b. Latheron, Caithness
Note that there are two sons called Alexander in William's household.
I have George DOWNIE (=Ann OAG) as the son of George DOWNIE & Ann CORNER but I think I'm not sure about it.
I have Elizabeth DOWNIE (=Neil STEWART) as the daughter of George DOWNIE & Ann CORNER but I think I'm not sure about it.
I might have been looking at the data of others.
If those links are correct then that would mean that James MILLER who worked on the 'Sweet Pea' was nephew to Mary MILLER whose husband George DOWNIE was the nephew of Elizabeth DOWNIE who married Neil STEWART. who had the 'Sweet Pea.'
The area is rife with interconnecting STEWART, MILLER, DOWNIE, OAG and other local families such as SINCLAIR, LYALL, CORNER and more that it is easy to rapidly get lost in the maze of possibilities presented by other researchers. Good luck!
have you seen these photos of Elizabeth DOWNIE & Neil STEWART?
http://www.rainstorms.eu/family_phot...orn_1835_.html
the webpage author is descended from their daughter Mary STEWART who married John BLAIR.
hi dwstwrt
my ggrandfather was william stewart, he was first married to isabella miller and then to catherine laing hence the large family
my grandfather was alexander stewart his son from his first marriage, i have a photo of william which i will scan and email you if you are interested
r stewart
Hi Caithnesslad
I would like a scan of the photo also. Will send a personal message with my email.
Are you descended from Isabella MILLER or Catherine LAING? If the latter then we are related because her mother Sidney SINCLAIR was the daughter of Alexander "Turn-My-Hand" SINCLAIR who lived at Torrenrevach in the Mid Clyth area, son of of James SINCLAIR "the chamberlain" and his first wife Anna ROBERTSON. I descend from James SINCLAIR and his second wife Elspeth SINCLAIR. The chamberlain lived at Sarclet in WIck parish.
Catherine's father James LAING appears to be from Morayshire which is why one can't find origins for him in Caithness. I have found information about his probable relations.
This deposition is from a letter in 1891 to the Norhern Ensign newspaper by Thomas SINCLAIR, M.A. Edin., who was a descendant of James SINCLAIR & Elspeth SINCLAIR. Thomas took the deposition from your William STEWART. William says that James the chamberlain had his own ship but I think it was actually that it was his father Donald who had the ship, in fact two ships. "James SINCLAIR, Mid-Clyth. the claimant" is James Sutherland Laing SINCLAIR who was a grandson of Alexander "Turn-My-Hand" SINCLAIR.
"William Stewart, in Thrumster, aged 86, depones that James Sinclair the chamberlain was the eldest son of Donald the Sailor, and that he knew of him being in Thrumster House, but that he knew him
much better as "Saltie" in Sarclet, from which he traded along the coast with his own vessel. He
was possessed of a great amount of bodily strength, one of the neighbours once remarking that if it
was possible for anyone to carry a house upon his back, "Saltie" was the man. Depones that be
remembers "Long John Sinclair," a son of "Saltie" by his second marriage, and knew his family quite
well. Alexander Sinclair in Clyth (Torranrevach), called " Turn-my-Hand," was the eldest son of
"Saltie," and deponent's wife's grandfather. She is a daughter of Sydney Sinclair (Mrs Laing), the
only daughter of Alexander " Turn-my-Hand," grandfather of the present James Sinclair, Mid-Clyth,
the claimant. This James's father was James, the eldest son of Alexander "Turn-my-Hand."- May 25th.
1891."
peter
Hi Caithnesslad
I forgot to say that "Long John SINCLAIR" is my ancestor John SINCLAIR who married Barbara CORMACK. They had 13 issue. John's parents were James SINCLAIR the chamberlain and his second wife Elspeth SINCLAIR.
peter
Hi Caithnesslad
I would appreciate any photos that you could share.
Dwstwrt@gmail.com
HiMy great great grandfather was Neil Stewart, his daughter was ann Stewart, who married a more, and they had a son Neil more who was my grandfather, my grandmother was also born in sarclet she was an oag, her mother was a downie. If I can help with anything let me know :)
Neil Stewart was also a boson of the lifeboat in wick, possibly one of the first ones if my Aunty remembers correctly.